Broken Wings at Dubai Opera

The acclaimed Middle Eastern musical Broken Wings, will be brought to the UAE for the very first time in January 2020 by Broadway Entertainment Group and Dubai Opera. Get your tickets now to see a moving performance that touches on themes of family, forbidden love, gender equality and the search for home.

Based on Lebanese-born poet Kahlil Gibran’s 1912 autobiographical tale of the same name, the musical was written by Middle East duo Nadim Naaman and Dana Alfardan, directed by Bronagh Lagan and produced by Ali Matar, with orchestrations by Joe Davison. Set to open in Dubai with three performances taking place at Dubai Opera between 17 and 18 January 2020, Broken Wings is a stunning piece of contemporary music written to showcase the richness of Arabic literature and philosophy, allowing international audiences access to the complexity and beauty of Middle Eastern art and performance.

The musical first made its debut in London’s West End in August 2018 to sold-out shows, followed by a stellar performance which took place in Lebanon during the famous Beiteddine Festival in July 2019, home to the late Khalil Gibran to whom this musical production pays tribute.

An ageing Gibran narrates this story from his cold studio. Through poetry and music, he transports us back two decades and across continents, to turn-of-the-century Beirut. The story is set at the turn of the 20th century and the 18-year-old Gibran returns home to Beirut after five years in America. He falls in love with Selma Karamy, the daughter of a respected businessman and family friend. Selma, however, is betrothed to the nephew of a powerful bishop whose eyes lay on the Karamy family fortune. Against all odds and the pressures of a traditional society, Gibran and Selma fight to defend their love.