BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
A New Broadway Musical Book by Marco Ramirez
Music by the Grammy Award winning Buena Vista Social Club™
Choreography by Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck
Developed and Directed by Saheem Ali
At Broadway’s Schoenfeld Theatre Previews Begin Friday, February 21, 2025
Opening is Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Tickets Now on Sale
“THE FULL-OF-RICHES NEW MUSICAL ADDS THE THRILL OF INTIMACY AND THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY, BRINGING A CLASSIC RECORD TO LIFE. EXQUISITE HARMONIES, DELIRIOUS POLYRHYTHMS AND RAW BRASS.” – NEW YORK TIMES
“★★★★ AN IRRESISTIBLE TROPICAL VACATION. A CELEBRATION OF CUBAN MUSICAL HISTORY, IT’S A GETAWAY AND A GATEWAY: JUST GIVE YOURSELF OVER TO BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB.” – TIME OUT NEW YORK
(September 16, 2024, New York, NY) — Today, producers Orin Wolf, John Styles, and Barbara Broccoli announce a Broadway production of the acclaimed new musical BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™. With a book by Marco Ramirez (Drama Desk Award, The Royale), director Saheem Ali (Tony Nominee, Fat Ham) leads an ensemble of visionary performing artists, including a band of renowned musicians from across the globe to tell the legendary story of the artists who recorded the original album. BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ features the soul-stirring music of Cuba’s golden age, choreography by Patricia Delgado and Tony Award winner Justin Peck (Illinoise, Steven Spielberg's West Side Story) and a music team led by Tony Award winner David Yazbek (The Band's Visit) and Music Supervisor Dean Sharenow.
The new Broadway musical will begin performances on Friday, February 21, 2025, and open Wednesday, March 19, 2025
at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (36 West 45th St). Tickets are on sale now at Telecharge.com.
Step into the heart of Cuba, beyond the glitz of the Tropicana, to a place where blazing trumpets and sizzling guitars set the dance floor on fire. Here, the sound of Havana is born—and one woman's remarkable journey begins.
Inspired by true events, the new Broadway musical BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ brings the GRAMMY® Award-winning album to thrilling life—and tells the story of the legends who lived it. A world-class Afro-Cuban band is joined by a sensational cast in this unforgettable tale of survival, second chances, and the extraordinary power of music.
The Broadway company features Natalie Venetia Belcon (Omara), Julio Monge (Compay), Mel Semé (Ibrahim) Jainardo Batista Sterling (Rubén), Isa Antonetti (Young Omara), Da’von Moody (Young Compay), Wesley Wray (Young Ibrahim), Leonardo Reyna (Young Rubén), Renesito Avich (Eliades), Ashley De La Rosa (Young Haydee), and Angélica Beliard, Carlos Falú, Héctor Juan Maisonet, Ilda Mason, Marielys Molina, Sophia Ramos. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
The BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ band features Marco Paguia (Piano, Music Director), David Oquendo (Guitar), Gustavo Schartz (Bass), Hery Paz (Woodwinds), Eddie Venegas (Trombone), Jesus Ricardo (Trumpet), Javier Díaz (Percussion), Mauricio Herrera (Percussion), and Román Diaz (Percussion).
The band of BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ features orchestrations, arrangements and music direction by Marco Paguia, additional arrangements by Javier Diaz and David Oquendo, music consultation by Juan de Marcos.
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ features scenery by Arnulfo Maldonado, costumes by Dede Ayite, lighting by Tyler Micoleau, sound by Jonathan Deans, wigs, hair & make-up by J. Jared Janas, and casting by Tara Rubin Casting; Xavier Rubiano, CSA; Frankie Ramirez. Arabella Powell serves as the Production Stage Manager.
“It's been my honor to help develop Buena Vista Social Club™ into a new musical alongside Marco Ramirez, Saheem Ali, Patricia Delgado, Justin Peck and David Yazbek - all artists at the very top of their game. From our trips to Cuba getting to meet the incredible artists who created the album to our Off-Broadway premiere, the artistic process has been as invigorating as the energy and music that will begin pouring out of the Schoenfeld Theatre next year,” says Orin Wolf, producer. “Fans of the album and documentary will love how this new show opens up the story and we know Broadway audiences who come with fresh ears will be blown away as Buena Vista Social Club™ comes alive on-stage.”
“I first heard the Buena Vista Social Club™ as a precocious youngster growing up in Nairobi, wearing out the original album from my father’s eclectic CD collection,” said Saheem Ali, director. “Though we spoke Swahili and not Spanish, I memorized the lyrics in my broken accent. I felt connected to the beautiful songs embodying the spirit of a distant culture. Decades later, I’m thrilled to be joining Orin, Marco and the entire creative team on the journey to bringing this extraordinary, singular musical to Broadway.”
