Nacho Cano’s brand-new musical is opening in Madrid, an ambitious project which he has been working on for over a decade and which portrays one of the most significant historical events of our past: the birth of ‘mestizaje’. The experience that breaks the mould of the traditional show is back with its second season at Espacio Malinche at IFEMA MADRID, with performances from Wednesday to Sunday in Spanish with English subtitles (Rows 12-25). In addition, on Friday and Saturday afternoons the show is performed entirely in English, making it the first Spanish musical to be performed 100% in English.
After a successful first season, which brought together more than 200,000 spectators and won the Musical Theatre Awards 2023 in the categories of Best Musical of the Year and Best Set Design, this musical project by Nacho Cano, one of the three members of Mecano, the most famous Spanish pop band of the 1980s and 1990s, is back on stage. The production, which stands out on all visual levels: costumes, make-up, lighting, sets, and of course choreography and acrobatics, tells the love story between Malinche and Hernán Cortés, and the unforeseen friendship between two men who were initially destined to end up with each other. It reveals one of the most illustrative historical facts to help us understand the past, as well as to understand our present and enrich our future: the melting pot (el mestizaje).
A celebration of the encounter between two peoples and their cultures, portraying an extraordinary and little-known woman who moved between two seemingly opposing worlds. Cultures a stone’s throw from conflict, in which love is born between the protagonists that anticipates the union between two countries: Mexico and Spain.
Nacho Cano's latest single, México Mágico, is the main song in this show and is an anthem celebrating diversity and fusion. In order to make the complex sets for Malinche, the production has worked with two of the most prestigious set-makers, Molla and Herrador, both under the direction of the set director, Hansel Cereza, one of the world's greatest experts in aerial effects and performing arts. The costumes have been created by international stylist José Ventura and his team, with more than 20 years’ experience, who have worked with the likes of Guy Laliberté, founder of the Cirque du Soleil.
Furthermore, for the first time, flamenco has been incorporated into a musical through the presence of Jesús Carmona, one of the genre’s leading exponents and a recipient of the Benois Prize, considered the Oscar for dance, as the world’s best dancer. The dancers in the cast include Olga Llorente, winner of the National Dance Prize in 2018.
Malinche Productions will build a theatre structure within the IFEMA MADRID exhibition grounds, equipped with one of the largest stages in Europe, 29m in length, including tiered seating, and incorporating water and waterfalls. A 1000 m2 vinyl marquee with a F&B (Food & Beverage) section will be located just outside the entrance.
Performances in English
On 5 July 2023, the musical premièred its English version, making it the first Spanish musical to be performed 100% in English. After months of hard work by the cast, this initiative turned out to be a big hit, becoming an unprecedented milestone in the Spanish theatre industry and demonstrating the audience's interest in multicultural and bilingual artistic shows.
Malinche will be performed entirely in English on Fridays at 5:30pm and Saturdays at 4pm. The performances from Wednesday to Sunday will be in Spanish with English subtitles available from Rows 12 to 25.
