Musical on the life of pope no comedy
Theatre will depict life of John Paul II in Karol Wojtyla: The True Story
It may lack the glitz of Chicago and the spectacle of The Lion King, but a musical has been written based on the life of the late pope John Paul II.
Theatregoers hoping for the light touch of shows such as Mamma Mia! will be disappointed — the musical will depict the assassination attempt on John Paul II, when he was shot by a Turkish gunman in the middle of St. Peter’s Square in 1981.
The unusual musical will have its debut in Italy in January, with the producers hoping to move the show to Rome to coincide with the canonization of the late Polish pope.
The Vatican will announce next week the date of the canonization, with the ceremony, led by Pope Francis, expected to happen in April.
The musical, Karol Wojtyla: The True Story, will depict his life from Nazi- occupied Poland to the priesthood, his role in bringing down communism and his election as pontiff in 1978.
The score has been written by Noa, an Israeli pop star who knew John Paul and sang Ave Maria for him at an audience in
“We will tell the story of young Karol … all of the elements that formed the pope.
DUCCIO FORZANO DIRECTOR OF KAROL WOJTYLA: THE TRUE STORY
St. Peter’s Square in 1994.
The show will start with the assassination attempt by Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot the pope in the stomach, hand and arm as the pope rode in his opentopped popemobile through St. Peter’s Square. “We will tell the story of young Karol: his affections, the war, his mother Emilia, his military father, his brother … all of the elements that formed the pope,” said Duccio Forzano, the director.
The pope will be played by three actors, representing stages of his life from nineyearold boy to middle- aged man. Then he will be represented by a hologram, accompanied by archive film footage of his life. The producers said they did not want to risk complaints that the actor did not properly resemble John Paul.