“In 1968, my grandfather left Cuba and got a job washing dishes a block from the Schoenfeld Theatre,” said Marco Ramirez, book writer. “Almost 60 years later, we’ll be blasting his favorite songs there. Alongside some of the best artists - and people
- I’ve ever met, I’m humbled by the chance to forge connections between two of the most musically iconic islands the world has ever known- Cuba and Manhattan.”
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ is produced on Broadway by Orin Wolf, John Styles, Barbara Broccoli, Atlantic Theater
Company, Luis Miranda, LaChanze, Nick Gold and John Leguizamo with Executive Producer Allan Williams.
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ made its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company, New York City in December 2023 and was nominated for Best Musical by the Drama League and Outer Critics Circle organizations.
ABOUT THE TEAM
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 González, American producer and guitarist Ry Cooder, and British producer and label owner Nick Gold assembled an impromptu group of Cuban musicians in Havana’s 1950s vintage EGREM studios. It was clear from the atmosphere of the recording sessions that something very special was taking place. However, no one could have predicted that Buena Vista Social Club™ would become a worldwide phenomenon – awarded a Grammy in 1997 and, at over 8 million copies, outselling any other record in the same genre. The acclaim of the original album has elevated the artists (including Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González & Omara Portuondo) to superstar status, inspired an award-winning film by Wim Wenders, and has contributed to popularising Cuba’s rich musical heritage. Produced by Ry Cooder for World Circuit, the timeless quality of the music and the sheer verve of the veteran performers have ensured that this will go down as one of the landmark recordings of the 20th century. Album: BVSC album
SAHEEM ALI (Director) is a proud immigrant from Kenya, currently serving as the Associate Artistic Director/ Resident Director of New York’s Public Theater. He received Tony, Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations, as well as the Joe A. Callaway award for his direction of Fat Ham. He most recently directed and developed Buena Vista Social Club™ at the Atlantic Theater Company. His production of Merry Wives (Shakespeare in the Park) was recorded for PBS Great Performances and was the subject of the HBO documentary Reopening Night. Other productions include Goddess (Berkeley Rep), Nollywood Dreams (MCC), Romeo y Julieta, Shipwreck and Richard II (radio plays), Fires in The Mirror (Signature Theater), The Rolling Stone (Lincoln Center Theater), Passage (Soho Rep), Sugar in Our Wounds (MTC), Tartuffe (Playmakers Rep), Where Storms Are Born (Williamstown) and Kill Move Paradise (National Black Theater). He is a Sir John Gielgud SDCF Fellow, a Shubert Fellow and the recipient of an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Directing.
PATRICIA DELGADO (Choreography)(she/her). First generation Cuban American. Born in Miami, Florida. She was a principal dancer with the Miami City Ballet where she worked for 20 years and is currently a freelance artist living in NYC and a member of the dance faculty at The Juilliard School. Patricia has performed works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Anthony Tudor, Richard Alston, Christopher Wheeldon, Edward Villella and Trey McIntyre as well as classical works such as “Coppelia”, “Giselle” and “Don Quixote”. One of her most memorable roles is Juliet in John Cranko's “Romeo and Juliet”. Patricia has also been incredibly fortunate to have created feature works with choreographers Alexei Ratmansky, Justin Peck, Liam Scarlett, Pam Tanowitz, Jamar Roberts, Lauren Lovette, John Heginbotham, Andrea Miller and Jodi Melnick among others. She has performed at The Bolshoi, in Moscow, at the Theatre du Chatelet, in Paris, France, at the Chicago Dancing Festival, at the Vail International Dance Festival, Fall for Dance at City Center, The Joyce Theater and at the Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center among others. Patricia has written several essays for dance publications. One entitled “Why I Dance” in January of 2015 for Dance Magazine and one for Dance Spirit Magazine in April of 2013. She performed as Maggie Anderson in the musical “Brigadoon”, directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon at Encores! City Center, she starred in the music video “The Dark Side of the Gym” for The National and also appeared as a guest performer on The Tonight Show. She is a repetiteur for Justin Peck and has staged his works on Boston Ballet, Ballet Arizona, and for members of The American Ballet Theatre and The Juilliard School, and in Dresden, Germany at the Semperoper Ballett. She was an Associate Producer on the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story and Associate Choreographer on the feature film West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg. She was named a “Mujeres Imparables” by Telemundo in February 2022. And is a member of the Advisory Committee at the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. She cofounded and is artistic advisor of Adriana Pierce’s queer the ballet. She is currently Co-Choreographer on the Buena Vista Social Club Musical™ and the recipient of the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreography for this Broadway-bound production. She is devoted to creating a nurturing and positive environment of diversity, authenticity, inclusivity, vulnerability and belonging in all that she embarks upon. She and her husband, Justin Peck welcomed their daughter, Lucia Isabella into this world in March, 2021.
