Buena Vista Social Club The Musical is making it on Broadway

Buena Vista Social Club The Musical is a new Broadway musical entirely inspired by real facts that form part of the history of the iconic musical group Buena Vista Social Club, which took the world by storm in the 1990s.

It was inevitable that the ambition of this important chapter of Latin music would result in a tribute that introduces new generations to what this cultural phenomenon represented to so many around the world at the time. This is how was born the idea to create Buena Vista Social Club The Musical, a show that arrives on the stages to represent the events that led to the creation of one of the most iconic orchestras in Cuba and the rest of the continent.

How Buena Vista Social Club The Musical Begins 

This whole story began in 1996 with a recording made at EGREM studios in Havana, Cuba. Such material would end up becoming a global hit, which also resulted in an Oscar-nominated documentary and the rebirth of prominent names in Cuban music who, because of the lapse of time, had been forgotten.

Now, decades later, all those memories evoked by Buena Vista Social Club have finally found a way to return to life through the Cuban-American writer and playwright Marco Ramírez, who based his work on a dual-timeline structure that connects youth, adulthood and old age in the characters.

This project is the product of a desire to translate the spirit of the album created in 1997 to New York’s theatrical language. After hard work by the entire team involved, the play had its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company in 2023. At the time, the sale of tickets was extremely successful, and specialized critics praised the blend of live music, storytelling, and Afro-Cuban dance.

After having achieved numerous nominations and theater awards, the production started to make its way to Broadway, consolidating itself as one of the most ambitious Latin shows in New York.

Narrative Structure of the Musical

‘‘Buena Vista Social Club The Musical’’ is set in Havana in the 1950s and Havana in 1996. In the 1950s, the Cuban capital was enjoying its golden era of orchestras, nightclubs, and radio stations prior to Castro’s rise to power. In this period of time, the show includes topics such as youth, love, racism, and cabaret music.

1996 comes next with several veteran musicians who gather in a recording studio in Havana. There, the musical explores themes of forgiveness, reunion, nostalgia, redemption, and the immortality of art.

The story is largely based on the experiences of key figures such as Omara Portuondo, Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, and Rubén González. These experiences were deeply tied to the political and cultural in Cuba underwent through the 1990s.

Repertoire Used in the Musical

One of the most important elements of the musical is its exquisite soundtrack, which accompanies the characters’ most significant moments. Among them is “Chan Chan,” performed by Compay Segundo. This son cubano song serves as the common thread for most of the story, evoking both the land and a journey simultaneously.

In the case of “Dos Gardenias” by Isolina Carrillo, it was originally a song to tenderness and hope inspired by a student of the pianist who gave her two gardenias as a thank you. In the show, it serves as background music to portray the melancholy of Ibrahim Ferrer’s brilliant performance.

“Veinte Años” by Omara Portuondo reflects the sadness of heartbreak, the nostalgia of fading affection, and the non-existent possibility to revive a past that is left behind forever. Lyrics more than fitting to reflect on the elapsed time and missed opportunities.

For those who want to dance and enjoy, songs such as “Candela” and “El Carretero” let the energy, dance, and percussion take the spotlight on stage.

Recent Changes

Last month, it was reported that American actress with Cuban roots Gina Torres will give life to Omara Portuondo from October 13 to November 29, 2026. The character’s original actress and Tony Award winner, Natalie Venetia Belcon, will be absent during this period due to her participation in the revival of ‘‘In The Heights’’.

For The artist, who is also widely known for her roles in Firefly and Suits, this project has a lot of meaning due to her parents’ origin. Torres noted that the character of Omara Portuondo and the repertoire she will perform represent a direct connection to her roots, her childhood, and the conception of home he learned as a girl.

It is important to mention that the actress not only gives a tremendous display of talent in television drama, but also possesses classical vocal training. She graduated from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and made her debut in the early 1990s.

With this incorporation, the team involved in Buena Vista Social Club The Musical aims to bring interpretive strength, elegance, stage presence, and dramatic depth to her role as Omara Portuondo.

Read also: Bandleader and bassist Alex Torres tells us his inspiring story