On Thursday, Frida Kahlo’s family approved the development of “Frida, the Musical,” which is expected to debut in 2024.
“Frida still has so much to teach us, and I am thrilled at the chance to honor her life and her work through this most expressive medium,” said producer Valentina Berger. The show’s creators hope to portray a more three-dimensional, more human version of the iconic Mexican painter through never-before-seen personal stories of her life.
Much has already been said about Frida’s life and legacy, but Berger hopes to offer a new look at her life: “Everyone knows a colder Frida, a suffering Frida, but she loved life … I used to have a sad view of Frida, like, ‘Oh, the poor woman.’ Now, knowing how she was so smart and so clever, I look up to her.” The musical will highlight her wit, zest for life, and love for family, in addition to the hardships she experienced.
The show is based on the memoir “Intimate Frida,” written by her niece Isolda P. Kahlo, and conversations with her family in Mexico. Valentina Berger is producing the show, Jaime Lozano is composing much of the music and Neena Beber is writing the lyrics.
Frida was born in 1907 in a suburb of Mexico City. She suffered from polio as a child and was involved in a bus accident which burdened her with chronic pain.
During her years bedridden at the hospital, she began regularly painting; her mother set up a portable easel and mirror so Kahlo could practice painting her own face. She continued to hone and study the craft in the following years.
While studying at the National Preparatory School in the early 1920s, she met the muralist Diego Rivera, and they married in 1929. During this time, she developed her artistic style, drawing her main inspiration from Mexican folk culture. The Louvre purchased her painting “The Frame” in 1939, making her the first Mexican artist to be featured in their collection.
Through it all, she dazzled gallery-goers with her candid and brilliantly colored self-portraits dealing with such themes as identity, the human body, and death. She suffered a pulmonary embolism and died in 1954 at the age of 47.
So far, ten songs have been written for the musical. One song, “Wings,” captures Frida’s resilience and persistence amid suffering. “Feet,” she said, “what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?”
“Frida still has so much to teach us, and I am thrilled at the chance to honor her life and her work through this most expressive medium,” said producer Valentina Berger. The show’s creators hope to portray a more three-dimensional, more human version of the iconic Mexican painter through never-before-seen personal stories of her life.
Much has already been said about Frida’s life and legacy, but Berger hopes to offer a new look at her life: “Everyone knows a colder Frida, a suffering Frida, but she loved life … I used to have a sad view of Frida, like, ‘Oh, the poor woman.’ Now, knowing how she was so smart and so clever, I look up to her.” The musical will highlight her wit, zest for life, and love for family, in addition to the hardships she experienced.
The show is based on the memoir “Intimate Frida,” written by her niece Isolda P. Kahlo, and conversations with her family in Mexico. Valentina Berger is producing the show, Jaime Lozano is composing much of the music and Neena Beber is writing the lyrics.
Frida was born in 1907 in a suburb of Mexico City. She suffered from polio as a child and was involved in a bus accident which burdened her with chronic pain.
During her years bedridden at the hospital, she began regularly painting; her mother set up a portable easel and mirror so Kahlo could practice painting her own face. She continued to hone and study the craft in the following years.
While studying at the National Preparatory School in the early 1920s, she met the muralist Diego Rivera, and they married in 1929. During this time, she developed her artistic style, drawing her main inspiration from Mexican folk culture. The Louvre purchased her painting “The Frame” in 1939, making her the first Mexican artist to be featured in their collection.
Through it all, she dazzled gallery-goers with her candid and brilliantly colored self-portraits dealing with such themes as identity, the human body, and death. She suffered a pulmonary embolism and died in 1954 at the age of 47.
So far, ten songs have been written for the musical. One song, “Wings,” captures Frida’s resilience and persistence amid suffering. “Feet,” she said, “what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?”