JUSTIN PECK (Choreography) is a director, choreographer, filmmaker, and dancer based in New York City. He is the Resident Choreographer of the New York City Ballet, and only the second person in the institution’s 75-year history to hold this title. He has developed and created over 50 dance and theater works that have been presented on stages around the world, including Lincoln Center, the Palais Garnier, Sydney Opera House, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Broadway (most recently, directing and choreographing the 2024 Tony Award-winning production of Illinoise). His creations for the dance world have been performed by companies all over the world, including the Paris Opera Ballet, Australian Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Boston Ballet, Juilliard, National Ballet of Canada, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, LA Dance Project, Dutch National Ballet, the School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Houston Ballet among many others. Peck works extensively as a filmmaker, with credits including direction of music videos for The National, Chris Thile, and Dan Deacon; choreographing the 2021 film West Side Story in collaboration with director Steven Spielberg; and being commissioned by the New York Times to direct 10 films celebrating the best acting performances of the 2018 year, which included performances by Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Lakeith Stanfield, Glenn Close, Emma Stone, and Toni Collette. Peck celebrates the art of collaboration and is honored to have worked across mediums with a wide array of luminaries, including Sufjan Stevens, Raf Simons, Elizabeth Moss, Steven Spielberg, Caroline Shaw, Jeffrey Gibson, Renee Fleming, Shepard Fairey, Sofia Coppola, Stephen Sondheim, Shantelle Martin, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Humberto Leon, Bradley Cooper, Nico Muhly, Jackie Sibblies Drury, John Baldessari, Dries Van Noten, Damien Chazelle, Jack O’Brian, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Marcel Dzama, and Jody Lee Lipes. Peck danced with New York City Ballet from 2006-2019, eventually achieving the rank of soloist in 2013. He has performed a vast repertoire of works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Alexei Ratmansky, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Christopher Wheeldon, and many others. Peck’s is a two- time Tony Award recipient for Best Choreography for the Broadway productions of Carousel (2018) and Illinoise (2024); as well as a recipient of the National Arts Award (2018), the Golden Plate Honor from the Academy of Achievement (2019), the Bessie Award for Outstanding Production for Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes (2015), the World Choreography Award for the film West Side Story (2022), and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreography for the Broadway-bound production of Buena Vista Social Club™ (2024).
DAVID YAZBEK (Music). Broadway: Music and Lyrics for The Band’s Visit (10 Tony Awards), Tootsie, Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty. Larry David’s Fish In The Dark. Upcoming- Dead Outlaw (Drama Desk, Outer Critics, NY Drama Critics awards.) Albums: Solo Albums include The Laughing Man, Tock, Damascus!, Tape Recorder, Evil Monkey Man. He is currently completing a new album and continues to perform with his band. The New York Times called him “A daredevil juggler catching spiked pins in the traveling carnival of his imagination.” He has co-produced all of his cast-albums including The Band’s Visit (Grammy Award). TV and Film: “Boardwalk Empire,” “Late Night with David Letterman” (Emmy Award Best Writing), hundreds of songs, including the infamous Carmen Sandiego Theme. Dozens of scripts for episodic TV. In the works are a new musical with Jeffrey Lane, A Dead Outlaw documentary film and music for this Fall’s The Roommate on Broadway. Yazbek has received every major American Theater award, many grants and honors and, most recently, a thorough checkup from Clarkstown Dermatology Group.
DEAN SHARENOW (Music Supervision) is a Grammy-winning record producer and recording engineer. His Broadway credits include Girl From the North Country, The Band’s Visit, Tootsie, Sting’s The Last Ship, The Cher Show, and Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown. Off-Broadway credits include Dead Outlaw (Drama Desk nomination), Buena Vista Social Club, The Bedwetter, Fortress of Solitude, and myriad Shakespeares in the Park. As a record producer and engineer, Dean has made records for David Yazbek, Stephen Ulrich, Mamie Minch, Shaina Taub, David Sanborn, and Stephen Lynch, as well as most of his theater shows. His studio home base is Steel Cut Audio in New York.
MARCO RAMIREZ (Book) is a Cuban American playwright and screenwriter. His play The Royale was directed by Rachel Chavkin at Lincoln Center, where it was honored with Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. To date, The Royale has been produced over 30 times worldwide. His television credits include the Emmy Award winning Orange is the New Black, Sons of Anarchy, Daredevil, and Hulu’s upcoming La Máquina, starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna.
