Qasr el-Nil theater set to host ‘Sound and Image' Umm Kulthum show on Thursday

Egypt Independent

6 days ago

The 'Sound and Image' music show is preparing to present its first night in Cairo, following its huge success during the Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia.
Taking take place on Thursday at the iconic stage of the Qasr el-Nil Cinema, massive preparations are underway to transform the theater into a 'time machine' back to the golden age of Arabic music.
The show will embody the life and career of the Star of the East, Umm Kulthum, through a live performance by Marwa Nagy, who will perform a selection of Umm Kulthum's timeless songs.
This blends powerful vocals with dramatic narration and visual effects, bringing the spirit of the popular singer back to life on stage.
The show is written by Mohamed Zaki and directed by Mostafa Abdel-Salam, with Marwa Nagy co-presenting the show with a group of artists.
In statements reported by the Egyptian newspaper al-Shorouk, Zaki said that the reason the show was called 'Sound and Image' is because it combines live singing and acting.
He explained that the audience will see Nagy transform into Umm Kulthum through makeup and costume work, as if the audience were experiencing a night with the Star of the East and her band, but with Nagy's voice and performance.
Nagy said, 'The show is not just a tribute to the icon of Arab singing, but rather a visual musical experience that blends voice, story, and amazement, recounting the details of her artistic journey.'
The audience will witness an unprecedented performance that evokes the fragrance of the past and recreates the features of that beautiful era, she said.
Nagy, as Umm Kulthum, will perform a new song, composed specifically for the show on the same stage where Kalthum last performed in 1973: the venerable Qasr el-Nil Theater.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm