Music was in the air at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre March 19 as Buena Vista Social Club celebrated its opening night. Inspired by the Grammy-winning album of the same name and the golden age Cuban music it captured, the musical is a celebration of Cuba's rich and incredible musical history.
The stage show features a book by Marco Ramirez and the music of the album, telling the story of the legends who made it. Saheem Ali is directing, with Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck serving as co-choreographers. All three are reprising their work for the musical's Broadway bow following a 2023 world premiere Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company, in a pulsating production that is sure to have you dancing in your seats.
Here's five reasons why you should make Buena Vista Social Club your next night out on Broadway.
1. A Score of Cuban Music Classics Played by World-Class Musicians
The music of Buena Vista Social Club is the inspiration behind the musical. It's also the main reason you'll want to see the musical, full stop. That's not to discount its other attributes, which are great too (more on that below). But it's an emphasis on how fantastic the music is. Sure, we're used to jukebox musicals that bring beloved songs to Broadway stages. This is something different. You'll hear much of the iconic 1997 album, but you're also hearing it from truly world-class musicians. The production has kept things authentic, assembling a fully Afro-Cuban band led by music director Marco Paguia at the piano, and also including guitarist David Oquendo, bass player Gustavoo Schartz, reed player Hery Paz, trombone player Eddie Venegas, trumpet player Jesus Ricardo, and percussionists Javier Díaz, Maruicio Herrera, and Román Diaz. For better or worse, it's not often that a musical's band gets announced beyond being listed in the program, but this group has been part of the show's marketing campaign from the beginning. When you hear them play this score, you'll understand why. And you'll be extra happy to see they've been given an extended feature moment at the top of the show's second act (spotlighting incredible tres player Renesito Avich), and again after the bows are over. This show has a great cast, but it's frankly fitting that Buena Vista's band has the final say (and gets the final applause) in this show.
By the way, the music has not in any way been sanitized or tailored to American, English-speaking audiences. You are getting the music of Buena Vista Social Club as authentically as possible, and fully in its original Spanish. That's not always the case when things come to ever-commercial Broadway. This is music you want to hear as it was meant to be performed, and Buena Vista Social Club is doing that and then some.
2. Dances That Blend Authentic Cuban Moves With Broadway Theatricality
This musical does something uniquely theatrical with its choreography. Director Saheem Ali brought on two choreographers: Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck. Delgado is the child of Cuban immigrants, and an alum of Miami City Ballet. Peck is a two-time Tony-winning ballet choreographer with Broadway's Carousel and last season's Illinoise on his résumé—and Delgado has spent much of her career serving as a répétiteur of Peck's work. The two have used their backgrounds to blend authentic, Cuban dancing with more theatrical ballet-based storytelling dance, making something that both entertains and elevates the emotional story. The music of Buena Vista Social Club could—and has been—a more straightforward concert. The attention and artistry put into its choreography is a huge part of what makes this particular performance a Broadway musical, and one that allows the audience to see the pure emotion of the music that goes beyond words.
3. The Moving Story Behind the Iconic Album
Of course, emotional choreography and passionate playing wouldn't mean much if there isn't also a moving story. Buena Vista Social Club delivers on that front, as well. The music of Buena Vista comes from a tumultuous period in Cuban history, dating back decades before the album was even recorded. While the musical does somewhat track the creation of the album, it spends more of its time showing you the launchpad of its artists, and the events that made the eventual album so special. Now, the specifics of those events have been somewhat fictionalized here, but book writer Marco Ramirez has expertly crafted a broader story. By distilling the turmoil of Cuba's 1959 revolution—and more specifically, the conflict among those who chose to stay and those who chose to flee—into a smaller story about a handful of people, Ramirez is able to show how that turmoil shaped the music of Buena Vista Social Club. And why it was such a big deal that the album got made and received the acclaim that it did.
4. Natalie Venetia Belcon is Back
Theatre fans will likely remember Natalie Venetia Belcon as the original Gary Coleman in the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q. Beyond a brief stint in Matilda the Musical in 2013, Belcon has largely been away from Broadway, performing in a handful of Off-Broadway shows like The Glorious Ones, 10 Things to Do Before I Die, and The Last Smoker in America. Well, now she's back on the Main Steam, starring as legendary Cuban singer Omara Portuondo, Buena Vista Social Club's lead singer. If you loved her in Avenue Q, you already know that Belcon brings some pretty thrilling vocals to the table. When you might not know is that Belcon is an excellent dramatic actor, something really on display in Buena Vista. Omara's story is a painful one about being torn between family and homeland, safety and privilege versus authenticity. Belcon gives it all, spending much of the show with the icy exterior of someone who has learned to put up protective walls, but always with the undercurrent of vulnerability. And again, the vocals. Add Belcon to the list of world-class musicians that this musical has to offer (and most amazingly, she is able to sing in perfect Spanish even though she's not a native speaker!).
5. Some Exciting Broadway Debuts
The cast of Buena Vista Social Club has a lot of Broadway newcomers and that's always a thrill—particularly when they're as talented as this bunch. That's probably best on display with Mel Semé as Ibrahim, Jainardo Batista Sterling as Rubén, Isa Antonetti as Young Omara, and Wesley Wray as Young Ibrahim. All four are starting off their Broadway careers in very memorable roles. Semé, Antonetti, and Wray in particular get several moments to show off their stunning vocals. But also making excellent Broadway debuts are Da'Von Moody as Young Compay, Leonardo Reyna as Young Rubén, and ensemblist Anthony Santos. These are names you are likely to see in many more Broadway casts in years to come.
Click here to get your tickets to Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway.