ARNULFO MALDONADO (Scenic Design) is a New York City based set and costume designer. He is a Tony Award Nominee for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for the Broadway production of A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson (Lyceum Theatre) directed by Stephen Brackett. Notable design credits include the Broadway premiere of David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face (Todd Haimes Theater), directed by Leigh Silverman; the recent revival of Samm Art Williams' Home (Todd Haimes Theater), directed by Kenny Leon; the 20th Anniversary Broadway production of Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks (Golden Theatre), directed by Kenny Leon; and the Broadway premiere of Alice Childress' Trouble In Mind (American Airlines Theatre), directed by Charles Randolph-Wright. West End/UK: A Strange Loop (Barbican Theater), The Comeuppance (Almeida Theater), In Dreams (Leeds Playhouse). Off-Broadway: Atlantic, CSC, Lincoln Center, MCC, MTC, New Group, Playwrights Horizons, Public Theatre, Roundabout, Second Stage, Signature, Soho Rep. Regional: Alley Theatre, Berkeley Rep, CTG, Guthrie, Steppenwolf, Woolly Mammoth. International Tour: The Magnetic Fields: 50 Song Memoir. In addition, Arnulfo received an Obie for Sustained Excellence in Set Design, as well as a Special Citation Obie as part of the Creative Team of the Pulitzer Prize winning A Strange Loop. Arnulfo is a recipient of a Princess Grace Faberge Theater Award, Lucille Lortel Award, and a Drama Desk & Henry Hewes Design nominee. IG: @arnulfo.maldonado.design www.arnulfomaldonado.com
DEDE AYITE (Costume Design) is a Tony-Award winning costume designer working in theatre, opera and film. Select Broadway: Hell’s Kitchen Appropriate, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Topdog/Underdog, Ohio State Murders, American Buffalo and Slave Play. Select Off-Broadway: Merry Wives (The Public Theater); Days of Wine and Roses (Atlantic). Regional: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Steppenwolf, Arena Stage and more. Television: Netflix and Comedy Central. Education: MFA Yale School of Drama.
TYLER MICOLEAU (Lighting Design). Broadway: Into The Woods, American Buffalo, Be More Chill, The Band’s Visit. International: Be More Chill (West End, Japan). National Tours: The Band’s Visit, Into The Woods. Select Off-Broadway: Atlantic, Signature, Second Stage, Lincoln Center Theater, Public, NY City Center Encores, PACNYC. Select Regional: Shakespeare Theatre Co, Woolly Mammoth, Arena Stage, Kennedy Center, Long Wharf, Dallas Theater Center, La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe, Wilma, Philadelphia Theatre Co, Pig Iron Theatre, Goodman, Chautauqua. Awards: Tony Award, Drama Desk nomination, OBIE, Lucille Lortel, Henry Hewes, Knight of Illumination, Helen Hayes nominations, Barrymore nominations. Education: Bowdoin College. www.tylermicoleau.com
JONATHAN DEANS (Sound Design) has a wealth of experience with Live Sound Design. He has worked on many musical productions on Broadway, West End and Worldwide, as well as plays and spectacles, such as sixteen productions of Cirque du Soleil. His recent musicals have been The Lonely Few, Redwood, Buena Vista Social Club, Hippest Trip/The Soul Train Musical. His ability to create immersive soundscapes has earned him a reputation as one of the leading sound designers in the entertainment industry. He is known for his attention to detail and ability to seamlessly integrate sound into the production's overall concept, elevating the music and audience's experience. www.designingsound.com
J. JARED JANAS (Wigs, Hair, & Make-Up Design). Broadway: Our Town, Once Upon a Mattress, Mary Jane, Prayer for the French Republic, Purlie Victorious, Good Night, Oscar, Sweeney Todd…, Ohio State Murders, & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo, Topdog/Underdog, How I Learned to Drive, American Buffalo, Jagged Little Pill, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, Gettin' the Band Back Together, Bandstand, Indecent, Sunset Boulevard, The Visit, The Real Thing, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Motown, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, All about Me. Recent Off Broadway: Sally & Tom (Drama Desk Nomination), Dead Outlaw, Sunset Baby, Jelly’s Last Jam, Yours Unfaithfully (Drama Desk Nomination).
