Interview: Robert M. Jimenez of BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB at The Fox Theatre

The first national tour of BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB will make its Atlanta premiere at the Fox Theatre October 27 through November 1 as part of the 2026/2027 Regions Bank Broadway in Atlanta season. Inspired by the artists who recorded the landmark album, the musical takes audiences on a journey through music and memory into the heart of Havana, telling a story of big dreams, second chances, and music that transcends language. The production features a book by Marco Ramirez, direction by Saheem Ali, and choreography by Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck. BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB received five Tony Awards, including a Special Tony Award for the musicians who make up the show’s band, and its Original Broadway Cast Recording received the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. 

For Robert M. Jimenez, whose family roots trace back to Cuba, working on BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB has become deeply personal. During our conversation, he reflected on hearing the songs he once sang with his father and on the unexpected journey that led him to this production. As he put it, “As a full-grown adult, it makes me feel like a kid again.” 

Ahead of the Atlanta engagement, I caught up with Jimenez, who plays legendary Cuban pianist Rubén González and understudies the roles of Ibrahim and Compay. We talked about his journey into theatre, the experiences that shaped his career, his connection to the music at the heart of BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, and the real-life experiences he draws upon to portray Rubén. 

BWW: Robert, thank you so much for taking time to chat. I’d love to hear a little more about your journey into the world of theatre. What first drew you to acting, and how did you get to where you are today? 

Robert M. Jimenez: It really starts with a few avenues. Thankfully, in elementary school, there was a small music program and a music teacher, and I really enjoyed her class. My father noticed that. She had started a little choral group, and I joined that and started singing. 

My pop was very hands-on. He believed fully in education and, more importantly, that the arts are also a wonderful resource with which to learn, grow, and experience many different things. Whether or not one ends up being a professional, he always felt that whatever your course of studies, or even if it was just a hobby, you may be surprised how it might inform your life at some point. 

I’m a first-generation American. My father’s father came from Cuba, and my dad was born in Santo Domingo. When I was a young man, there was a local park across the street from our apartment complex, and there was a bus and truck that came by with Shakespeare. Thanks to this bus and truck, I saw MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING and a handful of other Shakespearean plays. I thought it was amazing. 

My father found a summer camp called Stagedoor Manor, and there were a slew of mentors there. Shortly thereafter, I started doing musical plays like THE ME NOBODY KNOWS and RUNAWAYS. I ended up going to the Performing Arts High School in Manhattan, and I wasn’t able to go to my high school prom because I got my first job doing a few small roles in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING with Shakespeare & Company. It was an incredible thing, fresh out of high school, working with all these wonderful people. 

Years later, I was doing Shakespeare in the Park. I was in OTHELLO with Raul Julia and Christopher Walken. They were all wonderful and very giving. I loved watching how people created characters and followed through. 

I was fortunate to also work with Tony Randall’s National Actors Theatre. During INHERIT THE WIND, I went on for a week in a featured role, and before my first bow, George C. Scott gestured to me and said, “Great job, son.” I couldn’t believe it. 

A few years after that, I was doing a workshop, and one thing led to another. That particular piece became TAKE ME OUT, where I helped create the role of a Dominican baseball player. We eventually opened in London’s West End before bringing the show to Broadway. 

There are these incredible experiences and highs. Being financially stable is always recommended, but I think my life would be less than without so many of these experiences. 

Let’s fast-forward now to BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB. Some readers may know the original album or documentary but may not be familiar with the musical. How would you describe the show, and what can audiences expect? 

The thing that I love about this play, besides the familial and personal connections to the music itself, is that a lot of these songs from BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, the documentary, were old Cuban classics. Folks in Cuba and the Caribbean would know the songs. 

A young record producer named Juan De Marcos got this groundbreaking idea that he was going to go to Cuba and see if he could round up a few of the original artists who sang these incredible songs. Timing and good fortune were definitely shining upon him because he was able to get some funding, and it wasn’t all smooth sailing, which we see a little bit of in the play. Eventually, he succeeds. These are artists who were friends in their youth, had some success, and lived and died playing music, singing, and performing. 

