B'way Update: Buena Vista Social Club

The company of 
Buena Vista Social Club.
Credit: Ahron R. Foster

Buena Vista Social Club, the musical about musicians in Castro's Cuba which had a run last season Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company, is transferring to Broadway. Previews begin Feb. 21, 2025 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater prior to a March 19 opening. Buena Vista Social Club was also the subject of a documentary—Wim Wenders’ 1999 Oscar-nominated feature which spotlights the making of the titular album and a legendary Carnegie Hall concert. The Off-Broadway production won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations and received three Outer Critics Circle nominations and seven Lortel nominations. The book is by Marco Ramirez and Saheem Ali (Fat Ham) directs and also developed the show. Choreography is by Patricia Delgado and Tony winner Justin Peck (Illinoise). The score is the Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club. The music team is led by Tony Award winner David Yazbek (The Band's Visit) and Music Supervisor Dean Sharenow.  

The Broadway company features Natalie Venetia Belcon (Omara), Julio Monge (Compay), Mel Semé (Ibrahim) Jainardo Batista Sterling (Rubén), Isa Antonetti (Young Omara), Da’von Moody (Young Compay), Wesley Wray (Young Ibrahim), Leonardo Reyna (Young Rubén), Renesito Avich (Eliades), Ashley De La Rosa (Young Haydee), and Angélica Beliard, Carlos Falú, Héctor Juan Maisonet, Ilda Mason, Marielys Molina, Sophia Ramos. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

The BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ band features Marco Paguia (Piano, Music Director), David Oquendo (Guitar), Gustavo Schartz (Bass), Hery Paz (Woodwinds), Eddie Venegas (Trombone), Jesus Ricardo (Trumpet), Javier Díaz (Percussion), Mauricio Herrera (Percussion), and Román Diaz (Percussion).

“It's been my honor to help develop Buena Vista Social Club™ into a new musical alongside Marco Ramirez, Saheem Ali, Patricia Delgado, Justin Peck and David Yazbek - all artists at the very top of their game.  From our trips to Cuba getting to meet the incredible artists who created the album to our Off-Broadway premiere, the artistic process has been as invigorating as the energy and music that will begin pouring out of the Schoenfeld Theatre next year,” says Orin Wolf, producer.  “Fans of the album and documentary will love how this new show opens up the story and we know Broadway audiences who come with fresh ears will be blown away as Buena Vista Social Club™ comes alive on-stage.”

“I first heard the Buena Vista Social Club™ as a precocious youngster growing up in Nairobi, wearing out the original album from my father’s eclectic CD collection,” said Saheem Ali, director. “Though we spoke Swahili and not Spanish, I memorized the lyrics in my broken accent. I felt connected to the beautiful songs embodying the spirit of a distant culture. Decades later, I’m thrilled to be joining Orin, Marco and the entire creative team on the journey to bringing this extraordinary, singular musical to Broadway.”

“In 1968, my grandfather left Cuba and got a job washing dishes a block from the Schoenfeld Theatre,” said Marco Ramirez, book writer. “Almost 60 years later, we’ll be blasting his favorite songs there. Alongside some of the best artists - and people - I’ve ever met. I’m humbled by the chance to forge connections between two of the most musically iconic islands the world has ever known- Cuba and Manhattan.”

2024-25 Broadway/Off-Broadway/Awards Calendar 
Fall 2024
Sept. 19--Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song (Theater555)
Sept. 22--The Beacon (IRT)
Sept. 24--Ghost of John McCain (Soho Playhouse)
Sept. 24--Magnificent Bird/Book of Travelers (Playwrights Horizons) (previews begin; opening TBA)
Sept. 29--The Hills of California (Broadhurst)
Sept. 30--MCNEAL (Vivian Beaumont/LCT)

Oct. 1--Yellowface (Roundabout/Todd Haimes)

Oct. 1--Good Bones (Public)

Oct. 1--The Big Gay Jamboree (Orpheum)

Oct. 3--Safety Not Guaranteed (BAM)

Oct. 7--The Wind and the Rain: A Story About Suny's Bar (En Garde Arts/Vineyard Theater/Waterfront Museum)

Oct. 8--Bad Kreyol (MTC/Signature Theatre) (previews begin; opening TBA)

Oct. 9--The Counter (Roundabout/Laura Pels)

Oct. 10--Our Town (Barrymore)

Oct. 10--Deep History (Public)

Oct. 10--In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot (Playwrights Horizons) (previews begin; opening TBA)

Oct. 16--Hold On to Me Darling (Lortel)

Oct. 16--Vladimir (MTC/City Center Stage I)

Oct. 20--Sunset Boulevard (St. James)

Oct. 21--Drag The Musical (New World Stages)

Oct. 23--Left on Tenth (James Earl Jones)

Oct. 23--Give Me Carmelita Tropicana! (Soho Rep)

Oct. 24--Romeo and Juliet (Circle in the Square)

Oct. 27--We Live in Cairo (NYTW)

Oct. 28--Shit. Meet. Fan. (MCC Theater)

Oct. 29--Another Shot (Signature Theater Center)

Nov. 7--Walden (Second Stage/Kiser)

