Rimbaud

Programs

A genius poet who died young, a free-spirited wanderer, a pioneer of French Symbolist poetry―the phrases used to describe Rimbaud are as dramatic as his life. Among them is "The Man in the Wind Shoes," a nickname given to him by his lover and fellow poet, Verlaine.
At seventeen, Rimbaud arrives in Paris with dreams of becoming a poet. However, the Parisian literary community is initially indifferent to him. Only Verlaine recognizes the value of his verse poem, The Drunken Boat, and the two soon develop a close friendship. But their relationship eventually deteriorates to the point where Verlaine shoots Rimbaud.
The musical begins twenty years later, when another friend, Delahaye, suggests to Verlaine that they search for Rimbaud’s posthumous works. The beauty of the show lies in its musical numbers, which transform the poems of Rimbaud and Verlaine into songs. From Rimbaud’s The Drunken Boat to Verlaine’s The White Moon, which inspired Debussy's Claire de Lune, the musical’s journey is enriched by beautiful melodies. In this way, poetry becomes song, and song becomes poetry, deeply touching the hearts of the audience.