BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB - FINAL PAYMENT DATE, AUG. 20 -110.75

It’s easy to like a show that knows itself. Between the first words of the script — a stage direction, “We begin with music” — to the final bow — by the onstage band — the infectiously exuberant and joyous Buena Vista Social Club tells and shows exactly what it’s about.
The subject here is the singular sound of old-school Cuban music and artists who made it, a sonic sensation that was captured on a milestone 1990s album recorded in Havana that shares its name with the musical. Songs — they’re all sung in Spanish — from the Grammy-winning record including “Candela,” “Dos Gardenias,” and “El Cuarto de Tula” thread through the show, constantly making audience members’ heads bob and bodies wriggle to the beat.
“A sound like this,” a character teases early on, “it tends to travel.” And how. The album went on to become a global hit and inspired a documentary and the musical, which premiered off Broadway in 2023. Traveling to Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Marco Ramirez's script that mixes fact and imagination is slimmer. A gun-running subplot? Gone. A critique of colorism? Essentially reduced to a line.
The musical covers two time frames. In the ’50s, singers Omara Portuondo and her sister Haydee face divergent futures and careers. In the ’90s, an older Omara eventually finds her way back to the “old songs” and BVSC band members with whom she shares history: guitarist Compay Segundo, vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer, and pianist Rubén González.
Unapologetically sentimental, the slender story gets the job done. Choreography by Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck is explosive. Director Saheem Ali’s production mambos across time, all while showcasing the BVSC music.


## What to expect at Buena Vista Social Club
Since the musical takes place in Revolution-era Cuba as well as 40 years later, principal characters are played by two actors to depict when they are young and, as Ramirez’s script amusingly puts it, “less young.”
Hailed as a “jaw-dropping, soul-stirring must see” (The Washington Post), the Tony® and GRAMMY® Award-winning BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB is a journey through music and memory into the beating heart of Havana. A world-class company brings the story of the iconic album to thrilling life in this tale of big dreams, second chances, and music that needs no translation.
ording studio. Once known as the “Queen of Feeling,” her voice was celebrated throughout Cuba—until she vanished from the spotlight. But when an ambitious young record producer brings her a rare opportunity, the elusive diva must finally reckon with her past.
The Tony Award-Winning Choreography of Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway
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The Tony Award-Winning Choreography of Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway |

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BOTTOM LINE, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE SPANISH TO SEE THIS MUSICAL - THEY SAY THEIR LINES IN ENGLISH, BUT THE MUSIC IS IN SPANISH - THIS IS THE BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB AFTER ALL.