The cast and Tony-honored musicians of Broadway's Buena Vista Social Club came to NPR for a Tiny Desk concert, which can be viewed in its entirety above. The musical is currently tied with Death Becomes Her and Maybe Happy Ending as the most Tony-nominated show of the season, with nods in 10 categories including the much-coveted Best Musical. Winners will be named June 8.
Buena Vista Social Club began performances at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre February 21 and opened March 19. See what critics had to say about the show here.
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, 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.
The Broadway cast features 2025 Tony nominee 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. 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.
The producing team is led by Orin Wolf, John Styles, Jr., Barbara Broccoli, Atlantic Theater Company, Viajes Miranda, LaChanze, Yazbek, and John Leguizamo. Allan Williams is executive producer.
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Natalie Venetia Belcon, Mel Sem茅, and Wesley Wray
Isa Antonetti
Justin Cunningham, Marco Paguia, Renecito Avich, Natalie Venetia Belcon, and Rom谩n Diaz
The company of Buena Vista Social Club
The company of Buena Vista Social Club
Company of Buena Vista Social Club
