By: Brad Chen
The Mexican painter Frida Kahlo's life story has profoundly impacted society for almost a century after her death, and now, her life story will be heading to Broadway.
Last Thursday, Valentina Berger, the Frida Kahlo estate, and BTF Media announced that they would create a musical of Kahlo’s life story named “Frida, The Musical” that will be premiering sometime in 2024. The music will be written by Mexican composer Jaime Lozano and lyrics by the Obie Award-winning playwright Neena Beber.
“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,” stated Berger.
Kahlo was born in 1907 and had a rough life, catching Polio at age 6, and at 18, was involved in a bus accident that almost killed her. To kill time during recovery she picked up painting, focusing mainly painted on self-portraits, “I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best, " she once stated. Now her work is viewed as one of the greatest in the world because it displays powerful self-expression.
The show honors Kahlo, as an outstanding surrealist and prominent leader for feminism in art. The story will be following her on her journey from Mexico City to Paris and New York and back to the home where she was raised.
Mara Romeo, the heiress of Frida Kahlo, spoke on behalf of the family and stated, “We are deeply moved that this show will allow audiences around the world to get to know Frida as so much more than just an artist. Full of joy, ahead of her time, and steeped in the culture of Mexico, she was a woman driven by an unending passion for life. I hope that this show inspires women everywhere to have the courage to fight for their dreams.”