The cast of Broken Wings with Qatari composer, Dana Al Fardan, during its staging at Katara Opera House.
Doha: Broken Wings, a West End musical co-composed by notable Qatari musician and composer Dana Al Fardan, witnessed sold-out shows during its Qatar debut on November 8 and 9 at Katara Opera House.
The musical launched with a special VIP night followed by sold out Matinee and Soiree shows for the public during its two-day run.
Adapted from Khalil Gibran’s poetic masterpiece, the Broken Wings musical was composed by Dana Al Fardan and West End actor Nadim Naaman. The musical was first performed in London in 2018 to a sold-out show, followed by a special Middle East debut in Lebanon during the famous Beiteddine Festival in July this year.
The cast is led by Nadim as Gibran, Hanna Qureshi as Selma, and Sophia Foroughi as Mother. It is directed by Bronagh Lagan and features orchestrations and musical direction by Joe Davison and performed by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.
“I am thrilled to bring Broken Wings home to Doha. Through the musical I aspire to create a bridge between the East and West by bringing cultures together and uniting people through music and art. Broken Wings does not only celebrate Arab heritage, but also celebrates women. Gibran’s mother was always a compass for him in times of uncertainty. This is the inspiration behind our song ’Spirit of The Earth’,” said Dana.
“I am grateful for the support we have received in bringing Broken Wings to Qatar and especially to our sponsors who have paved the way for future productions such as ours to have a place here in Doha, we couldn’t have done this with out them,” she added.
Nadim said: “I am very excited to be here in Doha to debut Broken Wings for the first time. I first visited Doha two years ago when Dana and I were writing songs for Broken Wings. The decision of bringing the musical to Doha was mutual as we both share a particular passion for creating synergy and understanding between cultures from the East and West.”
Dana Alfardan and Nadim Naaman also hosted an exclusive masterclass with 35 students from Doha’s top International Schools’ music programs with the cast on November 9, after which the students were invited to watch the Matinee performance. During the workshop, the students had the opportunity to learn ‘Spirit of The Earth’ as well as have a Q&A and meet the cast of Broken Wings.
