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Buena Vista Social Club
The Company (Photo: Matthew Murphy) Buena Vista Social Club By Julia Polinsky The best anti-depressant in the world is playing now at the Schoenfeld on 45th Street. Forget your Prozac, your Xanax, your anti-anxiety meds. Run, don't walk, to see Buena Vista Social Club and let its magic blend of song, story, music, and dance wash the world out of your hair for two delightful hours. This is the Broadway iteration of a project that began as a 1997 album, then was made into a documentary film, then moved to off-Broadway. Buena Vista Social Club surprisingly made a huge hit in the US and internationally. I say "surprisingly" because of how unlikely it is that a group of veteran Cuban musicians, who got together to play classic Cuban songs from a much earlier time, would appeal to pretty much everyone. But it did, and it does, and now it's on Broadway with a walloping dose of feeling in a knockout production. The basic story (book by Marco Ramirez), told in back-and-forth scenes between 1996 and the late 1950s, doesn't surprise. Nor does it slavishly stick to documented "truth." As the show says, "Some of it is true; some of it only feels true." In 1996, a brash, talented, young, music producer, Juan de Marcos (Justin Cunningham) gathers old-school Cuban musicians to make a studio album of the music of their long-ago youth. He has some challenges persuading the aloof, reclusive, regal Omara Portuondo (Natalie Venetia Belcon) to join them, but she does, and sings the house down, and all else flows from there.
Justin Cunningham, Marco Paguia, Renecito Avich, Natalie Venetia Belcon, Rom�n Diaz (Photo: Matthew Murphy) Kudos to the production for casting not-so-young musicians and actors to play the 1996 musicians. The older Ibrahim Ferrer (Mel Sem�), Rub�n Gonz�lez (Jainardo Batista Sterling), and Compay Segundo (Julio Monge) and that reclusive, reluctant Omara: none of them is young-playing-older, and all are outstanding. Flashbacks take us to the late 1950s, when they were young, �making glorious music and intoxicated with it. For the late-1950s moments, there are Young Omara (Isa Antonetti), Young Compay, (D'avon T. Moody), Young Ruben (Leonardo Reyna), and Young Ibrahim (Wesley Wray), all of them equally wonderful. Also delightful is Ashley de la Rosa as Young Haydee, Omara's managing, controlling, caring, talented sister. Haydee and Omara have a sister act, singing to tourists in such venues as the famed Tropicana. They get a chance at a recording contract in the US just in time to escape the political upheaval of the Cuban revolution. Just as that revolution creates chaos in Havana, Young Omara discovers music and musicians from "the other side of the tracks," authentic Cuban music played by and for themselves at a place called the Buena Vista Social Club. No tourists, no glitz, just son, bolero, danzon: the music of Cuba, played for love. Young Omara will have to choose: the music she loves in the country she loves, no matter how dangerous, or safety and a career in the US. Haydee chooses one way; Omara, the other. The musicians and music creatives have a huge part in making Buena Vista Social Club the joy that it is. Music supervisor Dean Sharenow and musical director, arranger and orchestrator Marco Paguia work wonders with the superb band. Each of the musicians gets at least one moment to shine (keep an ear out for that cowbell!), and they take the show's final bow together as a group. As they should. One standout among many: Resenito Avich, playing tres, a Cuban guitar, burns the air in the second act opener. As well as sounding great (sound design from Jonathan Deans), Buena Vista Social Club looks great, too. Director Saheem Ali has let his production professionals have a field day as they make the stage at the Schoenfeld into an evocation of Havana. Design from Arnulfo Maldonado gives a lush, two levels to the space, making it possible for musicians to in and out, back and forth, even up to the balcony. That makes ample opportunity for Tyler Micoleau's beautiful lighting to enfold the musicians and dancers. And oh, those dancers! Choreography from Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck mixes modern, Afro-Cuban, and "street" stylings into evocative, free movement in Dede Ayite's spot-on costumes.
The Company (Photo: Matthew Murphy) Played in studios and clubs, the songs in Buena Vista Social Club don't have to move the plot forward, as in a more traditional musical. They're free to be the glorious music they are. You don't need to know a word of Spanish to enjoy them; an insert into the program (designed by the multi-talented flutist Hery Paz) gives background. There are no translations. None are needed; the music is all. You can just let the songs wash into your heart for the pleasure of the performances. Pleasure, indeed. Buena Vista Social Club celebrates the rhythms of life, of music, of ageless talent, of youth and love. Enjoy it. Buena Vista Social Club At the Schoenfeld Theatre 236 W. 45th St.
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