Noémia is a musical that tells the unusual story of a young scientist who is trapped in a love triangle and desperately searching for her ill sister. Book and music by Karl Hugo and lyrics by Pier Davi.
Noémia is a story of our times, inspired directly by real conflicts that we come in contact with every day, even if we don’t experience them personally. But dealing with social injustice, illness and biomedical research in a musical intended for the general public is a major challenge. First of all, because the subject does not echo back to any previous work, and secondly because it is all too easy to sink into moral self-pity. I made sure to keep my head above water and not let myself drown in the throes of gloom, opting instead for a range of emotions. Because for me, a musical is a kaleidoscope of life, a look at the human condition through a magnifying glass, a way to bare one’s soul.
It is nonetheless interesting to note that drawing on the life experiences of those around us makes us more empathetic, in the same way that creating a patchwork quilt of feelings with the help of our models of inspiration contributes to the authenticity of a narrative. I would like to thank these “muses” who, in spite of themselves, influence our work, be it literary, graphic or musical. I must humbly admit that if I did not have such extraordinary people in my life, not only would I would be a much less inspired artist, but I would be an incomplete human being.