Buena Vista Social Club. Book by Marco Ramirez. Music by Buena Vista Social Club. Developed and directed by Saheem Ali. Choreography by Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck. Music supervision by Dean Sharenow. Music director, orchestrations, and arrangements by Marco Paguia. Scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado. Costume design by Dede Ayite. Lighting design by Tyler Micoleau. Sound design by Jonathan Deans. Wigs, hair, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas. Creative consultant David Yazbek. Creative consultant Nick Gold. Music consultant Juan de Marcos. Additional arrangements by Javier Díaz and David Oquendo. Associate director Moses Garcia. Associate choreographer Carlos E. Gonzalez. Fight director Thomas Schall. Dialect and accent coach Rosie Berrido.
Cast: Natalie Venetia Belcon, Julio Monge, Mel Semé, Jainardo Batista Sterling, Isa Antonetti, Da'Von T. Moody, Wesley Wray, Leonardo Reyna, Renesito Avich, Ashley De La Rosa, Justin Cunningham, Angélica Beliard, Andrew Montgomery Coleman, Carlos Falú, Carlos E. Gonzalez, Héctor Juan Maisonet, Ilda Mason, Marielys Molina, Sophia Ramos, Anthony Santos, Martín Solá, Tanairi Sade Vazquez, Román Díaz, Mauricio Herrera, David Oquendo, Marco Paguia, Hery Paz, Jesus Ricardo, Gustavo Schartz, and Eddie Venegas.
Theater: Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
Tickets: BuenaVistaMusical.com

Justin Cunningham, Marco Paguia, Renesito Avich, Natalie Venetia Belcon, and Román Díaz Photo by Matthew Murphy

This grand-slam of a combo is exceptionally rare, where two out of three is the best you usually can hope for. If you saw the earlier production of the show last season at the Atlantic Theater Company, you'll undoubtedly want to see it again. And if you are not already a fan, I urge you not to miss it this go-round as we are invited to travel in time between 1956 as the Cuban Revolution is brewing, and 1996 and a recording studio in Havana where the global phenomenon that bears the same name as the show is about to take off.

In both eras, you will meet some of the same characters, portrayed by younger and "less young" cast members, as they are diplomatically referred to. Foremost among the "less young" is Omara (a resplendent Natalie Venetia Belcon), whose personal journey shapes the core of the narrative.

Omara, like a number of the characters, is based on an actual well-known Cuban performer (in her case, that would be the multiple Grammy Award winner Omara Portuondo), though it should be noted that the narrative created by book writer Marco Ramirez is a work of fiction. Indeed, we are told early on that "some of it is true; some of it only feels true." Think of it in the same light as, say, the famous names that inhabit Ragtime, and you will understand Ramirez's creative technique here.

After a terrific opening performance by the incredible onstage band, the story begins in a "once upon a time" fashion, as record producer Juan de Marcos (a delightfully dorky/smart portrayal by Justin Cunningham) draws us in: "There's a music studio in Old Havana. Right now, you and I are a thousand miles away, speaking very different tongues, on a very different island. But a sound like this? It tends to travel."

The Cast Photo by Matthew Murphy

And with that, we are whisked away to 1956, as Omara recalls her own story as portrayed by her younger self (Isa Antonetti) and younger versions of those who helped shape her life. It is a story of love, loss, regret and redemption, about choices made and roads traveled at the expense of others. Through it all, it is the music that ties the narrative together and that allows Omara to reclaim her voice. It is an altogether powerful tale that certainly "feels true."

Musically, Buena Vista Social Club is a feast for the ears. It offers up a compilation of songs performed by the gifted band with the same name as the title of the show. But it's also the name of a popular, and racially segregated, Havana venue dating to the 1940s where this type of music was regularly performed for its Black members. Rightfully, racial discrimination becomes an important thread in the telling.

The music is something special, good enough that we should stop right now to name names of the band members you'll be seeing. Conducting and on the piano is Marco Paguia. On guitar, David Oquendo. Playing the tres (looks like a guitar; sounds like a mandolin) is Renesito Avich. On bass, Gustavo Schartz. Percussionists are Javier Díaz, Román Díaz, and Mauricio Herrera. On trumpet, Jesus Ricardo; trombone, Eddie Venegas; woodwinds, Hery Paz; and piano, Leonardo Reyna. Fantástico todos!!! In your program, you will find an insert about the songs: "Every Cuban Song Has a Story to Tell." And, truly, you don't have to speak Spanish in order to pick up on the mood and the message of each number.

Then there are the wonderful dances that are equal to this amazing music, as if they were recreations of what you might have seen being performed in the Cuban clubs back in the day. The choreographers are the married couple Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, both with long ties to the ballet world. For Buena Vista Social Club, they have created original and exciting numbers that are being performed by a first-rate group of dancers. I will admit I did prefer the club-like feel that came with the territory of the much smaller Atlantic Theater Company. On the other hand, the larger Broadway stage allows the dancers to spread out and fly without fearing they will bump into one another, so perhaps a tossup.

The production, so well directed by Saheem Ali, is two hours of sheer collaborative pleasure. The cast and the band are fabuloso, and Arnulfo Maldonado's set design, Dede Ayite's period costumes, and Tyler Micoleau's lighting contribute mightily to the overall quality. Only quibble: the amplification, at least at the performance I attended, was unnecessarily ramped up to rock concert level. Please, this band does not need additional boosting; your own spirits will be boosted enough without it.