IN THE HEIGHTS Performer Salgado Choreographs 'Salsa Gorda' - The Play

Luis Salgado who currently plays "Jose" in the Tony Award winning musical In The Heights is not only beginning rehearsals as a coach and Latin Assistant choreographer for the first National Tour of In The Heights, which is scheduled to go out on the road in October, but is also working as the choreographer for Salsa Gorda the play.

The multifaceted artist has been in rehearsals for the past week and a half for this new production of Nueva Escena's, lead by actor producer Modesto Lacén last seen in Celia the Musical.

"Nueva Escena's mission is to contribute towards the preservation and progress of our culture while providing work opportunities to established and emerging talent. Nueva Escena works to create and produce profound and provocative theater that presents modern and universal themes from the perspective of Hispanics/Latinos in a global society," explains Lacén.

Nueva Escena arrives in New York from Puerto Rico with a respectable roster of professional credits: The Little Prince (Antoine De Saint-Exupery, Yepeto (Roberto Cossa ), Art (Yasmina Reza), The Coyotes (Jorge González), and Salsa Gorda (José Luis Rámos Escobar).

Luis recent choreography credits include the musical Serenade that earned him an HOLA award for best choreography, Shafrika The White Girl (Jaradoa Theater), and co-directed/choreographed the original show Mezcla in Peru. Luis is now making the story of Salsa Gorda come alive in this production that includes 3 leads and 7 ensemble members.

Salsa Gorda is a story about Puerto Rico in the 1980s, where photographer Daniel Cuevas and the young aristocrat Marimé, as told by their journalist friend Luis, after Daniel's death from AIDS. Marked by infidelity and class differences this love affair drives a plot line that is interlaced and permeated with the sounds of Salsa. More than simply providing a soundtrack to the play, the music allows us to delve into the psychology of the characters.

Salsa Gorda starts performances September 26 at 8pm and runs until October 4th with Cast: Modesto Lacén, Laura Butler, Jorge Dieppa And MARIANA CARDENAS, HOLLY CLARK, CINDYA DAVIS, Michael Fielder, JOAMER GONZÁLEZ, TAMARA VAN LEEUWEN, JOSÉ-LUIS LOPEZ.

Production Credits: Director- Mario Colón, Playwright- Dr. José Luis Ramos Escobar, Choreography - Luis Salgado, Photography- Migdalia Luz Barnes Vera, Video - Jorge "Fish" Rodriguez, The Assistants to the choreographer are Afra Hines (In The Heights) and Heather Hogan as SM (In The Heights).

For more information visit: (www.salsagordatheplay.com).