La Verbena de la Paloma Review: A Timeless Classic at Teatro de la Zarzuela
- The Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid opened its 2026/27 season on September 23, 2026, with a revival of Nuria Castejón's staging of Tomás Bretón's classic lyric work...
- Musical direction for the run is led by Carlos Aragón at the podium of the Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, working alongside the Coro Titular del Teatro...
- Originally composed by Tomás Bretón with a libretto by Ricardo de la Vega, La verbena de la Paloma premiered on February 17, 1894, at the Teatro de Apolo.
The Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid opened its 2026/27 season on September 23, 2026, with a revival of Nuria Castejón’s staging of Tomás Bretón’s classic lyric work La verbena de la Paloma
.
The production returns to the Madrid stage following a successful national tour across Spain, having originally premiered at the venue in 2024. The opening features the comedic-lyric prologue Adiós, Apolo
written by Álvaro Tato. The prologue acts as a theatrical homage to the performers who worked at the historic Teatro de Apolo before its closure in 1929.
Musical Direction and Cast
Musical direction for the run is led by Carlos Aragón at the podium of the Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, working alongside the Coro Titular del Teatro de la Zarzuela directed by Antonio Fauró. Aragón told reviewers that the pairing of the prologue and the main work serves as a puente musical que nos une a nuestro pasado
(a musical bridge that connects us to our past
), highlighting Bretón’s orchestration of traditional Spanish rhythms like the seguidilla, soleá, and habanera.
The ensemble cast features vocalists Toni Comas, Gerardo López, Jorge Rodríguez Norton, Borja Quiza, César San Martín, Milagros Martín, María Rey-Joly, Carmen Romeu, Ana San Martín, Rafa Castejón, and Gurutxe Beitia. Musicologist Víctor Sánchez noted that the enduring appeal of the 1894 work lies in its specific fusion of popular melodies, dance forms, and dramatic tension among characters.
Historical Context of the Production
Originally composed by Tomás Bretón with a libretto by Ricardo de la Vega, La verbena de la Paloma
premiered on February 17, 1894, at the Teatro de Apolo. The work entered the Teatro de la Zarzuela’s repertoire just four years after that debut.
Director Nuria Castejón dedicated the current restaging to the artists and staff of the historical Apolo building, as well as to her parents, Pepa Rosado and Rafael Castejón. The production runs at the Teatro de la Zarzuela as part of the venue’s ongoing efforts to pair popular lyric repertoire with new theatrical creations.
