Hollywood star Antonio Banderas throws open the doors of his own theatre in his hometown of Malaga in southern Spain on Friday, with an inaugural performance of A Chorus Line.
When the curtain goes up, the musical will be the first work shown at the Teatro del Soho, a former cinema which has been completely revamped by the 59-year-old actor, who like Picasso, was born and raised in Malaga.
The musical, which will be performed entirely in Spanish, was specially chosen by Banderas, who in May won best actor at the Cannes film festival for his role in Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory in which he played the celebrated director’s alter ego.
A Broadway hit dating back to 1975, the story focuses on a group of aspiring dancers as they audition for a role in a new musical, putting the focus on the unsung heroes working in the industry.
“There are no stars, the focus is on those people who really sustain the musical theatre industry but who don’t have their name in lights and who are unknown,” Banderas told reporters earlier this week.
Describing the musical as “a classic”, Banderas said it told a story about “those involved in performing arts and all the suffering that goes on behind the scenes”.
On accepting his award at Cannes, Banderas admitted he himself had struggled over the years, saying: “There is a lot of sacrifice and… pain behind being an actor or being an actress, but also there are nights of glory.”
The Andalusian actor, who began acting in the early 1980s, will also take part in Friday’s show, playing choreographer Zack who auditions the other artists in a performance involving 26 actors and accompanied by a 22-piece orchestra.
The musical will play to a full house when it opens on Friday with every ticket sold in the newly-revamped theatre, which has more than 800 seats.
