Tenerife actor Francisco León performs for the first time in his career in Canary Islands Formed part of the cast of a national blockbuster. In the extensive list of artists that make up El tiempo entre corazónas, Manuel da Silva takes on one of the main roles in this show as a cover, which can be enjoyed in December at Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Tenerifein this order.
León warns that his job as a cover consists of “covering the male members of the ensemble in their rotations due to rest or illness, in addition to always being ready to go on stage at any time in the event of any eventuality. It is a position of enormous responsibility because it means always having all the male characters studied and ready, their scenes and dialogues, their voices within the register to which they correspond (tenor or baritone), in addition to their positions on stage and choreographies. “A very intense but very fun job that rewards me for its versatility and capacity for resolution that it offers me as a performer.” In his case, Da Silva’s cover considers “his role to be a sweet treat because he is a super enjoyable character due to the amount of play he offers, both vocally and interpretively.”
«No one can imagine how excited I am to return home. And what can we say about bringing this incredible story to the Cuyás Theater, the Fuerteventura Training and Congress Palace and my beloved Leal Theater. It is the first time in my entire career that I visit my homeland with a production from outside the islands and for me it is a tremendous honor, as well as an enormous responsibility. That’s why I thank Dario Regattieri and Beon Entertainment for giving me this opportunity,” explains Francisco León.
The play is performed in Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura during December
The man from Tenerife, who in his youth, in addition to studying Hispanic Philology at the University of La Lagunadecided to embark on the adventure of living his dream of being an artist, he began his intense training in different modalities of the performing arts (contemporary dance, jazz, tap dancing, interpretation, contemporary theater, theater of the absurd or clown) in various centers and academies of the islands such as the Canary Islands Actors School (EAC) or MMDanza, among others, he adds that he always dreamed of developing professionally in musical theater.
«I got my first role in a musical show in 2005. In these almost 19 years I have had the immense luck to participate in many shows of different kinds. As an actor in different theatrical shows, as a singer in groups such as Carezza, as a soloist in many editions of the Tenerife International Film Music Festival (Fimucité), or as a tenor in the Tenerife Opera Choir in productions such as Aida, Il Trovatore or Norma”, remembers Francisco León.
Grateful to Azpilicueta
He confesses that he will be “eternally grateful” to Jaime Azpilicueta, who has directed the most successful musicals that have been performed in Spain in recent decades, from Jesus Christ Superstar to Cabaret, through Sonrisas y Lágrimas, My Fair Lady, Evita, Fama or Victor or Victoria, among others. It was precisely the Basque director who allowed him to be Judas and cover Jesus in the musical production Jesus Christ Superstar, which could be seen in 2014 at the Tenerife Auditorium.
Since then, León has participated in the celebrated titles Evita, Rent, Sunset Boulevard, 33 El Musical, Tick Tick Boom, El Médico, el musical and El tiempo entre Costuras, inspired by the novel of the same name by the writer María Dueñas. «Working in Madrid, one of the great world capitals of musical theater, is the goal that I believe all professionals in the sector in our country aspire to. The main musical productions premiere in the best theaters on Gran Vía and it brings you a lot of prestige to work with the best professionals in the sector,” he adds.
The musical “gets the public to travel to Madrid, Lisbon, Tangier or Tetouan,” highlights León
He maintains that the mechanism behind the musical The Time Between the Seams is “truly crazy, in a good way, because no one imagines everything that moves both in front of and behind the set. Taking into account that only Sira Quiroga, the protagonist, has about 30 costume changes (designed by Lorenzo Caprile) in the two hours of the show and that there are almost thirty members in the cast, with their respective changes of clothes and wigs … You can imagine that the movement of artists, technicians, assistants and tasks of the machinery, hairdressing, tailoring or management teams that take part in a show of such magnitude is not minor.
«I honestly believe that no one should miss The Time Between Seams because it conveys a unique way of living an exciting story like the one María Dueñas wrote. The music and sounds, the lights and colors, a set adaptable to the circumstances, the costumes and hairdressing, in addition to a wonderful cast of artists, make the audience travel from Madrid to Lisbon, passing through Tangier or Tetouan, without get out of your seat in the little more than two hours of this musical. I am convinced that you are going to love the musical and that my people are going to welcome us with a lot of energy and affection, as it could not be otherwise.
Together with the other designer who designs the costumes for this production, Marietta Calderón from Gran Canaria, “and with the permission of my colleagues, we are the joy and flavor of this company,” jokes the actor, who defines Calderón as “a super person.” “Joyful person who always has a smile on his face to make your day better.” León does not want to talk about immediate projects. «The future will see what it brings us, hopefully it will be much and good. For now, Beon Entertainment and The Time Between Seams is my present,” says the actor. «Right now I am totally focused on this tour and on the cities we still have to visit. Each one of them and their theaters will be a challenge and an adventure to be faced with enthusiasm and respect,” concludes León.
