Portugal – Musical Don Bosco, a tribute to the founder of the Salesians and patron of this WYD

02 August 2023

(ANS – Lisbon) – Musical Don Bosco a show presented by the Lisbon Salesians at the Youth Festival, was performed for the first time on the first day of World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023.

The Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, attended the dress rehearsal on 31 July, accompanied by some Salesians from the Provincial Community and relatives of the cast members.

At the end, the 10th Successor of Don Bosco took the stage to address the young people and the entire team. After praising the quality of the music and the show, he joked with some of the protagonists. Fr Á.F. Artime also expressed his general gratitude for the “many, many hours” of rehearsals which had resulted in a “show of great quality” and “faithful to historical facts.”

The Lisbon Salesains are presenting Musical Don Bosco at the Oceanos Auditorium, at the Lisbon Casino in the Expo Park. Admission is free of charge and access to the auditorium is free for pilgrims who can travel by metro red line to the Oriente station.

Musical Don Bosco is an adaptation of the Italian original 'Don Bosco, the musical', with texts by Renato Baigioli and Piero Castellacci and music by Alessandro Aliscioni and Achille Oliva, and is a tribute to the priest who dedicated his entire life to orphaned and disadvantaged young people.

St John Bosco (1815-1888), founder of the Salesians and Patron of WYD Lisbon 2023, chose “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle”, (Give me souls and take away the rest) as his life programme. He built a work for them based on three pillars: reason, religion and loving-kindness.

Over the course of an hour and a half, the audience is invited to travel through the most important moments in the life of the Saint from Turin, “Father and Teacher of youth”, as Saint John Paul II called him.

With artistic and choreographic direction by Professor Ana de Morais and musical direction by Professor Luís Pereira, the musical has a cast of around 30 young actors. Musical Don Bosco will be presented in Portuguese with English subtitles for international audiences.

Musical Don Bosco Musica first performed on 1 August at 9.30 p.m., will have repeat performances on 2 August at 7 p.m. and on 3 and 4 August at 9 p.m.

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ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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