Source: Kataeb.org
Writer: Pierre Al-Bayeh
Joy returned to its source. With this phrase, we can summarize the play “Not Just About Christmas,” which was launched by the “brothers Farid and Maher Al-Sabbagh” at the George V Theater in Adonis.
It is true that the work is specific to Christmas and inspired by the occasion, but it includes all the elements of successful musical theater.
The first element, which is the first thing that positively shocks the audience, is the general palette, that is, the colors, decoration and costumes, and this matter was so elaborate that we felt as if we were living in this imaginary town.
The second element is music and voice, and here the harmony and splendor of the playing between the Sabbagh brothers was evident, which was adorned by Karen Ramia’s distinctive voice, which only befits great musical works, in addition to the voice of actor Youssef Al-Khal, who is suitable for love and turns on the stage into a template imbued with romance.
The third element is the message, meaning that this Christmas village we can cast many projections on, and the first projection is Lebanon, which has always suffered and suffers from divisions, and here I am reminded of a phrase by the great teacher Mansour Rahbani from the Means of Pictures by the artist Ronza, “On your love, they differ, but they all love you,” and therefore despite the divisions. Love triumphs in the end, but the intensity of love may sometimes generate great violence, as we discovered in the work, albeit in a comedic way, that the reason for the hatred between the chosen one and the mayor was love that was not successful in the beginning.
In the context of talking about this work, it is necessary to stop at the wonderful comedy, where the great artist Antoinette Akiki and the actor Raymond formed a wonderful duo that gave a strong impetus to the work from a comic standpoint.
Aside from the work atmosphere, the hat is off to two cultural and civilized resistance fighters from the Land of the Cedars, namely Maher and Farid Al-Sabbagh, who refused to submit to those who wanted to erase the Lebanese artistic culture and challenged reality. They were up to the challenge and created new work, knowing that success is not strange to them, as they are the ones who wrote their names in golden letters on the screen. The steps of Baalbek in the days of Saladin, where there were unforgettable nights between Jupiter and Bacchus that took us back to the true glory days of Baalbek International Festivals.
Pierre Al-Bayeh
