Umm Kulthum Musical

Being staged at the Downtown Dubai venue from May 3 to 5, Umm Kulthum & The Golden Era will make its regional premiere after being launched with a one-off show at the London Palladium in the West End in 2020.

Written by Saudi Arabia's Mona Khashoggi, the English show will trace the life of the singer, born Fatima Ebrahim Al Sayyid Al Biltaji, from her poor upbringing in rural Egypt to her rise as one of the world’s greatest singers.

Known as Egypt’s Fourth Pyramid and “The Star of the Orient,” Umm Kulthum carved Arab history and moved women’s voices into the consciousness of the Arab world.

The Dubai show will be a homecoming for Khashoggi, who wrote the musical with the aim of taking the production internationally.

As for the two-hour production, Khashoggi said it will be split into two acts.

The first focuses on the singer's humble upbringing and being inspired by the religious recitations of her father, the imam of the local mosque.

The second act will look at Umm Kulthum's road to fame and her collaborations with pre-eminent composers and lyricists such as Baligh Hamdi and Morsi Jamil Azizi.

More than the timeless songs, Khashoggi wants a new generation of international audiences to appreciate the success and struggles of one of the Arab world’s greatest cultural personalities.

Tickets for Umm Kulthum & The Golden Era - A Musical Tribute at Dubai Opera start from Dh350. Tickets are available for purchase at platinumlist.net.