New Opera Seven Cities of Love to Go on Stage

TEHRAN.(Iranart) – After being absent for several years in a row, Merila Zarei is set to return to the stage with new opera Seven Cities of Love. She will play the role of Iblis (Devil) in the new opera.

Other prominent players on board include Mohammad-Reza Foroutan, Hanieh Tavassoli, Pantea Bahram, Abolfazl Poorarab, Andisheh Fouladvand, Nasim Adabi and Mohammadali Sareban. Mohammad Abdizadeh will direct the opera.

Singers Roozbeh Nematollahi, Salar Aghili and Roozbeh Bemani are part of the ensemble as well. Conducted by Shardad Rohani, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra will perform live too. Tickets are available for sale from the website of Iran Concert as of 4 December.

A graduate of Azad University of Tehran, during her studies Zarei became interested in acting through Ezatollah Entezami's acting courses. Her first movie was Patak by Ali Asghar Shadravan in 1994. She received the Crystal Simorgh for the best actress in a supporting role for The Friday's Soldiers (2005, Masoud Kimiai), from the 23rd Fajr International Film Festival. She is also the winner of best actress of 32nd Fajr International Film Festival.

Seven Cities of Love: a heart-based series of events inspired by a masterpiece of Persian poetry and one of the most beautiful Sufi tales ever told, The Conference of the Birds, is by the 12th century Iranian poet Attar.