TARA RUBIN CASTING/TARA RUBIN, CSA & XAVIER RUBIANO, CSA (Casting). Selected Broadway & National Tours: Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, BOOP!: The Betty Boop Musical, Death Becomes Her, Left On Tenth, The Heart of Rock & Roll, The Wiz, The Outsiders, The Who’s Tommy, Water for Elephants, Back To The Future, Here Lies Love, Bad Cinderella, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, KPOP, Mr. Saturday Night, SIX, Ain’t Too Proud, King Kong, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, Indecent, Bandstand, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Falsettos, Disaster!, School of Rock, It Shoulda Been You, Gigi, Doctor Zhivago, Les Miserables, The Heiress, Bullets Over Broadway, Les Misérables, Aladdin, Big Fish, Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson, Ghost, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Promises, Promises, A Little Night Music, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Guys and Dolls, Young Frankenstein, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, The Pirate Queen, Monty Python's Spamalot, Jersey Boys, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera, Good Vibrations, Bombay Dreams, Oklahoma!, Flower Drum Song, Disney’s On the Record. Selected Off-Broadway: Dead Outlaw, Buena Vista Social Club, The Gardens Of Anuncia, Sing Street, Trevor, Between the Lines, Clueless, Gloria: A Life, Smokey Joe’s Café. Regional: Papermill Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, Asolo Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Yale Rep, Alliance Theater, Westport Country Playhouse, Lyric Opera Of Chicago. Film: Here Today. TV: Before (Apple TV+)
ABOUT THE CAST
ISA ANTONETTI (Young Omara) (she/her/ella) is overjoyed and humbled to be making her Broadway Debut in Buena Vista Social Club! She is a Latinx, Indigenous, Mixed Race LGBTQIA+ actress and singer from the Greater Rochester, New York area. She is currently completing her BFA in Musical Theatre at Carnegie Mellon University. Previous credits include Evita (NYCC), Macbeth (CMU), and A Chorus Line (OFC Creations). She also stars as the lead in her film debut, Gift of Fear (On Native Ground). Making her debut in Buena Vista Social Club™ is especially meaningful for Isa, as it reflects her own experiences growing up performing with her father’s Latin band, Orquesta Antonetti. For Isa, music is synonymous with family, and this milestone is a tribute to everyone who has been a part of her journey. Isa would like to thank her representation at Rebel Creative Group and IAG, those at Tara Rubin Casting, and the Buena Vista Social Club™ team for their tireless work and trusting her with this role. @isa_antonetti
RENESITO AVICH (Eliades) is a Cuban singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer based in Florida. Renesito was nominated for the Latin Grammys in 2022 and 2023. He is also known as one of the greatest Cuban Tres Guitar players worldwide. He has collaborated and performed with stellar musicians including Oscar de León, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Willy Chirino, Niña Pastori, Albita Rodriguez, Leoni Torres, Rafael "El Pollo" Brito and Paquito D'Rivera.
NATALIE VENETIA BELCON (Omara) is thrilled to portray the legendary Omara Portuondo in the one of a kind Buena Vista Social Club™, and is beyond honored to have won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical and to have been nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Broadway: Matilda (Mrs. Phelps), Avenue Q (original cast as Gary Coleman), Rent (Joanne). Off-Broadway: Ahrens and Flaherty’s The Glorious Ones at Lincoln Center. National Tour: Wicked (Madame Morrible). Regional: Ahrens and Flaherty’s new musical, Knoxville (adapted by Frank Galati) at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Belcon has had recurring and guest starring roles on a number of TV shows and featured roles in a few films. PBS Great Performances: Play On!
ANGÉLICA BELIARD (Ensemble) is honored to be returning to Broadway with Buena Vista Social Club™ after a beautiful run downtown at the Atlantic Theater Company. Previous Credits include Broadway: Summer, On Your Feet!; Regional: In The Heights, West Side Story (The Muny); Oliver as Bet, The Life! (Encores!); Pipeline (Gallery Players); Kiss My Aztec (Hartford Stages, La Jolla Playhouse, Berkeley Rep); Upcoming Film: Kiss of the Spiderwoman; Short Film: Every Right. Thank you CTG!; Endless gratitude to my dear friends who have become pillars in my life and career.
ASHLEY DE LA ROSA (Young Haydee). Broadway: Mean Girls, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. National Tours: Hamilton: An American Musical, RENT. Television: “Dear Edward” (Apple TV+), “The Other Two” (HBO). Off-Broadway: (pray), Travels (Ars Nova). Her original music is available for streaming on all digital platforms. Thrilled to be a part of this original Broadway company! Gracias a mami, papi, Carmen y Thomas. Te quiero mucho.
CARLOS FALÚ (Ensemble). Born and raised in Puerto Rico. He recently made his Broadway debut in Illinoise. Other credits include: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Bradley Cooper's Maestro, Bad Bunny World’s Hottest Tour, Coachella, The Buena Vista Social Club (Off-Broadway). Extremely grateful for the love and support from my friends and family and excited to share a little bit of our culture. "Yo soy Boricua..." CESD agency. IG: @lafalu.pr
HÉCTOR JUAN MAISONET (Ensemble) is proud to return to Broadway with this beautiful show. It is truly an honor to be part of something this special. I dedicate this to my family here and back home in Puerto Rico. Mami y Papi, Los AMO con todo mi ser! Represented by LWC Film: Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Off-Broadway: Buena Vista Social Club™ (Ensemble/Dance Captain). Broadway: On Your Feet! (Ensemble/Swing/Assistant dance captain). 1st National Tour: On Your Feet!. West End: On Your Feet! (Associate Choreographer), West Side Story- Puerto Rico (Pepé) @hectorjuan27
ILDA MASON (Ensemble) was born and raised in Panamá where she began her acting career with productions such as Peter Pan (Peter Pan), The Beauty and the Beast, A Chorus Line (Bebe) and Hello Dolly (Minnie) among others. She was a professional dancer on Panamá’s “Dancing with the Stars” (Season 2 Champion). She made her feature film debut in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (Luz) and her Broadway debut with the same show, directed by Ivo Van Hove. TV/Film credits include appearances in “The Equalizer” (CBS) and the upcoming feature musical film Kiss of the Spider Woman. Some of her favorite theater credits are Evita (A.R.T., Shakespeare Theater Company), Come Fall in Love (The Old Globe Theater), On Your Feet! (National tour), West Side Story (Paper Mill Playhouse, Signature Theatre), Cinderella (National tour), and Legally Blonde (China tour). She’s filled with gratitude for the opportunity of telling stories on stage and onscreen, especially Latine ones like BVSC. You can follow Ilda on socials at www.ildamason.com and @ildamason on Instagram.
