Juan Carlos Baglietto returns to the scene with The little Prince. The show that premiered in 2003, and which marked his debut in a musical comedy, returns to the Buenos Aires billboard with a renewed performance. Under the direction of Eduardo Gondell, the musician adds his sons Joaquín and Julián to the project. The premiere will take place this Saturday at 4:30 p.m., at the Teatro Ópera (Corrientes 860), and during the winter holidays there will be performances from Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.ticketek.com.ar/el-principito/teatro-opera
“I was a bit the promoter of this idea of doing this work again, perhaps motivated by that wonderful memory I have of the almost 160 performances we did. And on this occasion, there was a great opportunity to share this with my children and to get more involved in the aesthetic fact of the setting,” says Baglietto, who will once again play the character of the Aviator, who is none other than the alter ego of the writer who gave life to the classic.
Few stories manage to cross eras, generations and borders. And the one written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry It is, without a doubt, one of them. The numbers speak for themselves. Published in 1943, the novel was translated into more than 250 languages and dialects, and has sold more than 140 million copies worldwide. The musical that premiered 21 years ago, starring the charismatic Sebastián Francini, garnered part of that success with more than 100,000 viewers and multiple awards.
The experience is repeated, but in a different way. And Joaquín and Julián Baglietto, like their father at the time, also make their debut in the musical format. Joaquín, who knew how to play a young Baglietto in the series The love after Love, takes the stage in the role of the Businessman, a character obsessed with calculating numbers and accumulating assets. And Julián, for his part, is in charge of musical direction. “This project takes us out of our comfort zone,” they both say.
The team is large. Walas, the leader of Massacre, also ventures into the musical, with the challenge of playing the “King.” And another great debut is that of Luis Rodríguez Echeverría in the role of The Little Prince. The cast is completed with the performance of rapper Zaina (El Vanidoso); Flor Otero (The Serpent); Valentina Podio (The Flower); Carlos March (El Bebedor) and Roberto Catarineu (El Zorro).
– What is it like to tackle this project again so many years later?
Juan Carlos Baglietto:– Today I am much more aware of what I am getting myself into, and at that time I don’t know if I was as aware. I had already worked with children, and I had done children’s theater, but at that time I thought that I was not going to accept the routine of doing the same thing in all the performances. And far from it seeming like a bore, as the presentations went by, I realized how wonderful it was to build on a solid foundation. In these times, this material is completely resignified. The work grew and was updated in terms of updating the conflicts that, although they are universal, mutate in form. And the characters also have another imprint.
–In what way were these transformations reflected?
JCB:-This setting is not a mere repetition of what happened 21 years ago. I really think this version is much better than the one we made back then. In this version, the fact that The Little Prince is the “child self” of the aviator is more exposed, and that the aviator is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry who writes the work as it happens. In the previous version, the work was presented as a journey where the focus was on the curiosity of The Little Prince, and in this case the journey is through the miseries of the aviator.
–You were kids when that version was released. What does it mean to be part of this return?
Julian Baglietto:-For me it is a very nice challenge. As a musician, I made a lot of records. First, with my band Huevo, and later as a soloist. But I’ve never done music for a musical comedy, and it’s an incredible opportunity. I am very grateful and proud. Taking risks in art is something important.
Joaquín Baglietto:-It is very strong to participate in this project that we saw so long ago. We never imagined that it would be re-released and even less that we could be part of it. It’s something dreamed of. As an actor, I never imagined being in a musical, and also sharing the stage with my old man. I am really enjoying this process.
–You have to play the “Business Man”, a character who dialogues directly with current events, due to his obsession with the Market.
Joaquín B.:-Yeah. He is a character who has a coldness with which I do not identify at all, and that is why he allows me to explore other facets. He is a man who is involved in the cryptocurrency business. A kind of “Wolf of Wall Street”. He is a super rich role to work on.
–There is very careful musical work in relation to the composition of each character. What was that job like?
Julian B.:-We had the reference of what had already been done, and we started from there. The problems today are not the same as when this work was made 20 years ago. So, I set out to update that from the musical side, with particular rhythms. Each character sings their own song, and some remained similar and others were changed. We had to analyze each role to figure out which sounds linked to his personality. So, for example, now “El Vanidoso” is a reggaetonero, and “El Rey” is a rocker. Therefore, for that role it occurred to me to call Walas, who, luckily, took over. On the other hand, for “La Flor” we made a pop song because we imagined it to be more empowered. And there I was inspired by the figure of Dua Lipa…
–And what music accompanies the “Business Man”?
Joaquín B.: -That was the music that was most respected compared to the previous version. It’s something very glamorous. Jazz with Broadway style.
–The little Prince vindicates, in a certain way, that idea of the inner child that is lost with adulthood.
JCB:-Yes, although in this case The Little Prince is not a child but a teenager who constantly puts the adult in crisis with his ideas. There is also a kind of conflict typical of a relationship between a father and a son. Because The Little Prince poses problems to the Aviator that he, who has already lost his inner child, does not understand.
–The work arrives on the billboard in a delicate economic context. What expectations do you have in this regard?
Julian B.: -We know that it is a very ambitious proposal for this moment. But we feel that artistic events do not have to decrease, quite the opposite, because they are things that bring joy.
Joaquín B.:-In a time where there is so much uncertainty, I think it is good to sit in a theater and see something that challenges you and makes you think about something that goes a little beyond the everyday.
JCB:-There is a lot of malaria, but he who has a muff that he used to save, now prefers to invest it in himself. And going to see a show or having a glass of wine is investing in yourself. We are making a technical bet. But, beyond that, what matters is the story, which is very emotional and for the whole family.
