# El médico

El Médico is a Spanish musical based on the novel of the same name by Noah Gordon, with book and lyrics by Félix Amador, and music by Iván Macías. The story follows Rob J. Cole, a young orphan in 11th-century England who has the rare ability to sense death with his hands. Taken in as an apprentice by a traveling barber-surgeon, he journeys across the country, learning the trade and its secrets. At 19, he hears about Avicenna and his renowned medical school in distant Persia. Determined to become a doctor, Rob embarks on an epic journey into the unknown, traveling halfway across the world in pursuit of his dream.
The show officially premiered on October 17, 2018, at the Teatro Nuevo Apolo in Madrid, where it ran for two seasons. Since then, it has toured across Spain and has also been performed in countries like the Czech Republic and Germany.

## Development

The idea of adapting Noah Gordon's novel was Iván Macías's idea. He and producer Pablo Martínez contacted Michael Gordon, the son and agent of the author, to propose the project. After listening to some pieces, Gordon agreed to organize a meeting with his father in Boston in June 2016. This was the start of a close collaboration with the novelist, who not only ceded the rights for the development of the show, but also became actively involved in the creative process.

## Production

Before its debut as a fully staged musical, a symphonic concert version visited some Spanish locations in the 2017-2018 season. This preview was directed and choreographed by Michael Ashcroft.
The complete musical premiered on October 17, 2018 at the Nuevo Apolo Theater in Madrid, and was attended by Noah Gordon. In the words of the writer, "the emotion of the novel has managed to transfer to the music so that readers can now experience the adventures of Rob J. Cole in a new and wonderful way". José Luis Sixto directed, with choreography by Francesc Abós, set design by Alfons Flores, costume design by Lorenzo Caprile, lighting design by Luis Perdiguero, sound design by Olly Steel, special effects by Jorge Blass, and musical direction by Iván Macías.
After two successful seasons, El médico closed in Madrid on January 12, 2020, having been seen by more than 250,000 spectators. In April 2020, a national tour was planned to begin at the Teatre Tívoli in Barcelona, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the plans.
In mid-2021 it was announced that production company Beon Entertainment had begun developing a new traveling production that would tour the main Spanish cities. This production was directed by Ignasi Vidal, with choreography by Amaya Galeote, set design by Josep Simón and Eduardo Díaz, costume design by Lorenzo Caprile, lighting design by Felipe Ramos, sound design by Alejandro Martín, vocal direction by Gerónimo Rauch and musical direction by Iván Macías. It premiered on December 22, 2021 at the Cartuja Center in Seville and remained on the road for more than a year, its last performance being on February 26, 2023 at the Teatro Principal in Zaragoza. The cast of the tour was led by Guido Balzaretti as Rob J. Cole, Cristina Picos as Mary Cullen, Joseán Moreno as Barber, Enrique Ferrer as Sha and Alberto Vázquez as Avicenna.
From October 29, 2024, to March 2, 2025, the beon. Entertainment production ran at the Teatre Apolo in Barcelona with a new cast led by Federico Salles as Rob J. Cole, Alba Cuartero as Mary Cullen, Joseán Moreno as Barber, Paco Arrojo as Sha, and Sergi Albert as Avicenna, before embarking on another tour across Spain.

## Musical numbers

* Song not included on the original cast album

## Casts

| Character | Symphonic concert | Madrid | Tour | Barcelona | Tour |
| Character | 2017 | 2018 | 2021 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Rob J. Cole | Adrián Salzedo | Adrián Salzedo | Guido Balzaretti | Federico Salles | Federico Salles |
| Mary Cullen | Talía del Val | Sofia Escobar | Cristina Picos | Alba Cuartero | Alba Cuartero |
| Barber | Joseán Moreno | Joseán Moreno | Joseán Moreno | Joseán Moreno | Joseán Moreno |
| Sha | Alain Damas | Alain Damas | Enrique Ferrer | Paco Arrojo | Paco Arrojo |
| Avicena | Ricardo Truchado | Ricardo Truchado | Alberto Vázquez | Sergi Albert | Sergi Albert |
| Agnes | Angels Jiménez | Noemí Mazoy | Irene Barrios | María Jaraiz | María Jaraiz |
| Mirdin | Alberto Aliaga | Raúl Ortiz | Daniel Galán | Laureano Ramírez | Laureano Ramírez |
| Karim | Juan Delgado | Juan Delgado | Jordi Garreta | Adrián de Vicente | Adrián de Vicente |
| Fritta | Héctor Otones | Álvaro Puertas | Jordi Garreta | Miguel Ferrer | Miguel Ferrer |
| Qandrasseh | Beltrán Iraburu | Beltrán Iraburu | Miquel Mars | Fernando Samper | Fernando Samper |
| Merlin | Javier Navares | Fernando Samper | Miquel Mars | Fernando Samper | Fernando Samper |
| Meir | Raúl Ortiz | Alberto Aliaga | Fran León | Franc de Luna | Franc de Luna |
| Young Rob J. Cole | Victoria Galán | Victoria Galán Diego Poch Paula González Noelia Rincón | Beatriz de Teresa | Beatriz de Teresa | Beatriz de Teresa |
Notable replacements in Madrid
* Rob J. Cole: Gerónimo Rauch, Daniel Diges
* Mary Cullen: Ana San Martín, Talía del Val
* Mirdin: Alberto Frías, Jan Forrellat
* Rob J. Cole niño: Abril Aguirre, Alicia María Scutelnicu, Carmen Lara
Notable replacements in the 2021 Tour
* Barber: Sergi Albert
* Sha: Paco Arrojo
* Mirdin: Ramsés Vollbrecht
* Qandrasseh / Merlin: Julio Morales

## Cast recording

In July 2018, part of the team of El médico traveled to the AIR Studios in London to record the musical's album with the London Symphony Orchestra. The double disc, which was produced by Kevin Killen, includes virtually the entire score, leaving out only a few brief excerpts. Several of the voices that can be heard on the album were performers who had participated in the symphony concert but who were not in the cast that premiered the show in Madrid.

## Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2019 | Premio Max | Best Musical | Best Musical | Nominated |