The rise of tabloids and paparazzi can make someone start to think that we Americans, with our Hollywood-obsessed culture, have really lost it. It is a relief to hear, however, that we might not be the only ones who worship the stars.
“”Bombay Dreams,”” a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, centers around one average Joe’s dreams of making it into Bollywood, India’s version of Hollywood. The show has been performed onstage in both London and Broadway, but is starting an American tour that is premiering in Tucson.
The protagonist, Akaash, a boy from the slums, meets an upper class girl, Pryia, who has come to help out the dwellers of the area.
“”Pryia is a very educated, high-society kind of girl, but she is very idealistic,”” said Reshma Shetty, the actress playing the character of Pryia.
Once Pryia and the aspiring, handsome young man meet, they, well, you know the story.
“”They do the whole love thing,”” Shetty said. “”Basically it is a love story with people from different societies and how they rise up.””
Shetty says the plot goes through a whirlwind of events all taking place in India. She is persistent, however, in saying that the audience, familiar with Indian culture or not, can relate to the theme of romance.
“”It’s a story that goes through everything, it’s basically a love-denied story,”” Shetty said. “”I think the important thing is that the plot goes with any culture.””
Shetty, a recent graduate from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and an experienced actress, is Indian herself, giving her an edge in understanding her character.
“”It was pretty easy because I’m obviously Indian, and I understand the pressures from my family as far as who to be with,”” Shetty said.
A.R. Rahman, a film composer and musician well-known in Bollywood, wrote the music for the show.
“”They’ve got ballads, and then they have songs that are just all the way pop. It’s like ‘Wicked’ with an Eastern flair,”” Shetty said. “”Indian culture is so rich and it’s infused through their entertainment. Bollywood is just like Hollywood, its just got the India spice to it.””
“”Bombay Dreams”” will be performed this Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Both performances will take place in Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. General ticket prices range from $32 to $47, UA faculty and staff admission starts at $26 and student and children’s ticket prices begin at $17.
