Last December, when Stephane Boukris visited the Louvre in Paris, he was amazed to see a group of American tourists — “ladies from Oklahoma”. While the Louvre and Paris are popular tourist destinations, he had never encountered such a large group of Americans before. “When I asked them why they had come to Paris, they said they’d come because they wanted to experience the city after watching Emily in Paris on Netflix,” says Stephane. This demonstrates the influence of pop culture in immortalizing places, traditions, and lifestyles for people. Stephane is hoping that his large-scale musical production, Once Upon a Time in Dubai, will do the same for the emirate. Although it will take some time before the musical is staged, wknd. got a sneak peek into what we can expect from the show, which is set to elevate the entertainment industry in the region.
The musical revolves around Sophia, a talented dancer who comes to Dubai to pursue her dreams while promising her boyfriend, Will, that they will reunite soon. When Will arrives, he is heartbroken to see Sophia moving on. He turns to his friend Kym for help, who is determined to stage the most spectacular show the city has ever seen. The story unfolds against the backdrop of Diwali as Sophia discovers how her boyfriend was manipulated into thinking he had been abandoned by her. To win him over, she joins Kym’s show.
As the producer of the show, Stephane is hopeful that Once Upon a Time in Dubai will set a new standard for theatrical storytelling. He sees it as a way of giving back to a city he has come to call home. “I want this project to be successful internationally. We aim to take it to London, Paris, and other major cities. We are even hoping for an adaptation on OTT platforms. The dream is simple — that little girl in Arkansas, after watching Once Upon a Time in Dubai, should be able to ask her mum, ‘Is this true? Is Dubai really that great?’” To achieve this, Stephane has assembled a stellar team that includes Johan Nus (director) who has choreographed and directed shows like Singin’ in the Rain and Swan Lake, French-Algerian composer Nazim Khaled, who is tasked with bridging traditional Arabic music with contemporary sounds, and Gilles Papain (executive producer) who has worked with top names like Celine Dion and Christian Louboutin.
The question remains — how do you showcase the vibrancy of Dubai on stage? Stephane believes that the backdrop of the festival of lights and the diverse cast of characters reflect the city’s diversity. “The energy of the city is quite inspiring. Everyone is supposed to identify with the characters because they represent the demographic composition of this city. We also wanted to showcase how people’s inner emotional worlds change when they move to this city, what happens to their hopes and dreams,” says Stephane. The inspiration for the show comes from Stephane’s own experience with the city, having spent much of the lockdown period here and finally making it his base last year.
Stephane is determined to change the narrative that musicals have not found a foothold in Dubai. “I had heard it many times, but once you see the scale and quality of the production, you will know that Once Upon a Time in Dubai is here to lead the way. While it’s still early to divulge a lot of details, we have been auditioning and think we might find what we are looking for here. Acting, dancing, and singing — we want all three qualities to come together. The script has already been approved and the music is nearly complete.”
Because Stephane is also considering taking the musical to foreign shores, one wonders if the world remains curious about Dubai. “Yes, there is a curiosity, but then there is also prejudice. When I moved to Dubai with my wife, a lot of people told me, ‘It's not like Europe or America. It can be fake.’ In France, for example, when you hear of immigration, eyebrows are raised. Look at the sheer number of people from other parts of the world who have made the UAE their home. We are here to break such mental barriers.” Gilles, who is a man of few words, adds, “I was told it’s fake and there are only influencers. But it’s not like that at all. It sets such a wonderful example of co-existence. In Europe, it’s very important where you come from. Here, no one cares.” Once Upon a Time in Dubai, which will be staged in December 2025, emphasizes the fact that you can be anyone — and everyone — depending on how you make the most of the opportunities that the emirate offers.
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