‘Broken Wings’ premiered in The West End in 2018 (Theatre Royal Haymarket) and has since toured The Middle East (Beiteddine Arts Festival, Katara Opera House and Dubai Opera House). Nadim is the Book Writer and Co-Composer of critically acclaimed Kahlil Gibran musical ‘Broken Wings’, written with Dana Al Fardan. Lebanese-British actor, singer and writer Nadim Naaman trained in musical theatre at The Royal Academy of Music, where he has since been appointed an Associate. Currently, Dana is also working on her score for feature film ‘Orca’ and her fourth album ‘INDIGO’. The programme was Conducted by Eimeer Noon, who went on to conduct The Oscars that same year. In October 2019, Dana’s repertoire was performed at The United Nations to mark the annual UN Day and celebrate the UN’s 74th anniversary, featuring the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.
‘Broken Wings’ premiered in the West End in 2018 at Theatre Royal Haymarket, and has since toured The Middle East (Beiteddine Arts Festival, Katara Opera House and Dubai Opera House), achieving sell-out runs and critical acclaim. In Musical Theatre, Dana co-composed ‘Broken Wings’ with Nadim Naaman an adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s debut novel. ‘Sandstorm’ has since been played by The London Metropolitan Orchestra at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, bringing Qatari music to a UK audience for the first time. Dana is Brand Ambassador of the internationally renowned Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom she recorded ‘Layla’ and ‘Sandstorm’, her first two albums. Drawing on her rich cultural heritage and influenced by her love of world music, her work is a blend of Arabic influenced contemporary Classical, both epic in scale and universally accessible. DANA AL FARDANĭana Al Fardan is a Qatari Composer, Songwriter and Symphonic Artist. Rumi has been described as the “most popular poet” in the United States. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world’s languages and transposed into various formats. Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian poet, Hanafi faqih, Islamic scholar, Maturidi theologian, and Sufi mystic originally from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran, Rumi’s influence transcends national borders and ethnic divisions: Iranians, Tajiks, Turks, Greeks, Pashtuns, other Central Asian Muslims, and the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent have greatly appreciated his spiritual legacy for the past seven centuries. Ramin Karimloo, Nadim Naaman, Casey Al-Shaqsy, Soophia Foroughi, Ahmed Hamad, Yazdan Qafouri, Johan Munir, Benjamin Armstrong, Roshani Abbey, Amira Al Shanti, Eva-Theresa Chokarian, Maëva Feitelson, Sasha Ghoshal, Blythe Jandoo, Ediz Mahmut, Zara Naeem, Mark Samaras, Aliza Vakil RUMI Further Creatives include Aran Cherkez as Assistant Director, Natalie Pound as Assistant Musical Director and Mark Samaras as Assistant Choreographer. Set and Costume Design is by Gregor Donnelly, with Lightning Design by Nic Farman, Sound Design by Simon Hendry and Video Design by Matt Powell.
Produced by Ali Matar, ‘Rumi: The Musical’ is Directed by Bronagh Lagan and Choreographed by Anjali Mehra, with Musical Direction and Supervision by Joe and Nikki Davison and Middle Eastern Musical Supervision by Maias Alyamani. The live premiere follows the release of a full-length concept album on Broadway Records. It will premiere as a semi-staged concert on November 23 & 24. ‘Rumi: The Musical’ features a grand score which combines Middle Eastern authenticity with classical influences and contemporary musical theatre, with lyrics derived from Rumi’s poetry. The 18-strong London Coliseum cast is comprised entirely of performers of Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian heritage, and will also feature a 29-piece orchestra, conducted by the show’s Orchestrator and Arranger Joe Davison. The cast features Ramin Karimloo, Nadim Naaman, Casey Al-Shaqsy, Soophia Foroughi, Ahmed Hamad, Yazdan Qafouri, Johan Munir and Benjamin Armstrong, with an ensemble featuring Roshani Abbey, Amira Al Shanti, Eva-Theresa Chokarian, Maëva Feitelson, Sasha Ghoshal, Blythe Jandoo, Ediz Mahmut, Zara Naeem, Mark Samaras and Aliza Vakil. Based on a story about the 13th century philosopher and poet Rumi by Evren Sharma, ‘Rumi: The Musical follows Al Fardan and Naaman’s 2018 debut musical, ‘Broken Wings’, which premiered in the West End at the Theatre Royal Haymarket before touring the Middle East.
Rumi: The Musical by Dana Al Fardan, one of the Middle East’s leading contemporary composers, and West End star Nadim Naaman, which will get its world premiere at the London Coliseum in November 2021.