Asharq Al-Awsat interviews Mona Khashoggi, producer of the musical
After 3 years of showing the musical “Umm Kulthum and the Golden Age” at the “Palladium” theater in London, its producer, Mona Khashoggi, was able to fulfill her dream of showing it in Saudi Arabia, where the “Ithraa” theater in Dhahran is preparing to present it, starting from next Tuesday, until the 17th. current month.
Success on the most prestigious London theaters prompted Mona Khashoggi to seek to stage the play in the Arab world, which happened in Dubai last year. Asharq Al-Awsat interviewed her regarding the new show and its protagonists, explaining that one of the most important changes is the character of the main singer and the introduction of the character of Umm Kulthum in her maturity, which was presented by the singer Lubna Al-Kuntar before. She says, “The team is different, this time. We have the singer Ajfan Afifi from Egypt, who will play the character of Umm Kulthum in the stage of maturity, and also the singer Jennifer Grout; She is an American Muslim who studied the recitation of the Qur’an and classical Arabic, and she will play the role of singer Munira Al-Mahdia and perform some of Umm Kulthum’s songs.
Actress Maha Khleifi joins the cast to play the role of Umm Kulthum’s mother, and the Jordanian actor Hani Dahshan, who will play the roles of the trio Muhammad Al-Qasabji, Dr. Al-Hafnawi, Umm Kulthum’s husband, musician Muhammad Abdel-Wahhab, and actor Walid Hammad in the roles of Ahmed Rami and Sheikh Abu Al-Ela Muhammad.
And she adds, “I named the show (Umm Kulthum and the Golden Age) for an important reason. Through it, I wanted to celebrate giants such as Muhammad al-Qasabji, Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, and Tahia Carioca (..) as well as the personality of singer Munira al-Mahdia.
The Six Nights at Ithraa Theater in Dhahran
