BUZZ

MEET THE CHARACTERS

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OMARA - A Star on the Rise 1958 - The Queen of Feeling 1996 - From the moment Omara stepped into Buena Vista as a rebellious young singer, she knew she had found her home. Now, years later, with the Club long closed, she must confront the life and love she left behind.

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IBRAHIM - The Kid with a Dream 1958 - The Man with a Voice Like Honey 1996 - In their youth, Ibrahim changed Omara's life with a single ballad. Their on- and offstage chemistry was electric, but while the world made a star of Omara, it left Ibrahim behind. Decades later, destiny reunites them for a second chance.

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COMPAY - The Songwriter 1958 - The Storyteller 1996 - With wit and charm to spare, Compay was the glue that held Buena Vista’s musicians together—until fate pulled them apart. Now, Compay must bridge the gap of time and pain that has grown between his friends.

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RUBÉN - The Fastest Hands in Cuba 1958 - Picasso on the Keys 1996 - Rubén was the kind of pianist who comes along once a generation—in Buena Vista’s heyday, Compay called him “the reason God invented the piano.” But, with a failing memory, can he follow the voices of old friends back to the music they once shared?

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STUDENT MATINEE MISSION

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ provides a unique cultural and artistic platform that will greatly enrich the educational experience for middle and high school students throughout New York City.

By offering an arts education program through our partners with the New York Department of Education and The Situation Project, students and teachers will have the opportunity to explore the historical and cultural significance of the Cuban, Hispanic and Afro-Caribbean culture and history that is at the heart of BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™. Our programming will also provide a chance for students to develop critical musical skills while engaging directly with a Broadway show, perhaps for the first time ever. The vibrant rhythms, improvisational elements and storytelling traditions of Cuban music will foster creativity and a cross-cultural understanding that will give students a deeper connection to global artistic movements.

For more information on the Buena Vista Social Club™ Matinee Mission program and how you can help support, please email Situation Project at sberger@situationinteractive.com.

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

Omega, Amy & David Abrams, Darnell Ladson, Phileona Foundation, Joanna Muzeja, Lakey Wolff Co., Marie Quintana, Erin Coomer, Jorge Madruga, Eli S. Weiss, Education Through Music, Rosanmi Campbell

Learn More

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™: The Road to Broadway
is a captivating new series that takes you from the heart of Cuba to the Broadway stage. Meet the living legends who inspired the new musical BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ and the cast and creative team bringing their stories to life in NYC—all set to some of the greatest music ever written.

EPISODE 1:

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Legendary bandleader Juan de Marcos González welcomes the team behind Broadway’s BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ to Cuba, launching an unforgettable journey to meet the real people whose stories inspired this new Broadway musical.

EPISODE 2:

ELIADES

Eliades Ochoa, a titan of Cuban music and one of the world’s finest guitarists, invites the team behind Broadway’s BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ into his home. As Eliades weaves a rich tapestry of story and song, book writer Marco Ramirez feels a deepening connection to his Cuban roots.

EPISODE 3:

BARBARITO

Larger-than-life and endlessly charming, original BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ band member Barbarito Torres welcomes the Broadway team to his Havana home. As the world-renowned musician begins to strum his laúd, family members join in, culminating in a spontaneous and unforgettable performance.

EPISODE 4:

EGREM STUDIOS

Juan de Marcos González and Barbarito Torres return to EGREM studios, where the GRAMMY®-winning BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ album was recorded nearly 30 years ago. The music and memories they share bring the spirit of this storied space to vivid life.

EPISODE 5:

THE SOCIAL CLUB

Juan de Marcos González takes the Broadway team to the original site of the BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™. When renowned percussionist and Buena Vista alum Amadito Valdés performs with his band, the long-silent building erupts with the joyous energy of its heyday.

EPISODE 6:

CASA DE OMARA

“The Road to Broadway” concludes with a reunion years in the making. Omara Portuondo, the legendary singer whose life inspired the musical, hosts a gathering of fellow original BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ members—a poignant reminder that the best Broadway musicals are ultimately about human relationships.

EPISODE 7:

Chan Chan

“My whole life, I’ve only wanted to play this song in the best way possible.”

Join the company of Broadway’s BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ in the studio as they record “Chan Chan,” the celebrated single from the GRAMMY^® Award-winning album. With its captivating melody, poetic lyrics, and evocative rhythm, “Chan Chan” stands as a touchstone of Cuban music—a defining anthem of the nation.

EPISODE 8:

CANDELA

“We have to keep giving all our fire to ‘Candela.’” Sensational Cuban musician Hery Paz says “Candela” is “part of his DNA.” Maybe that’s why every time the Broadway company of BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ gets to the flute solo, Paz is able to improvise—a sizzling solo as thrilling as it is surprising. A musical expression straight from the heart that transports him and his fellow band members back to Cuba. “I will never tire of trying to do something new each time I play it.”

EPISODE 9:

SILENCIO

“You have to work to get the audience in your pocket—they have to be in your story, in the music.”

Associate Music Director and guitarist David Oquendo honed his style and craft with guidance from his Havana neighbor—original Buena Vista Social Club member, Compay Segundo. In this episode, Oquendo discusses leading the Broadway band onstage, capturing the “sophisticated, pure” sound of Cuban music, and holding an audience in the palm of his hand.