MARIELYS MOLINA (Ensemble). Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Broadway Credits: On Your Feet (OBC Ensemble), Motown (OBC Ensemble/Marvelette), Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away (OBC Kate Alternate/Swing), Sweet Charity (OBC Ensemble). Regional: SWING! (1st National Tour - Swing Latin Couple/Ensemble), Come Fly Away (1st National Tour - Slim/Kate alternate), Wizard Of Oz (North Shore Music Theater), Cotton Club Parade (City Center’s Encores), Buena Vista Social Club (Off-Broadway - Ensemble). Films/TV: Music and Lyrics, Idlewild, In the Heights, Blues Big City Adventures, Old Dogs, Isn’t Romantic, Kiss of the Spider Woman, SNL, VMA’s, Billboard Awards, Latin Grammys, Tony Awards, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She appeared in Jon Batiste’s Music Video, “I Need You,” as a featured dancer and has performed with artists such as Ludacris, Beyoncé, Ashanti, Sean Paul, Madonna, Thalia, Victor Manuel, Gloria Estefan, Nelly Furtado. Marielys is a World Salsa Champion with numerous collaborations with renowned Salsa and Latin dancers such as Jhesus Aponte, Sekou McMiller and Tito Ortos. Marielys is grateful to her loyal Manager and friend, Lakey Wolff, and her for friends and family who are always there with their unrelenting support.
JULIO MONGE (Compay) is an actor and director, whose role in the critically acclaimed Playwrights Horizons/MCC Theater's production of John J. Caswell Jr’s Wet Brain, earned him a Lucille Lortel nomination. Broadway performing credits include On Your Feet, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Fosse, Paul Simon’s The Capeman and Lincoln Center’s Twelfth Night, among others. Monge directed the US premier of Baipás, a play by Puerto Rican filmmaker and writer Jacobo Morales. Recent tv and film credits include For Life (ABC) and Come Find Me (Indie Film). Monge served as artistic collaborator and consultant in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story (2021). He was honored with the Performing Arts Lifetime Achievement Award, conferred by the Puerto Rican Day Parade Committee (2017).
DA’VON MOODY (Young Compay) is making his Broadway Debut with BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ but has also had the pleasure of being a part of many other projects. National Tour: MJ the Musical (Alejandro). Off-Broadway: Man of No Importance. Regional credits include: The Outsiders (Dallas Winston) at La Jolla Playhouse, RENT (Benny) at the Signature Theatre, Gun & Powder (World Premiere), Ain’t Misbehavin’. Olney Theatre: A.D. 16- World Premier (Simeon); Ford’s Theatre: The Wiz, Christmas Carol, Amazing Grace (Mr. Tyler); Constellation Theatre: Aida! (Mereb); ArtsCentric: Hair (Berger) and Dreamgirls (C.C. White). Film: Once Again for the First Time. You can find him on IG @d_moo_d to see more.
SOPHIA RAMOS (U/S Omara). Born in the Bronx, New York, Sophia cut her teeth as a member of the NYC hard rock band Sophia’s Toy who were signed to Sony/Epic Records. Sophia was soon named “Best Undiscovered Artist” by VH1 and was awarded the Abe Olman Excellence in Songwriting scholarship from The National Academy of Popular Music. She has collaborated with the likes of Metallica’s Jason Newstead, Psychotica, and Joey Ramone, and performed as a vocalist with an incredible variety of artists, including Rod Stewart, Gov’t Mule, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Jefferson Starship. Sophia is a veteran live and studio vocalist and voiceover artist. Her talents in both English and Spanish have been employed in countless commercials and jingles. Some of her theater work includes Robert Schenkkan’s musical The Twelve at Signature Theater, Arizona Theater Company’s production of Love, Janis, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and The Public Theater in New York City, in the ensemble cast of Party People created/produced by UNIVERSES and directed by Liesl Tommy. She went on to work with Liesl Tommy in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Macbeth (2017), Huntington Theater production of Top Girls (2018). Live From The Edge UNIVERSES, City Theatre Pittsburgh, 2021, Live from The Edge UNIVERSES, Long Warf Theatre, 2023.
