Cast and Creative Team Set For BAILE CONGREJERO at Pregones/PRTT

Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (Pregones/PRTT) (Artistic Director Rosalba Rolón) announced the full cast & creative team for Baile Cangrejero, directed by Associate Artistic Director Jorge B. Merced and featuring musical direction by Desmar Guevara. Performances begin October 23, 2025, for a strictly limited run through November 16, 2025, at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (304 W 47th St. New York, NY 10036). 

A gem of Pregones/PRTT’s original musical theater repertory, Baile Cangrejero is a vibrant stage celebration of Afro-Caribbean rhythm, poetry, and cultural pride. With the electrifying sounds of bomba, plena, and bolero, the production brings to life the timeless words of legendary poets like Luis Palés Matos, Julia de Burgos, Nicolás Guillén, and more.

Rooted in tradition yet boldly contemporary, Baile Cangrejero highlights deep connections across the rich and varied Afro-descendant musics, histories, and identities of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Peru. This high-energy theatrical concert for all audiences is both an homage and an invitation to feel, move, and remember through rhythm and verse.

“Baile Cangrejero has always held a special place in my heart,” said director Jorge B. Merced. “I first created it in 1991 as a joyful tribute to my own mixed heritage and to the working-class communities that shaped me. To bring it back now feels both like a homecoming and a celebration of all we’ve built together at Pregones/PRTT. I’m thrilled to restage it for our audiences with Anna Malavé and Cedric Leiba Jr., two extraordinary ensemble members who bring their own brilliance to this vibrant work. I’m especially honored to have master percussionist Anthony Carrillo return to the production, joined by outstanding musicians Camilo Molina and Alvaro Benavides under the musical direction of Desmar Guevara. It’s a joy to return to this piece and share its heartbeat with a new generation of artists and audiences.”

The cast of Baile Cangrejero will include Cedric Leiba Jr. (Parrots at the Pagoda) and Anna Malavé (Todo por amor). The musical ensemble will feature Desmar Guevara on Keyboard, Grammy Award nominee Anthony Carrillo on Percussion, Grammy Award winner (Best Latin Jazz Album) Camilo Molina on Drums, and Grammy Award nominee Alvaro Benavides on Bass. 

Baile Cangrejero will feature set design by Omayra Garriga Casiano (Mercado Libre), lighting design by Emmanuel Delgado (Parrots at the Pagoda), and costume design by Eliana Yost (Magnificas). Veraalba Santa (Parrots at the Pagoda) is the Assistant Director, and Jessica Moya (Parrots at the Pagoda) is the Production Manager. Brianna Guillén (Parrots at the Pagoda) will serve as Stage Manager, with Joyce Baez (The Desire of the Astronaut) as Assistant Stage Manager.