Review: BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center

Buena Vista Social Club is the latest in a long line of jukebox/biomusicals. This one in particular is set in Havana, Cuba from the 1950s to the 1990s. The story follows four prominent musicians. Over the course of their lives, they experienced the effects of communism and the rise of Fidel Castro, as well as their eventual collaboration in 1997 on the landmark album.

This show had its world premiere at Off-Broadway's Atlantic Theatre Company on November 17th, 2023. Due to high ticket sales, the production extended its run twice, eventually playing its final performance on January 28th, 2024. Buena Vista Social Club later opened on March 19th, 2025 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway. The production received 10 Tony Award nominations (including Best Musical) and went on to win the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

When it comes to jukebox/biomusicals, they’ve pretty much become a mainstay at this point. Although in recent years, quite a few of them have tried out different ideas to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack. That is certainly the case with this one. The story begins with Juan De Marcos González, a real-life Cuban bandleader who served as one of the show’s creative consultants, providing a bit of narration. When he approaches legendary singer Omara Portuondo with the chance to return to the recording studio, she finally reckons with her past. From there, we go back and forth between 1996 and 1956 like a very effective memory play.

The book by Marco Ramirez successfully accomplishes a lot with this approach. It manages to keep the two timelines evened out, funny when it needs to be, and emotional when it needs to be. When it comes to the songs, he uses a few of them in ways where even if you’re not well versed in Spanish, you still feel the themes they’re conveying in the scenes they’re placed in. This all results in quite a compelling book from Ramirez. Under the direction of Saheem Ali (who’s also credited for developing the show itself), the world he creates onstage truly makes the audience feel as if they’re in Havana. Everything is staged on Arnuflo Maldonado’s expertly designed set. Tyler Micoleau pulls off such dynamic lighting. Dede Ayite’s costumes truly give you the feel of the setting.

Just as the real Buena Vista Social Club is an ensemble group, this musical is very much an ensemble piece. Yet the emotional center of the story is Omara Portuondo. The audience follows her journey as she returns to the recording studio for the first in years while also confronting her past. Karmine Alers, who understudied Tony winner Natalie Venetia Belcon in the role on Broadway, gives a deeply felt performance overall. Although Isabel Gonzalez is also very strong as Young Omara in the flashback sequences. Other highlights of the cast include Mauro Castillo as Ibrahim Ferrer with Jaleel Battles, Jr. as his younger counterpart, Robert M. Jiménez as Rubén González with Irving Aday O’Connor as his younger counterpart, Frank Rodríguez as Compay Segundo with Aidan Olmo as his younger counterpart, Holiday as Juan De Marcos Ganzález, and Liana Morales as Omara’s sister, Haydee Portuondo.

For general audiences who may not be familiar with the real Buena Vista Social Club, I imagine some may be reluctant to even see this show for that reason. While understandable, it’s still important to approach these things with an open mind. The more rigid you are, the more you’ll be missing out on appreciating great works like this. Sure, there may be a few shows here and there one may have no interest in, but that’s perfectly natural. As someone who was largely unfamiliar with the real Buena Vista Social Club going in, I had a great time throughout. With terrific choreography by the husband and wife team of Patricia Delgado & Justin Peck and energetic orchestrations by Marco Paguia, you’ll certainly feel the rhythm from start to finish!

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