'Celia' Closes 5/25 To Prepare For World Tour

Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz, the Off-Broadway musical celebrating "The Queen of Salsa" Celia Cruz, will end its New York run at New World Stages on Sunday, May 25th, 2008, to shift the focus to its anticipated world tour, it was announced by the show's producers Henry Cardenas and David Maldonado.   Celia began previews on August 28, 2007 and officially opened on September 26, 2007.  When it closes, Celia will have played a total of 25 previews and 269 regular performances.

 During its successful nine month run, Celia (which features performances in both English and Spanish) attracted an exuberant, eclectic and bountiful audience, quickly becoming a "crossover" sensation and was one of the undisputed theatrical successes of the season.

"It's never easy to end a show, especially one this special," said Henry Cardenas, Producer of Celia and Chief Executive Officer of CMN. "My hat's off to the cast, the crew and the audiences, who night after night helped bring Celia back to life in such a magical way."

"While we are ending our New York engagement for now, we're thrilled to take Celia to different parts of the world, where we hope fans of 'The Queen of Salsa' will create the same genuine setting that we enjoyed at the New World Stages."  

Celia, which had been scheduled to end December 31, 2007, was extended due to ticket demand, is preparing to embark on a world tour that includes visits to Spain, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico and several U.S. cities including Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and Boston, among others. Dates and venues will be announced in the near future.