Atlantic Theater Company's world premiere production of Buena Vista Social Club officially opened Off-Broadway December 13, and the reviews are rolling in.
Directed by Tony Award nominee Saheem Ali (Fat Ham), the musical features a book by Marco Ramirez and music by the Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club. Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck are choreographing. Recently extended, performances will continue through January 21, 2024.
Inspired by the Grammy-winning 1997 album of the same name, the musical tells the story of the artists involved in the album's recording while featuring the Cuban music via a music team led by Tony winner David Yazbeck.
New York Stage Review (Frank Scheck)
New York Stage Review (Sandy MacDonald)
The New York Sun (Elysa Gardner)
New York Theatre Guide (Gillian Russo)
The New York Times (Jesse Green)*
TheaterPizzazz (Carol Rocamora)
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Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
In 1950s Havana, a group of young musicians creates a sound that shakes the world of Cuban music - until the revolution changes everything. Forty years later, the band is brought back together to record the songs they left behind. With decades of heartbreak fueling every note, they unexpectedly go on to create the greatest-selling world music album of all time, immortalizing their songs and their legacy.
The cast features Skizzo Arnedillo, Renesito Avich, Natalie Belcon, Angélica Beliard, Kenya Browne, Danaya Esperanza, Carlos Sanchez Falú, Jared Machado, Hector Juan Maisonet, Ilda Mason, Marielys Molina, Julio Monge, Leonardo Reyna, Mel Semé, Olly Sholotan, Jainardo Batista Sterling, Nancy Ticotin, and Luis Vega.
Buena Vista Social Club features sets by Arnulfo Maldonado, costumes by Dede Ayite, lighting by Tyler Micoleau, sound by Jonathan Deans, music supervisor Dean Sharenow, music director Marco Paguia, wigs, hair & make-up by J. Jared Janas, dialects by Rosie Berrido, vocal coaching by Dawn-Elin Fraser, props by Matt Carlin, and casting by Tara Rubin Casting's Xavier Rubiano. Amanda Michaels serves as the Production Stage Manager.