Catalonia's most popular musical to end on July 13 after 303 performances in 44 weeks

July 13 will be a day to remember in Catalonia's musical history. 'Mar i Cel', the most important musical in the territory, will bid its final farewell at Barcelona's Teatre Victòria after 44 weeks on the stage and 303 performances. 

This iconic musical, based on the play by Catalan playwright Àngel Guimerà, marked a turning point in the history of Catalan musicals.  

Premiered in 1988 at the Teatre Victòria, it was an instant success and has since attracted more than 1.2 million spectators in 1,300 performances.

Only in the fourth edition of the musical on stage has it sold over 300,000 tickets since September 2024. All seats until May are sold out, and the ones for June and July are selling fast.

'Mar i Cel' ('Sea and Sky' in English) tells the story of pirates and Christians and explores the clash between cultures and religions.  

On one side are the Christians aboard the ship carrying the Viceroy of Valencia, Charles, and his daughter, the main character, Blanca. On the other side are the Moorish pirates, expelled by order of King Philip III and led by Saïd.  

When the pirates board the Christian ship, Saïd's manners unsettle Blanca, causing her to confront unexpected feelings of love for him, giving rise to a myriad of doubts and complexities.

Aside from the musical, Dagoll Dagom, the promoter behind the performance, has organized an exhibition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the production company.

'Mar i Cel' is going from a book to stage and to a book again. Comic author Coralí Espuña has adapted the musical into a graphic novel to explain the love story of Blanca and Saïd in 116 pages.