Famed Egyptian singer, actor to play big role in grand Arab production

The Egyptian artist Ali Al Hajar (second from right) with “Clusters of light” cast in Emirates Arts Studio. Photo from Sharjah Media Center.

MANILA, Philippines – Renowned Egyptian singer and actor Ali Al Hajar is set to become part of the culminating theater performance during the inauguration ceremonies of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) as Capital of Islamic Culture 2014.

“My colleagues and I will present a show that the entire world will write about, and we will take the audience on a journey from the holy land, where the seeds of Islam started, to the era of victories and glory of Islam,” Al Hajar said in a statement released by the Sharjah Media Center.

“The oratorio will change how people will value the show business in general – it will compel many to re-read history. Sharjah is establishing a new dimension in the serious show business,” he said.

Sharjah is celebrating its inauguration as Capital of Islamic Culture 2014 from March 25 to April 5.

The performance entitled “The Clusters of Light,” will run for an hour and 42 minutes and involves some 750 actors, musicians, composers, directors, producers, and designers.

The production is regarded as unprecedented in the Arab region with “the use of unparalleled sophisticated technologies in the region, including 4D technology encompassing 400 moving lights, 120 loudspeakers, and 21 projectors.”

Performances of “The Clusters of Light” will be held from March 26 up to April 5 at the newly constructed outdoor Al Majaz Amphitheatre that cost an estimated $38 million (AED 140 million) and can seat around 4,500 people.

“Its mission is to create a high-ranking artistic work providing a true picture about Islam – the human values and high-ranking message that promote peace, justice, tolerance and love – to be recorded by history and engraved in the memory of future generations,” the statement said.

“It is expected to attract a huge audience, from both Arab countries and the rest of the world,” it said.

Al Hajar will join a stellar cast of well-known Arab performers, including Mohamed Assaf, Lotfi Bouchnak and Hussein Al Jasmi. The performance was composed by Khalid Sheikh, a distinguished Bahraini artist.