I can’t remember a time I felt so much audience energy. The Buena Vista Social Club has struck a chord. Why? People love the music and also there’s representation on that stage that’s not always there. Cubans and other Latinos are coming to hear their music and see their story up on stage. And they’re loving it. And should you take the kids to Buena Vista Social Club? Read on.
We attended a show a few days after previews started, in late February. I organized a group of 47 people, some of whom had never seen a Broadway show. Everyone was blown away. Several have gotten tickets to go back. It was that energetic and wonderful.
The plot: Inspired by the music of the 1997 album of the same name, the show follows one of two upper-class sisters in their late teens/early 20s who are singers in Havana (Omara and Haydee – see pictures of the real sisters on Instagram). With civil unrest happening in Havana, the sisters are on the brink of getting a music contract and possibly escaping. There’s music. Lots of music.
Skip this next paragraph if you don’t want a spoiler, but continue after the photo.
One sister (Omara) stays behind, forgoing the contract and staying in Havana to make the music she wants to make. She’s discovered the Buena Vista Social Club and its fantastic music, even though it’s in a bad part of town and the musicians are seen as lower class by the other sister. Haydee leaves for the U.S. and the sisters don’t stay in touch. Years pass, the music continues and everyone ages. A music producer wants to make an album featuring the BVSC music, but they want Omara to sing on it. She doesn’t want to. The show is partly about the making of that album.
The story is not historically accurate, but that’s besides the point.
The music is a character
The BVSC features at least 9 band members, who are characters just as the actors are. They play a lot, almost 2 dozen songs throughout the show. And the audience goes wild. It feels like a combination of a musical and a concert. The musicians’ part of the stage is central, and it moves forward when needed for us to focus on the music, including when that stage is set as a recording studio. But even when they’re in the background, the music is still front and center.
The music is sung entirely in Spanish. They do sometimes give a quick explanation (in the script) explaining a little bit about the song. And they hand out a separate playbill with more about the music. But you don’t need to know anything about what they’re saying to enjoy the music and feel it.
The singing and dancing were phenomenal, not surprisingly.
Take the kids to Buena Vista Social Club?
I would not hesitate to take the kids to see Buena Vista Social Club. They will love the music and dancing.
This was Isa Antonetti’s Broadway debut, and she was fantastic.
When talking with them, Isa explained that the entire cast is Latino – some are Cuban, some are not. But there is a common thread there and so much pride to be representing their story and people. When they are taking breaks in rehearsals, the musicians continue to jam, she said. The musicians love the music so much they just keep playing.