The Pilar Bardem Auditorium in Rivas-Vaciamadrid will host the production 'The King of Showbiz' on Friday, October 9 at 20:00, with Ángel Ruiz as author, director, and performer. Tickets cost between €6 and €12 and are already on sale.
The Pilar Bardem Auditorium in Rivas-Vaciamadrid will host the show 'The King of Showbiz' on Friday October 9 at 20:00, a baroque cabaret written, directed, and performed by Ángel Ruiz. Tickets are priced between €6 and €12, with discounts available, and can be purchased on the website entradas.rivasciudad.es and at the auditorium box office.
The production premiered in July at the International Classical Theatre Festival of Almagro and is Ruiz's most personal stage project, where he performs solo on stage. The play is set during the reign of Philip IV (1605-1655) and follows a mysterious character, a blend of actor, comedian, singer, and jester, who acts as the monarch's lover, confidant, and spy.
With an androgynous and baroque aesthetic, Ruiz is accompanied by pianist Bru Ferri, who is also responsible for the musical direction. The repertoire includes Renaissance and baroque songs by Monteverdi, José Marín, and Juan Hidalgo, as well as contemporary pieces, complemented by poems from Quevedo and excerpts from Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca.
The show, with a sarcastic and provocative tone, offers a human and emotional view of Philip IV and his court, with a narrative that jumps between eras to reveal secrets and anecdotes from the 17th century. The performance is set against the artistic peak of the Spanish Empire, featuring figures like Lope, Calderón, Quevedo, and Velázquez at court, alongside the beginning of the empire's decline, marked by wars, corruption, and the decay of the House of Habsburg.
The production has received accolades: Ángel Ruiz was nominated for best theatrical authorship at the 2026 Max Awards for Performing Arts, and the show is in contention for the leading actor and best original music awards at the 2026 Talía Awards.
The event is on Friday, October 9 at 20:00 at the Pilar Bardem Auditorium in Rivas-Vaciamadrid. Tickets, priced from €6 to €12, can be purchased on the website entradas.rivasciudad.es and at the venue's box office, whose hours can be checked on the same page.
You may also like
