Lourdes (AFP)
A reconstituted cave, the mystery surrounding the apparitions of the Virgin before a young peasant turned saint: in Lourdes, some 1,500 people attended Monday the premiere of the musical "Bernadette Lourdes" which traces the life of Bernadette Soubirous, according to the organizers .
The show traces the path of the girl to very fragile health, living in great misery and in front of which the Virgin appeared 18 times in 1858, in the cave of Massabielle.
He recounts, from the minutes of the period, the clerical inquiry that was carried out until Bernadette left for a convent in Nevers where she took the habit.
"Bernadette de Lourdes", subtitled "She looked at me as a person" and played by Eyma, former candidate of the TV show + The Voice Kids +, is a musical show "validated by the Church", had indicated to AFP the producer Eléonore de Galard, last November.
However, "it's not a catholic show for Catholics," added producer Roberto Ciurleo.
For the booklet, the producers used a reference duo: Lionel Florence and Patrice Guirao (The Ten Commandments, Cleopatra, Adam and Eve, The Lion King, Mozart ...), lyricists for many performers, including Johnny Hallyday or Pascal Obispo. The music was composed by singer Gregoire.
"Bernadette de Lourdes" is scheduled until October 5th. At each performance, the Espace Robert Hossein will be able to accommodate 130 people with reduced mobility, according to the organizers.
The show, in French, is subtitled, on screens, in three languages, including English and Spanish, depending on the language of the pilgrims present in the audience.
"Bernadette de Lourdes" will return from early April 2020 until October, under a three-year lease from this year.
Negotiations are under way for a tour in several countries including Spain, Italy, Poland and Latin America, the organization said Monday.
The overall budget of the musical is almost 10 million euros, depending on the production.
It is created while Lourdes celebrates the 175th and 140th anniversaries of the birth and death of Bernadette Soubirous. A major tourist and pilgrimage site, the sanctuary of Lourdes welcomed a total of 1.2 million visitors in 2018.
Since the mysterious appearances, 70 miraculous cures have been recognized by the Catholic Church in Lourdes.
A documentary, "Lourdes", released in cinemas last May, recorded more than 200,000 admissions.
? 2019 AFP