Rehearsals are underway for Buena Vista Social Club, which will make its Broadway debut at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre February 21 ahead of a March 19 opening night.
Inspired by the Grammy-winning 1997 album of the same name, Buena Vista Social Club features a book by Marco Ramirez (The Royale). The musical brings the album to life, and tells the story of the legends who lived it. Director Saheem Ali (Fat Ham), as well as choreographers Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck (Illinoise), are returning after staging the musical's 2023 world premiere Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company.
Get a 1st Listen to 'Chan Chan' From Broadway's Upcoming Buena Vista Social Club
The Broadway cast will feature Natalie Venetia Belcon as Omara, Julio Monge as Compay, Mel Semé as Ibrahim, Jainardo Batista Sterling as Rubén, Isa Antonetti as Young Omara, Da’von T. Moody as Young Compay, Wesley Wray as Young Ibrahim, Leonardo Reyna as Young Rubén, Renesito Avich as Eliades, Ashley De La Rosa as Young Haydee, and Justin Cunningham as Juan de Marcos with Angélica Beliard, Carlos Falú, Carlos Gonzalez, Héctor Juan Maisonet, Ilda Mason, Marielys Molina, Andrew Montgomery Coleman, Sophia Ramos, Anthony Santos, Martín Sola, and Tanairi Sade Vazquez. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting's Xavier Rubiano and Frankie Ramirez.
Check out photos from Broadway rehearsals in the gallery below:
The Buena Vista Social Club band features music supervision by Dean Sharenow; orchestrations, arrangements, and music direction by Marco Paguia; additional arrangements by Javier Diaz and David Oquendo; and music consultation by Juan de Marcos and David Yazbek. Comprising the band are Paguia, Oquendo, Gustavo Schartz, Hery Paz, Eddie Venegas, Jesus Ricardo, Díaz, Mauricio Herrera, and Román Diaz.
The production also features scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado; costume design by Dede Ayite; lighting design by Tyler Micoleau; sound design by Jonathan Deans; and wig, hair, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas. Arabella Powell will serve as production stage manager.
Buena Vista Social Club is
both the name given to this extraordinary group of musicians and the
album, recorded in just seven days in 1996. The trio of Cuban bandleader
Juan de Marcos González, American producer and guitarist Ry Cooder, and
British producer and label owner Nick Gold assembled an impromptu group
of Cuban musicians in Havana’s 1950s vintage EGREM studios. The album would become a worldwide phenomenon: awarded a Grammy in 1997 and, at over eight million copies, outselling any other record in the same genre. The acclaim of the album has elevated the artists (including Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González, and Omara Portuondo) to superstar status and inspired an award-winning film by Wim Wenders.
Buena Vista Social Club is produced on Broadway by Orin Wolf, John Styles, Barbara Broccoli, Atlantic Theater Company, Luis Miranda, LaChanze, and John Leguizamo, with Executive Producer Allan Williams.
Visit BuenaVistaMusical.com for tickets.
