The eleventh edition of Artescena celebrated local culture through music and performance, coinciding with the 43rd National Zarzuela Week. This year’s event featured La Cazuela del Coliseo as the central theme, connecting the evening's performances.
The Cultural Association Friends of Music from the Senior Centre kicked off the event with a comedic storyline centred around theatre cleaners, linking various acts and portraying humorous backstage situations such as rehearsal organisation and scheduling among groups. This approach also recognised the essential contributions of those who work behind the scenes to ensure successful performances.
Alongside La Cazuela del Coliseo, participants included the Women's Association of La Solana, guitarist Pedro Romero with Jiménez, and dance groups led by Alfonsa Vinuesa and Alba del Rocío. The programme featured excerpts from zarzuela, music, dance, and choreography, showcasing pieces such as La boda de Luis Alonso, the jota from Gigantes y Cabezudos, and the zambra from La leyenda del beso.
Mari Carmen Rodríguez Rabadán, director of La Cazuela del Coliseo, introduced the edition's novelty, which aimed to create continuity among the artistic numbers, with humour as a key ingredient. “We have tried to weave a storyline, connecting all the groups and ensuring the performances do not feel isolated,” she explained. Rodríguez Rabadán emphasised the significance of collaboration among local associations and their participation in the National Zarzuela Week, encouraging the audience to continue supporting these initiatives to allow the groups to share their work with the community.
