A universal story that tells, with a modern and authentic language, the courage and strength of mind of those who live on the margins of society. The true story of Bernadette De Lourdes, the musical that thrilled France, arrives in Italy from January 16th to February 16th at the Conciliazione Auditorium in Rome. March 8th at the Palapartenope Theater in Naples, on the 15th March 16 at the Teatro Team in Bari, on the 28th, 29th and on March 30th at the Teatro Alfieri in Turin and then throughout Italy. Set in the south-west of France in the nineteenth century, Bernadette De Lourdes tells the extraordinary story of a fourteen-year-old girl who, despite living in difficult conditions of illiteracy and extreme poverty, becomes a figure of reference, even today, for millions of people. A story that shows the courage and fortitude of those who, despite the pressure, remain true to themselves. Inserted in the official program of the Jubilee, the musical speaks to everyone, and especially to young people who easily identify with the protagonist. The show has rightfully entered the ranks of the great French musicals, such as Notre Dame de Paris and Les Miserables due to its high artistic quality, intense plot, music and scenography. The young Bernadette is played by Gaia Di Fusco: “Playing Bernadette Soubirus was a great challenge. Initially I was intimidated by such an emblematic personality, complex in its simplicity. Through the study and historical knowledge of the character I tried to assimilate the characteristics of a fourteen year old, with a character defined as courageous, enterprising and stubborn. This was the key to approaching the role. The theme of the musical is truly for everyone: for a religious audience, as the story tells of a girl who has approached something sacred, despite never naming it, and for an atheist audience, as the musical tells of inquisition taken from the original texts that Bernadette had to face. In a certain way it instils certainty for believers in the existence of the sacred, and curiosity and fascination for atheists in discovering such a singular personality.”
For Gaia, this is her first experience at the theatre: “I am happy to start with such an impactful role. Thanks to acting I have the possibility of achieving greater artistic completion. My journey began at a young age, at 7 years old I began studying singing and from there my very first television experiences, including Io canto, All Together Now, Amici and Bar Stella with Stefano De Martino. When I was offered this role, the process to best interpret it lasted a year and for two months the rehearsals have intensified, allowing me to work on every detail of the character.”
David Ban plays the father and Chiara Luppi plays Louise Casterot Soubirous: “I’m very excited – says the singer-actress – it’s a very beautiful role. She’s always angry, she’s a woman who has to work a lot, the difficult thing was being so different from how I am. Chiara is thrilled to have been chosen: “I think you really felt how much I love this job. The show is beautiful especially for those who don’t believe, the songs are very deep. There is no proselytism, everything is very fluid, the texts in Italian are by Vincenzo Incenzo, an extraordinary author. I have already sung his things in Juliet and Romeo loves and changes the world. He wrote for Zero and many other Italian artists.”
Also in the cast is Fabrizio Voghera as Abbot Peyramate and Christian Ruiz plays Inspector Jacomet. The direction and libretto are by Serge Denoncourt who worked with Cirque du Soleil and Eros Ramazzotti, with music composed by Grégoire, the texts are written by Lionel Florence and Patrice Guirao, the adaptation and translation by a great author Italian: Vincenzo Incenzo. Scenography, costumes and arrangements are handled respectively by Stéphane Roy, Mérédith Caron and Scott Price. Produced by Éléonore de Galard and Roberto Ciurleo (creators of great shows such as “The Three Musketeers”, “Saturday NightFever” and “Robin Hood” in France) and by Gad Elmaleh and Fatima Lucarini, the musical is based exclusively on authentic and verbal documents of the time. The director, Serge Denoncourt, decided to accept the direction when he read the temperament of this little girl. His pure soul, his simple, clear, direct, instinctive and natural way.
In 2026, the film of the original French show will arrive in cinemas in over 100 countries, while the musical will arrive on Broadway and other US theaters.
https://www.bernadettedelourdes.it/