Most Broadway musicals hide the band in a pit; this one puts a company of Cuban musicians centre stage and lets them play the album's actual repertoire as a live set that the story keeps interrupting. Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado's choreography moves between danzon, son and rumba without ever tipping into revue. If you want to hear something on a Broadway stage you cannot hear anywhere else in the city, start here.
What to expect
An onstage band of Cuban instrumentalists playing Chan Chan, Candela and the rest of the album repertoire live, with dual-timeline scenes between numbers and dance sequences built on Cuban social forms. Expect much of the dialogue and lyrics in Spanish with English surtitles or translation built into the staging.
Good to know
- The Schoenfeld is on West 45th Street in Shubert Alley; Times Square and 42nd Street stations are both close.
- Songs are performed in Spanish, and the production makes the story clear without translation.
- The band is onstage all evening, so this plays closer to a concert than a standard book musical.
- It suits music lovers and anyone who knew the 1997 album or the Wim Wenders documentary.
- Suitable for teenagers and up; the story touches on the Cuban revolution and its costs.
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Common questions
Is the music performed live?
Yes. A band of Cuban musicians plays onstage throughout rather than from a pit, and the arrangements follow the repertoire of the 1997 album.
Is it in Spanish?
The songs are performed in Spanish, as on the record, and the book scenes mix Spanish and English. The staging is built so the story reads clearly either way.
Do I need to know the album or the documentary?
No. The show introduces the musicians and the recording sessions from scratch, though listeners who know Chan Chan will get an extra jolt when it arrives.
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