LEONARDO REYNA (Young Rubén). Born in Havana in 1985, Leonardo is an internationally acclaimed pianist, composer, and educator. The legacy of Cuban music runs deep in his family; his grandfather, Rodolfo Reyna, was a violinist and arranger with the Orquesta Sensación, and he passed this passion to Leonardo’s mother, a pianist who first guided him on the piano. Leonardo has studied at prestigious institutions in Latin America and Europe and has trained under prominent teachers from the lineage of the legendary pianist Claudio Arrau. Leonardo merges his Caribbean heritage with a robust technique in both classical and jazz music. His versatility is evident in his wide-ranging work as a soloist, chamber musician, accompanist, and composer. He has garnered over 15 international piano awards and has contributed music to notable film projects across Europe. His debut album, Vibraciones Clásicas, featured Afro-Cuban fantasies composed by him, encapsulating many of his musical interests and artistic explorations. Recently, he completed a new album focusing on significant global piano repertoire while also honoring Cuban composers who have shaped popular Cuban music since the 19th century. Additionally, Leonardo is an innovator in electronic music production and a proactive entrepreneur in the arts.
MEL SEMÉ (Ibrahim). Born and raised in Camagüey, Cuba, Mel Semé's passion for music led him to the prestigious University of Arts in Havana. He now divides his time between Barcelona, Los Angeles, and New York's vibrant theatre scene. Influenced by Cuban rhythms, pop, folk, and jazz, his music is a captivating blend. With a sultry voice and masterful multi-instrumentalist skills, Mel Semé transcends borders, uniting audiences worldwide. His music is a bridge between cultures, showcasing the unifying power of melody.
JAINARDO BATISTA STERLING (Rubén). Puerto Rican singer and percussionist Jainardo Batista comes from a family with a long tradition in music and theater in Puerto Rico. Ad a Jazz Ambassador of Jazz at Lincoln Center, he has toured Central and Northwest Africa as well as South America and the Caribbean. Additionally, he has performed in the Jerusalem Jazz Festival with Roman Diaz and Grupo Agolona; Essaouira Gnawa Festival (Morocco) with Colette Michaan’s Querencia; and Grammy-nominated Raices Haberas at New York’s Town Hall. Jainardo maintains an active performance schedule in NYC.
WESLEY WRAY (Young Ibrahim). This is Wesley’s Broadway Debut! He is originally from Miami, FL. Wesley is currently a junior at the University of Michigan, studying to receive a BFA Musical Theatre degree. IG: @wesleywwray
ABOUT THE BAND
MARCO PAGUIA (Piano, Music Director) is a music director, arranger, orchestrator, and pianist based in New York. He was the recipient of the 2024 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for his orchestrations of Buena Vista Social Club™ (Atlantic Theater). He was the Music director for Gutenberg! The Musical!, Girl From the North Country, Peter and the Starcatcher, and Everyday Rapture (Broadway). Regional highlights include music supervision & orchestrations for Unknown Soldier (Arena Stage) and music direction for Goddess (Berkeley Rep). Marco is the music director, arranger and pianist for LaChanze and Lindsay Mendez. He played on the soundtrack to Steven Spielberg's West Side Story with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. His arrangements and orchestrations have been performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
DAVID OQUENDO (Guitar). A native of Havana, Cuba, David is a highly accomplished and respected interpreter of many diverse styles of Cuban music. As a guitarist, singer, composer and arranger, he rose to fame performing and recording with Paquito D’ Rivera, Johnny Ventura, Compay Segundo, Maestro Chico O’Farrill and Marc Anthony, to name a few. He is recipient of a Grammy Award for the album “Tropicana’s Nights” with Paquito D’Rivera, three Grammy Nominations for “Heart of a Legend” with Chico O’Farrill, “Bebop Timba” with Raphael Cruz and “Entre Colegas” with Andy Gonzalez, and three Latin Grammy Nominations for his production “Raices Habaneras”, “50 Years of Mambo” of Latin Jazz USA and “Paquito D’Rivera Presenta Las Hermanas Marquez” with Paquito D’ Rivera.
GUSTAVO SCHARTZ (Bass). Born in Argentina, started playing and performing at a young age, with a passion for traditional music from the Americas. In 1997, without knowing about BVSC, he spent several months in Havana, Cuba, learning traditional Son from the local masters. Upon arrival in New York, Gustavo worked as a sideman and band leader with some of the most prominent Cuban musicians, including David Oquendo, Paquito D'Rivera, Pedrito Martinez, Jose Fajardo. Gustavo is so happy to be part of Buena Vista Social Club™!
HERY PAZ (Woodwinds) is a New York based Cuban multi-instrumentalist, composer and visual artist. At the heart of his artistic practice, we find a resolute dedication to expand the frontiers of his cultural philosophy, crystalizing an amalgam of expressions between improvisation, composition, visual arts and poetry. His playing is imbued with a depth of purpose, a sense of patience and a willingness to venture into the unknown. Paz is an integral element of the creative music scene in New York City where he has worked with Dave Liebman, William Parker, Cooper Moore, Ralph Alessi, Francisco Mela, Tom Rainey, John Hebert, Thomas Morgan, Román Díaz, Kris Davis, Nate Wooley, Miguel Zenón, Leo Genovese, Ethan Iverson, Gerald Cleaver, Afro Cuban All Stars Band, Buena Vista Social Club, Juan De Marcos Gonzales, Dan Weiss, Jacob Sacks & Joe Morris.