Nov. 8--Gatz (Elevator Repair Service/Public)

Nov. 10--We Are Your Robots (TFANA/Polonsky Shakespeare Center)

Nov. 11--What a Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical (Studio 54)

Nov. 12--Maybe Happy Ending (Belasco)

Nov. 14--Tammy Faye (Palace)

Nov. 14--King Lear (Kenneth Branagh Theater Company/The Shed)

Nov. 17--Elf the Musical (Marquis)

Nov. 19--Swept Away (Longacre)

Nov. 21--Death Becomes Her (Lunt-Fontanne)

Nov. 21--The Blood Quilt (LCT/Mitzi Newhouse)

Nov. 22--The Merchant of Venice (CSC/Arlekin Players) (previews begin; opening TBA)

Nov. 26--The Dead, 1904 (IRT/American Irish Historical Society)

Babe (New Group/Signature Center)

This Is My Favorite Song (Playwrights Horizons)

Winter 2024-25

Dec. 4--Annie (Theater at Madison Square Garden) (previews begin; opening TBA)

Dec. 11--All In: Comedy About Love by Simon Rich (Hudson) (previews begin; opening TBA)

Dec. 12--Cult of Love (Second Stage/Hayes)

Dec. 16--Eureka Day (MTC/Samuel J. Friedman) 

Dec. 19--Gypsy (Majestic)

Jan. 20--The Antiquities (Playwrights Horizons/Vineyard Theater)

Jan. 23--English (Roundabout/Todd Haimes Theater)

Jan. 25--Henry IV (TFANA/Polonsky Theater Center)

Feb. 13--Redwood (Nederlander)

Feb. 20--Liberation (Roundabout/Laura Pels)

Curse of the Starving Class (New Group/Signature Center)

Dakar 2000 (MTC/City Center Stage I)

A Knock on the Roof (NYTW)

Sumo (Ma-Yi Theater/Public)

2024-25

My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?)

Romeo and Juliet w.Tom Holland/Francesca Amewudah-Rivers (?)

Spring 2025

March 10--Ghosts (LCT/Mitzi Newhouse)

March 19--Buena Vista Social Club (Schoenfeld)

March 23--Othello (Barrymore)

March 25--Old Friends (MTC/Samuel J. Friedman) (previews begins opening TBA)

March 30--The Swamp Dwellers (TFANA/Polonsky Shakespeare Center)

March--Wine in the Wilderness (CSC)

Mid-March--Purpose (Hayes)

April 5--BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical (Broadhurst)

April 6--The Last Five Years (Hudson)

April 17--Bowl EP (Vineyard Theater/National Black Theater)

April 21--Floyd Collins (LCT/Vivian Beaumont)

April 22--Stranger Things: The First Shadow (Marquis)

April 24--The Pirates of Penzance (Roundabout/Todd Haimes Theater)

May--Bus Stop (CSC/NAATCO/Transport Group)

Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp. (Public)

Glengarry Glen Ross

Good Night and Good Luck

Hold Me in the Water (Playwrights Horizons)

The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse (New Group/Signature Center)

Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole (NYTW)

Lunar Eclipse (Second Stage/Kiser)

The Picture of Dorian Gray (???)

Show Boat (Target Margin/NYU Skirball)

Smash

2025

Real Women Have Curves

Sugar Daddy

We Had a World (MTC/City Center Stage I)

Summer 2025

Twelfth Night (Public Theater/Delacorte)

2025-26

The Queen of Versailles

Fall 2025

Initiative (Public)

Waiting for Godot

2026

Hello, I'm Dolly

Future--Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death; Beaches the Musical; Beat Street; Black Orpheus; Come Fall in Love--The DDLJ Musical; Crazy Rich Asians; The Devil Wears Prada; Ella: An American Miracle; Everybody's Talking About Jamie; Frida, the Musical; Game of Thrones; The Griswolds' Broadway Vacation; High Noon; Imitation of Life; The Interestings; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Just in Time; The Karate Kid; La La Land; Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; The Mousetrap; Nancy Drew and the Mystery at Spotlight Manor; The Nanny; The Normal Heart/The Destiny of Me; Pal Joey; Particle Fever; Purple Rain; The Queen's Gambit; Rear Window; The Secret Garden; Sing Street; Soul Train; Studio 54; Working Girl.

2024-25 Broadway Season Breakdown

New Plays

All In: Comedy About Love by Simon Rich

Cult of Love

Good Night and Good Luck

The Hills of California

Job 

Left on Tenth

MCNEAL

Oh, Mary!

Purpose

The Roommate

Stranger Things: The First Shadow

New Musicals

Boop! The Betty Boop Musical

Buena Vista Social Club

Death Becomes Her

Maybe Happy Ending

Old Friends

Redwood

Smash

Swept Away

Tammy Faye

What a Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical

Play Revivals

English

Eureka Day

Glengarry Glen Ross

Home

Othello

Our Town

Romeo and Juliet

Yellow Face

Musical Revivals

Elf the Musical

Floyd Collins

Gypsy

The Last Five Years

Once Upon a Mattress

The Pirates of Penzance

Sunset Boulevard