“The Physician”, the novel by the American Noah Gordon, will be released worldwide in Spain – next December 7 in Seville – in the form of a “symphonic” musical, that is, without stage design, but with 80 musicians and 30 actors in a proposal “blessed” by the best-selling author.
Created by composer Ivan Macías and writer Felix Amador, the project came last year, when the authors and producer Pablo Martínez presented the idea to Michael Gordon, the author’s son and agent, who knew “the quality of work” that it was a “good project”, as he explained today to Efe during the presentation of the show.
“My father is very proud of the reception of this book and has also had a very important relationship with Spain because he has many readers here and he likes them,” explained Gordon, who says that for the writer, 90 years old, he is “a honor “to receive ideas like this musical in concert format inspired by his work.
The creators of the musical, who will arrive in Madrid on December 15 and then go on tour in Spain, had the opportunity to meet with the writer and his son in Boston to make the project known to the author, who despite his age is still involved in the decisions related to his work, and that in a note written in English he praised the composition of the musical.
“Macías has written music from the very essence of the book, his work and that of the vocalists who interpret it will bring to life the characters and the story and take them from the pages to a musical that will leave everyone breathless, says Noah Gordon.
Published in 1986, the book narrates the journey of Rob Cole, a young Londoner with a gift to heal that he must pretend to be a Jew and face several obstacles in order to study medicine from the hand of the great doctor of his time, Avicenna, in Ispahan , the ancient Persia.
“It is the story of a great journey, the evolution of a character and also a love story,” explained producer Pablo Martínez, for whom the musical also speaks of the coexistence of three religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam, a phenomenon which has historically been present in Spain.
“Everybody tells us that it is impossible to bring this novel to the musical, but it is possible to tell this wonderful story through music and transmit emotions, as did Noah Gordon with his book,” Macías said.
The producers will tour for a year and then start working on the show as a large format musical, with stage set, which will be directed by Mike Ashcroft, director of Les Miserales movements on Broadway, which will also feature stage designer Derek Lane, honored with Tony Awards for his work on Broadway.