Grammy Award winner La Santa Cecilia is crossing over...to musical theatre. The quartet—lead singer Marisol "La Marisoul" Hernandez, accordionist and requinto player Jose "Pepe" Carlos, bassist Alex Bendaña, and percussionist Miguel "Oso" Ramirez—are composing the score for the new musical Like Water for Chocolate.
A musical adaptation of Laura Esquivel's novel of the same name (and Golden Globe-nominated 1992 film; also the highest-grossing foreign language film in the U.S. at the time), Like Water for Chocolate is a story of forbidden love and family. Tita is forbidden from marrying her love, Pedro, because tradition dictates she must take care of her aging mother. So Pedro becomes betrothed to Tita’s sister.
Now, La Santa Cecilia team up with co-lyricist, Pulitzer Prize winner,and Tony Award nominee Quiara Alegría Hudes (Water by the Spoonful, In The Heights), book writer Lisa Loomer, and director Michael Mayer to bring this bilingual musical to the stage.
And, on October 1 at 8 PM ET, catch an exclusive preview of two songs from the musical with a performance led by La Santa Cecilia, Ana Villafañ, and Alma Cuervo, and featuring Enrique Acevedo, Julia Estrada, Henry Gainza, Gabrielle Ruiz, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, and Caesar Samayoa, accompanied by La Santa Cecilia.
The group’s sound is an eclectic mix of Pan-American rhythms including cumbia, bossa-nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz and klezmer music. La Santa Cecilia released its debut album, Noche y Citas, in 2011 and was immediately nominated at the Latin Grammy Awards for the single "La Negra." Their El Valor in 2012 was named one of the best albums of the year by NPR’s Alt Latino. In 2013, Treinta Días was released and went on to win the Grammy for Best Latin Rock Album, Alternative or Urban. In 2016, Buenaventura was nominated for a Latin Grammy in Best Pop/Rock Album category and a Grammy in the Best Latin Urban, Rock or Alternative category.
Tune in to ¡Viva Broadway! Hear Our Voices 8 PM ET October 1 at Playbill.com/Viva.