EDDIE VENEGAS (Trombone). Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Eddie Venegas is a New York-based violinist, violist, trombonist, and composer and a proud product of New York City's multicultural music scene. He is a founding member of the Sweet Plantain String Quartet and the salsa band Los Hacheros, two groups with whom he has been writing music and touring internationally for the past 10 years. Venegas is also an active Broadway musician, playing in the pit for recent shows including Ain't Too Proud, Some Like it Hot, A Beautiful Noise, and the Off-Broadway production of Buena Vista Social Club at the Atlantic Theater. Previously, he toured for many years in salsa star Marc Anthony's band. For more, visit: http://www.eddievenegas.com
JESUS RICARDO (Trumpet) is a trumpet player with a rich background in jazz performance and education. Experienced in collaborating with esteemed musicians and participating in prestigious festivals and competitions. Committed to the advancement of jazz music and cultural representation through performance and education. Jesus joined the Septeto Habanero in 2009, performing alongside the late trumpeter Gilberto Azcuí. He was invited to perform at a tribute concert for the 40th anniversary of the Escuela Elemental de Música Manuel Saumell with the group Los Vanvan in 2010. He participated in the Jazz Band at Escuela Manuel Saumell, directed by saxophonist Denis Carbó, engaging in television performances, concerts, and competitions such as Jojazz and Jazz Plaza. He has collaborated with renowned musicians including Michel Herrera, Julito Padrón, Enrique Pla, and Jorge Reyes. Jesus is the winner of the Cuerda Viva competition in 2012, performing with Yasek Manzano's group. He has been the trumpet player of NG la Banda and Alain Perez for 3 years. Jesus has a Grammy award for participating in an album with Arturo Offarril.
JAVIER DíAZ (Percussion), originally from Cuba, is a percussionist and composer in the New York Area. He has performed with the New York Pops, American Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Broadway productions of Tarzan, Guys and Dolls, The Wiz, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Rocky, On Your Feet, Once on This Island, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, Sweeney Todd, and The Who’s “Tommy”. His studio/film soundtrack credits include Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, collaborations with jazz greats David Sanborn and Marcus Miller, ECM's Tituli by Stephen Hartke with the Hilliard Ensemble, Barbershop 3, several HBO films and many TV and radio commercials. As a hand drum specialist, Diaz has appeared with: Miami Sound Machine, LaChanze, David Sanborn, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Marcus Miller, Sean Kingston, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Patty LaBelle, Lazaro Galarraga's Afro-Cuban All Stars, Candido Camero, David Yazbek, Román Diaz and Pedro Martinez, The Panamerican Jazz Band, Tribal Sage and the New York World Music Institute. Diaz is on faculty at New York University and the Juilliard School.
MAURICIO HERRERA (Percussion) is from the eastern province of Holguin, Cuba. His interest in music comes from the musical legacy of his family. He started playing violin at 7 years old and, by age 14, he began studying percussion. After graduating from Jose Maria Ochoa Conservatory in Holguin, he began playing in various local popular and folkloric groups and was on faculty at Escuela Vocacional de Arte. In 1994, he moved to La Habana to broaden his horizons, where he played, toured, and recorded with several popular bands in 90’s Cuba, such as Paulito FG y su Elite, Manolito Simonet y su trabuco, Manolín el Medico de la salsa, Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini, Juan Kemmel y la Barriada, Hector Valentin, and Angel Bonne. In 2001, he relocated to Mexico and played with Otra Idea Orquestra, Amaury Gutierrez, David Torrens, and many others. In 2005, Mauricio moved to New York where he currently resides. He has played, recorded and toured with: David Sanchez, Stefon Harris, Nicholas Payton, Christian Scott - 90 Miles Project, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ignacio Berroa, Yerba Buena, Lila Downs, Manuel Valera and the New Cuban Express, Alfredo de la Fe, Bryan Lynch, Luis Perdomo, The Rodriguez Brothers, Dave Samuels and The Caribbean Jazz Project, Hector Martignon, Batyr Shukenov, La India, Spanish Harlem Orquestra, Steve Coleman, Jackie Terrasson, John Benitez, Mark Weinstein, Lew Soloff, Aruan Ortiz, Candido Camero, Yerba Buena, Osmany Paredes , Pedro Martinez y Grupo Ibboru, Cimarron project, Francisco Mela, Robby Ameen featuring Ruben Blades, Yosvany Terry Afrocuban Roots & Sextet and many others. Mauricio Herrera has performed concerts and taught master classes to colleges and universities such as: Boys & Girls Harbor, The Banff Centre in Canada, Berklee College of Music, Yale University, Harvard University, Stanford University, JAZZUV University in Xalapa Mexico.
ROMÁN DIAZ (Percussion).