Broadway's Buena Vista Social Club stopped by Good Morning America March 7 to give viewers a preview of the new musical, now playing the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. See the full company perform a medley from the show in the video above.
The musical began previews February 21 and is set to open March 19, with Saheem Ali (Fat Ham) at the helm. 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 Ali, as well as choreographers Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck (Illinoise), return 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 features Natalie Venetia Belcon as Omara, Julio Monge as Compay, Mel Sem茅 as Ibrahim, Jainardo Batista Sterling as Rub茅n, Isa Antonetti as Young Omara, Da鈥檝on T. Moody as Young Compay, Wesley Wray as Young Ibrahim, Leonardo Reyna as Young Rub茅n, Renesito Avich as Eliades, Ashley De La Rosa as Young Haydee, and Justin Cunningham as Juan de Marcos with Ang茅lica Beliard, Carlos Fal煤, H茅ctor Juan Maisonet, Ilda Mason, Marielys Molina, and Anthony Santos in the ensemble. Casting is by The TRC Company.
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; music consultation by Juan de Marcos; creative consultation by David Yazbek. Comprising the band are Paguia, Oquendo, Gustavo Schartz, Hery Paz, Eddie Venegas, Jesus Ricardo, D铆az, Mauricio Herrera, and Rom谩n 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 serves 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 Gonz谩lez, American producer and guitarist Ry Cooder, and British producer and label owner Nick Gold assembled an impromptu group of Cuban musicians in Havana鈥檚 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, Rub茅n Gonz谩lez, and Omara Portuondo) to superstar status and inspired an award-winning film by Wim Wenders.
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