Director, playwright, set designer and costume designer Filipe La Féria will receive a medal of cultural merit on Saturday, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports announced this Friday, December 26th.
The delivery, by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, at Teatro Politeama, in Lisbon, at 9 pm, precedes the premiere of the new production of La Féria, “Carmen Miranda: The Great Musical”.
Filipe La Féria, 80 years old, claims to have risked everything in his 60-year career, “always against the tide”, has an extensive career in Portuguese theater, in acting, staging, dramaturgy, as a costume designer or set designer.
“I’m an artist because I can’t stand reality”, says Filipe La Féria, in a documentary about his career, directed by Miguel C. Saraiva, which premiered in October, on RTP2.
Filipe La Féria began his career as an actor, having worked at Teatro da Cornucópia, Teatro Experimental de Cascais, Teatro Estúdio de Lisboa and Companhia Rey Colaço-Robles Monteiro.
Among the shows he staged are “The crowbar lady” (1977), “Electra or the fall of the masks” (1987), “What happened to Madalena Iglésias?” (1990);
Created in 1984, the Cultural Merit Medal aims to distinguish personalities or groups, both national and foreign, for their dedication over time to cultural action or dissemination activities, being awarded by the Government.
“Carmen Miranda: The Great Musical” is part of the La Féria series of musicals, paying homage to leading names in the artistic scene such as Amália Rodrigues (1920-1999); Madalena Iglesias (1939-2018), Maria Callas (1923-1977), Edith Piaf (1915-1963), Judy Garland (1922-1969) or Laura Alves (1921-1986).
The musical features performances, among others, by João Brizza, Paula Sá and Melânia Gomes