Actor Udylê Procópio fronts the scene of the theater musical 'Pra te ver happy', second act of the trilogy 'Dá samba', by playwright and director João Batista Nil Caniné / Disclosure ? THEATER MUSICAL REVIEW Title: Pra te ver happy Dramaturgy and direction: João Batista Cast: Aline Borges, Elli Fêrreira, Jeniffer Dias, Lucas da Purificação, Thiago Thomé, Udylê Procópio and Vilma Melo Rating: ? ? ? 1/2 ? One of the bambas of the Fundo de Quintal generation, revealed as a composer in the 1970s in the voice of Beth Carvalho (1946 – 2019) and projected as a singer in the 1980s, Almir Guineto (July 12, 1946 – May 5, 2017) would have celebrated his 80th birthday ten days ago. Perhaps due to the fact that Guineto almost never received the reverence given to such poor contemporaries as Arlindo Cruz (1958 – 2025) and Jorge Aragão, the event went practically unnoticed. The silence was only broken by the premiere of the musical “Pra te ver happy”, written and directed by João Batista with inspiration from the work of this high-class supporter that Brazil knew in 1981 when Guineto defended the samba “Mordomia” (Ary do Cavaco and Gracinha) at the MPB-Shell 81 festival, shown on TV Globo that year. Second act of the “Dá samba” trilogy, which began 13 years ago with the show “ Quando a gente ama ” (2013), based on the work of Arlindo Cruz, the musical “Pra te ver Feliz” is showing at the Sesc Ginástico theater, in Rio de Janeiro, from Thursday to Sunday, until August 9th (there is a session for guests this Wednesday, July 22nd). Seven actors sing 13 songs by Almir Guineto (1946 – 2017) in the theater musical 'To see you happy', playing in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) Nil Caniné / Disclosure On stage, seven talented actors – Aline Borges, Elli Fêrreira, Jeniffer Dias, Lucas da Purificação, Thiago Thomé, Udylê Procópio and Vilma Melo – give voices to 13 songs from Guineto's songbook, highlighting lights and shadows from the artist's repertoire. Most of the songs are signed by Guineto. However, three of the singer's greatest hits – “Conselho” (Adilson Bispo and Zé Roberto, 1986), “Insensato destiny” (Maurício Lins, Chiquinho and Acyr Marques, 1985) and “Mel na boca” (Davi Correia, 1986) – are from other people and appear in the musical script because they are mandatory themes in any Guineto anthology. In the dramaturgy, “Mel na boca” is the trail of romantic disappointment suffered by one of the characters on the scene that is in tune with the melancholic tone of another samba in the script, “Tem nada, não” (Almir Guineto, Jorge Aragão and Luverci Ernesto, 1979), a samba released by Beth Carvalho, re-recorded by Jorge Aragão in 1993 and generally little associated with Guineto. “Conselho” – an anthem of resistance that preaches high spirits to overcome the vicissitudes of life – is heard almost at the end of the musical, underlining the joy that governed the work of Bamba do Salgueiro, a samba school to which Guineto was a devotee. By the way, bamba’s love for the red and white group is represented on stage by the samba song “Abençalgueiro” (Almir Guineto, Nei Lopes and Vanilda Bazeth, 1988). The collective singing of the sambas “Da Melhor Qualidade” (Almir Guineto and Arlindo Cruz, 1985) and “Brilho no Olhar” (Almir Guineto, Celso Leão and Daniel, 1997), at the beginning and end of the musical, highlights the dominant luminosity in the scene seasoned with popular humor – the theme of “Saco filled” (Dona Fia and Marcos Antônio, 1981), a number starring Thiago Tomé – and with the typical relaxation of a samba circle in collective numbers such as “Caxambu” (Élcio do Pagode, Jorge Neguinho, Zé Lobo and Bidubi, 1986), a Christmas Eve track in a family devoted to samba. Structured in episodes that resemble the format of sketches, like flashes of the daily life of the Rio suburbs (and it is worth remembering that Guineto's first solo album, released in 1981, was called “O suburbano”), the dramaturgy gains density when the drama enters the scene. In a number by Lucas da Purificação and Vilma Melo, “Lama nas rua” (Almir Guineto and Zeca Pagodinho, 1986) is in tune with the episode that portrays the devastation of houses by a storm – a tragedy still common in Rio’s geography. Abusive and sexist relationships are also on the musical's agenda. However, lightness prevails in the show and Marcelo Alonso Neves' musical direction is in tune with the relaxed spirit of Rio samba. Between solos, duets and collective numbers performed in the tone of a samba circle, the resilient joy of Almir Guineto's repertoire imposes itself on the stage of the musical “Pra te ver happy” and causes the audience to leave the theater energized. Actresses Vilma Melo (left) and Aline Borges in a denser scene from the musical playing at the Sesc Ginástico Nil Caniné theater / Disclosure