The Usurper: The Musical It is one of the most anticipated releases of the year in the entertainment industry. Based on the success of the usurper, a Mexican telenovela launched in 1998 by Televisa –directed by Beatriz Sheridan and written by Carlos Romero– this musical film adaptation promises to be a resounding success. The director, Santiago Limón (Until the wedding do us part, 2018, Valentina’s wedding, 2018, Cindy la regia, 2019), presents an updated version of the story, with new twists and surprises. And yes, it is a movie to sing and dance in the middle of the movie theater.
Set in Mexico and the United States, the film It stars Isabella Castillowho we know for her role as Diana Ahumada in The Lord of the heavens. This time, the actress plays the identical twins Valeria and Victoria, while allan estradawho is the male lead, gives life to Carlos Daniel.
Here are ten things you should know about The Usurper: The Musicalaccording to the protagonists of this story, Alan Estrada and Isabella Castillo.
1. The same story, different faces
The plot is the same as the original soap opera that all millennials grew up with: the strong resemblance between two women allows one to take the place of the other. on this occasion Isabella Castillo plays Valeria and Victoria and Alan Estrada plays Carlos Daniel. Upon meeting Valeria, Victoria is surprised by the great resemblance and begins to elaborate a plan so that Valeria assumes her identity within her family, and she can escape with her lover. She manages to convince her and Valeria becomes a wife and mother of a family in San Mateo. There she ends up falling in love with her supposed husband and becoming very attached to her family. Carlos Daniel also falls in love with her without knowing who she really is.
2. A soap opera in the cinema
Tribute to soap operas. In an interview for CINEMA PREMIERE, Isabella Castillo stressed that this is a soap opera in theaters: “It’s a tribute to latino cultureto the grandmothers, to the mothers and to bring them back in a modern way and with songs that we already know can bring the family closer together and take advantage of this opportunity to go to the movies”.
3. To the rhythm of the 90s
The Usurper: The Musical It’s a jukebox musical, that is; it includes in its narrative songs that were conceived for the commercial music industry, in order to further arouse the emotion of the public. In this case, it is about Latin musical hits from the 90s.
Alan Estrada said that the music producer, Sebastian Krys, winner of 8 Grammy awards and 12 Latin Grammys, Sebastian Krysjoined the project five years earlier and from that moment began working on the film’s soundtrack.
The musical repertoire of the film is very wide and surely you know more than three:
- Life Is A Carnival (Celia Cruz), played by Isabella Castillo
- My Land (Gloria Estefan), played by Isabella Castillo and Cecilia Toussaint
- With High Heel Shoes (Bronco Group), performed by Alejandra Guzmán
- Disconnect (OV7), performed by Isabella Castillo and Juanpi Monterubio
- Not Enough (Franco de Vita), played by Isabella Castillo
- Don’t Love Me (Jennifer López & Marc Anthony), played by Alan Estrada and Isabella Castillo
- You won’t be able to (Cristian Castro), interpreted by Jesús Ochoa and Susana Zabaleta
- Give Me Another Tequila (Paulina Rubio), played by Isabella Castillo, Susana Zabaleta, Jesús Ochoa
- Bidi Bidi Bom Bom (Selena), played by Alan Estrada, Alejandra Ley, Lorena Narcio
- An Illusion (Kabah), Fly Higher (OV7), Gira Que Gira (Lynda) MEDLEY, performed by Isabella Castillo, Alan Estrada, Susana Zabaleta, Juanpi Monterubio, Jesús Ochoa
- Mala Hierba (Alejandra Guzmán), played by Isabella Castillo
- Come Back (Ricky Martin), played by Alan Estrada and Things of Love (Ana Gabriel & Vikki Carr), played by Isabella Castillo and Valentina (MEDLEY)
- If You Are Not (Franco de Vita), performed by Isabella Castillo and Alan Estrada
4. Music tradition
Although there are currently very little musical cinema in Mexico, Alan Estrada assures that This film will remind us of the golden age of Mexican cinema. “Yes, there is very little Mexican musical cinema, but let’s go back to movies with Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete, singing in movies is in our DNA, It has been stopped for many reasons, among them, because the musicals are very expensive to make, and also the rights of the songs are not easy to obtain”.
5. Let’s dance and sing
Alan Estrada and Isabella Castillo revealed in an interview that they had singing and dancing classes for six months to prepare your characters.
6. The legacy
the mexican soap opera the usurper It was a great success in Mexico and abroad. the mexican soap opera It was broadcast in more than 120 countries. It has also been adapted several times, including an English version produced by Telemundo in 2019. This would be his third adaptation, which he premiered in its Spanish and English versions. Alan Estrada believes that it is a film not only for Mexicans, but for all Latinos and other audiences: “It has done very well in the United States, I trust that it will reach other countries and it will do very well everywhere, people from Colombia, Argentina are already asking me on networks when it will arrive there, let’s hope it succeeds everywhere ”.
7. Taking on the character
Isabella Castillo was three years old when she came out the usurper with Gaby Spanic and was just arriving in the United States with her family. Before beginning the filming of this film, she asked the director if she should see the original to prepare her character, but he did not let her because he did not want her to get addicted to acting and create a character identical to that of Gaby Spanic.
7. The most difficult
The Cuban actress had never before done a double performance in a movie or series. She revealed that the hardest part was during filming, Well, he did his scenes with a double or with a wig, and he had to keep everything the same in his performance. Also, there were days when she played the two characters up to seven times in one day and had to adapt hair, makeup and learn different lines, so the challenge for her was monumental.
8. More stars
The cast also includes Susana Zabaleta, Jesús Ochoa, Alejandra Guzmán in “The Usurper: The Musical”. We see Alejandra Guzmán sing “With heels” in the first act supporting Valeria to achieve her new image. Susana Zabaleta, for her part, plays the mother of Carlos Daniel, a tough, firm woman who revives an old love with the character of Jesús Ochoa, both on the big screen singing “Will not be ableby Cristian Castro.
Alan Estrada had already worked with some of these acting masters, Isabella Castillo had not previously worked with any of them and recognized that she learned a lot from them: “They all have something in common, their love for art and dedication to work. I loved recording with them, especially with Alejandra Guzman who has a brutal energy since 5 in the morning, very dedicated, I have no complaints, they are great and they have contributed a lot to this film”.
9. Gaby Spanic likes this
The actress Gabriela Spanic, protagonist of the original telenovela, has a special appearance in the film. She plays the strong and powerful woman who negotiates to buy Carlos Daniel’s Agave factory, and turn it into a shopping mall. Regarding Gaby Spanic’s comments towards this adaptation, Isabella said that during filming she herself told her that if a second version was made, she would undoubtedly join in.”
10. Premiere
Produced by Matt Walden and Paul Presburger, The Usurper: The Musical It hit theaters on April 12. It will be in two thousand rooms throughout the country.
Lizeth Basaldua Journalist, writer and screenwriter from the Cinematographic Training Center. She watches movies and reads books to the beast. She could see Amélie and Eternal Radiance of a Mind Without Memories a hundred times. She dreams of writing like Charlie Kaufman