Aida in Abu Dhabi

Opera Aida , one of the most popular operas in the world, will be staged in Abu Dhabi on March 29th, it was announced here Friday.Aida, which was first staged in Cairo in 1871 and now in every opera company's repertoire, is brought to Abu Dhabi by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) in conjunction with Emirates Palace Hotel. In May 1987, one hundred and sixteen years after it was first performed, the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's famous opera Aida was staged amid the ruins of ancient Thebes, the city in which parts of it are set.The Abu Dhabi show is expected to draw over 500,000 viewers from around the world, including a glittering cast of singers, dancers and extras.Aida is based on an idea by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette.The story turns on the rivalry between the Pharaoh's daughter, Amneris, who is in love with the young general Radames, and Aida, taken captive after her father, the king of Ethiopia, is defeated by Radames. Condemned for treason because of his love for Aida, Radames is entombed in the death chamber.