The play is really set right before the Cuban Revolution happens, so you get a little hint of that and what might have been some of the challenges with folks staying and leaving. But overall, the play itself focuses more on the music and the people. We give you a brief overview of what’s happening at the time, but that is not the sole focus. 

Doing this play with a full-on band playing Cuban music is such a thrill and a gift to me, especially with the connections to my father. He and I would sing the songs before he passed, shortly after the documentary was released. He would tell me all these incredible stories about these wonderful musicians, and here I am in rehearsal in New York, part of the first national tour of BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB. 

As a full-grown adult, it makes me feel like a kid again. I’ve been learning so much from the musicians and the dancers. Overall, it is really a celebration of not just Cuban music, but of humanity and people, with some joyous dance and some songs that can be incredibly uplifting and heartbreaking all at once. It really touches on everything. 

I was watching the version on Broadway and seeing the diversity in the audience, with some folks slowly realizing, “Hey, I can move a little bit. This is infectious.” It was truly magical. That’s the experience you want in any genre of theatre that you’re doing. 

Tell us about Rubén González. Who is he, and how do you approach playing him? 

The brief arc of him, some of it was taken from his real life, and again, they took some artistic license. We meet Rubén in Act One, and by this point, he’s no longer physically able to play the piano. He walks with a cane, and thankfully, his best friend, Compay Segundo, is pretty much his caretaker. 

As was told to me by some of the musicians who really know the story, for a time, Rubén was considered like a Picasso on the keys in Cuba for all types of music. He could pretty much play any genre. As he got older, he had some rough patches, and he stopped playing the piano. 

What they’ve given this man is a form of advanced age, perhaps dementia; you can call it what you will. My point of reference for something like that is my mom, who had Parkinson’s, and her mom, who had Alzheimer’s. I use a blend of the things I had seen in them as these challenging medical issues progressed. 

I think it’s an opportunity for anyone who has a loved one like that. They get a little bit of a magical ending in that, too. We see Rubén come out again, and he’s visiting the studio as if he was drawn by a memory he can’t really latch on to. He hears a bit of music that Juan De Marcos found, some old recordings of his and of the groups that he wanted to re-record in the ’90s, and it sparks something in Rubén. Finally, he follows, and he can play the piano just a bit. It is such a moving moment. 

As you bring the show to Atlanta, what do you hope stays with audiences after they experience BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB? 

The characters of Compay Segundo and Omara Portuondo have their younger counterparts, which I thought was a lovely, genius move because you really get to have an idea of what they may have been like in their youth, creating what would eventually become classics that would bring joy to folks literally all over the world. 

The band is truly incredible. Our conductor, Nicholas, is amazing. The artistic team, the directorial team, and the team that worked on the choreography are all incredible artists. They’ve helped create and make sure that although some of us are playing real characters, they all have a touch of actual humanity to go with the pomp and circumstance. 

I hope that the audiences in Atlanta will really, really enjoy themselves. I’ve had some people tell me, “I don’t speak any Spanish at all.” Halfway through, after their ears got used to the singing in Spanish, it was amazing. They didn’t really need to know the words. They could feel the emotion. 

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB plays the Fox Theatre October 27 through November 1 as part of the 2026/2027 Regions Bank Broadway in Atlanta season. Tickets are available at the Fox Theatre box office at 660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308 and by visiting foxtheatre.evenue.net/events/BVS or by calling 855-285-8499. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by contacting sales@foxtheatre.org. Performances are Tuesday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, October 30 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 31 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Lead Photo: Robert M. Jimenez

Top Photo: The North American Tour company of Buena Vista Social Club, photo by Matthew Murphy

Mid Photo 1:Destinee Jimenez and Armando Brydson in the North American Tour company of Buena Vista Social Club, photo by Matthew Murphy

Mid Photo 2:San Miguel Pérez, Roisel Suárez and Joaquín Sosa in the North American Tour company of Buena Vista Social Club, photo by Matthew Murphy

Mid Photo 3:Karmine Alers (right), Irving Aday O’Connor (seated at piano), Jaleel Battles Jr. and Isabel Gonzalez (center), photo by Matthew Murphy

Mid Photo 4:Isabel Gonzalez in the North American Tour company of Buena Vista Social Club, photo by Matthew Murphy