Buena Vista Social Club: The Magical Music Of Cuba’s Golden Age
The Broadway musical “Buena Vista Social Club” transports theatergoers to a bygone cultural era ablaze with the colorful sights and sounds of Cuba.
The play is based on a true story that took place in Havana from the 1930s to the 1950s, a turbulent period preceding the 1959 Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro. German filmmaker Wim Wenders’ 1999 documentary about the making of an iconic album of the same name inspired the musical.
This period was considered the “Golden Age of Music,” when vibrant nightlife peaked in Cuba at largely segregated nightspots, like The Tropicana, and private clubs. People came to members-only clubs to drink, socialize, dance, and enjoy the sounds of Afro-Cuban music.
A Virtual Trip to Havana
We are introduced to an ensemble of colorful multigenerational musicians, singers, and dancers, including Omara Portuondo (played by Natalie Venetia Belcon), recruited as the group’s vocalist; Ruben Gonzalez (played by Jainardo Batista Sterling), the ensemble’s pianist; and Compay Seguda (played by Julio Monge), who provides the group with his institutional memory of the old songs.
The play moves seamlessly between performers and their younger selves, telling the story of the genesis of the album.
The Broadway adaptation shines with music taking center stage. This genre of Cuban music, reflective of the culture of its time, was forgotten until the 1997 release of the album.
Produced under the World Circuit label, the company’s album website notes:
The record’s success launched what can only be described as Cuba-mania, helping to inspire a thousand salsa dance classes and Cuban-themed bars on every high street. At its peak, it seemed that you couldn’t move without hearing Buena Vista’s potent, captivating soundtrack: in coffee shops and mojito bars and even department stores and elevators songs such as Chan Chan, Dos Gardenias and Candela came to accompany our daily existence.
Glowing Reception by Critics and Theatregoers
The authenticity of the musical is noteworthy.
“As Cuban immigrants, my family and I fled Castro’s regime in 1963 (on the last Red Cross boat) and the show captured so many of the emotional elements my family went through as we left behind friends and extended family,” says theatergoer David Hernandez of Pooler, Georgia.
“As one of the characters says about the aftermath of the Revolution, afterwards, there were two types of Cubans. Those that stayed and those that left,” says Hernandez. “That hit true and hard in the ensuing years when my parents tried to bring over aunts, uncles, and cousins with varying degrees of success.”
Hernandez adds that although this period of time was tinged with sadness, it is juxtaposed on the stage with the powerful optimism of Cuba’s beautiful music.
The show received five Tony nominations, including Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Natalie Venetia Belcon), Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations, and Best Sound Design. Additionally, the musicians were honored with a Special Tony Award for their exceptional work.
“Buena Vista Social Club offers a window into Cuba’s rich culture with exciting, uplifting rhythms of our music as well as stories embedded in the lyrics of romance, passion and the Cuban way of life,” says Hernandez.
Tourist travel to Cuba has been restricted since 1963. It’s one of the places many travelers wish they had had the opportunity to visit. While the degree of prohibitions has varied over the years, restrictions were significantly tightened under the current Administration.
Yet, after the lights dim at the Schoenfeld Theatre on West 45th Street, and you see and hear the talented musicians and other performers start to warm up on stage, the distance between these performers and their audience narrows. You are transported to the sights and sounds of Havana’s lively Buena Vista Social Club.
Disclosure: The author was a guest of The Broadway Collection but any thoughts expressed in this post are her own.
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