Buena Vista Social Club musical premieres in San Juan
The production, inspired by the Grammy-winning 1997 album, opened at the Centro de Bellas Artes in Santurce on Saturday with live music, Cuban rhythms and a cast led by Choco Orta.
File photoThe short version
- Primera Hora reported that the musical filled the Antonio Paoli Festival Hall with Cuban music, life stories and themes of second chances
- El Vocero said Choco Orta as adult Omara and Cherry Torres as young Omara delivered standout vocal performances that felt completely natural
- Both outlets noted the live orchestra directed by Juan Carlos Rodríguez, solos by flutist Ángel Torres and tres player Luis Sanz, and songs including Candela, El cuarto de Tula and Dos gardenias
- Luis Sanz performed a fragment of Preciosa as a nod to Puerto Rico; the show received a standing ovation and calls for encores
Opening night in Santurce
The musical Buena Vista Social Club had its Puerto Rico premiere on Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Centro de Bellas Artes de Santurce, according to Primera Hora. The production by Ender Vega for BAS Entertainment transported the audience to the streets of Havana through live rhythms, melodies and a story centered on memories, dreams and reunions. El Vocero reported that the work is inspired by real events and the 1997 Grammy-winning album, following the musicians who made the recording and the second chances that reunited them.
Choco Orta portrayed Omara in her adult years with a powerful voice and commanding stage presence, while Cherry Torres played the younger Omara with equal vocal strength, the two outlets agreed. Primera Hora highlighted how the contrast between the actresses illustrated different life stages. El Vocero added that Orta made the role her own so convincingly that it was hard to imagine anyone else in it, and Torres’s live singing was so precise it was difficult to believe it was not recorded.
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Live music and staging
The orchestra, directed by Juan Carlos Rodríguez, played a central role, according to both Primera Hora and El Vocero. Luis Sanz’s mastery of the Cuban tres added depth, and his solo included a fragment of Preciosa as a gesture to Puerto Rico, Primera Hora reported. El Vocero noted standout solos by flutist Ángel Torres and Sanz that left the audience impressed. Songs such as Candela, El cuarto de Tula and Dos gardenias energized the hall or provided emotional peaks.
The production features a two-level set with colorful facades inspired by Havana architecture, period costumes, lighting changes and choreography that moved between nightclubs, intimate spaces and a recording studio, both outlets described. Primera Hora said the staging and encounters between younger and older versions of characters reinforced the emotional arc. El Vocero observed that the first Spanish-language version felt so natural that it was hard to picture the original English production conveying the same closeness.
Where the sources differ
Both Primera Hora and El Vocero agree on the date of the premiere, the lead performances by Choco Orta and Cherry Torres, the central role of the live orchestra, the two-level Havana-inspired set, the emotional impact of the story and the standing ovation with calls for encores. Primera Hora mentioned producer Ender Vega, BAS Entertainment, director of music Juan Carlos Rodríguez by name, the specific dates of remaining performances and Luis Miranda’s appearance at the premiere. El Vocero emphasized that this was the first Spanish-language staging and gave more detail on the audience reaction chanting “otra, otra, otra” after Candela.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not give the running time of the show, ticket prices, the names of the full cast beyond the Omara portrayers and Luis Sanz, the name of the director or choreographer, or any information about future performances outside Puerto Rico. They also do not state how many people attended the opening night.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting “Buena Vista Social Club” llena de música y emoción el Centro de Bellas Artes
- Reporting El musical Buena Vista Social Club conquista con su música en vivo
How we checked this
Primera Hora and El Vocero both covered the opening-night performance of Buena Vista Social Club at the Centro de Bellas Artes. All details about the cast, music, staging and audience reaction rest on these two contemporaneous reviews; no official statement from the producers was included in the sources.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.