Apr 24, 2007, 10:56 AM
Musical on Life of Celia Cruz Debuts This Fall (:scream
April 23, 2007
Nicole Ibarra
A musical based on the life of late Cuban singer, Celia Cruz, is scheduled to hit Off-Broadway this September.
Celia Cruz: The Musical, produced by David Maldonado and directed by Jaime Azpilicueta is "...a tribute to one of the most remarkable Latin artists that ever lived. Celia's contributions went beyond just music. Her charisma, passion and tireless energy on and off the stage inspired artists and fans alike. Her story is extraordinary, and one that deserves to be told," said Henry Cardenas, the show's executive producer.
The musical is scheduled to kick-off its world tour in New York in September 2007. The rest of the tour will include stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, and Washington D.C.
According to press releases, Celia Cruz: The Musical is the story of an artist's love for her country revealed through a musical life that spans for more than 60 years. Throughout her career, Ms. Cruz faces constant successes as well as challenges. As a young woman, she defies her father's opposition to become a singer and conspires with her mother to accomplish her dream. As her fame increases, so does the price of her success.
She shares her victories and disillusions with the love of her life, Pedro Knight, and dreams of one day returning to her country. However, that dream is challenged when she is denied a visa to visit her dying mother, and then realizes that she may never again return to her beloved Cuba.
Ms. Cruz, a seven-time Grammy Award winner, died July 16, 2003, of brain cancer in her late 70's.
Since her death there have been several tributes to the singer, including "My Name is/ Me llamo Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/ La vida de Celia Cruz" by Monica Brown, is a children's picture-book that illustrates her life.
According to the School Library Journal, "From its rhythmic opening, the first-person narrative dances readers through Cruz's youth in Havana, a childhood bounded by scents of nature and home, the sweet taste of sugar, and the sound of music. A singer from an early age, Cruz sang so continually that one of her teachers finally urged her to share her voice with the world. Thus encouraged, she entered competitions, undeterred when her racial heritage prevented her from competing - undeterred, even, when the advent of Castro's communist regime forced her to leave Cuba as a refugee. Positive even in exile, Cruz made New York City her own and took Miami by storm."
Source: HispanicBusiness.com © 2007. All rights reserved.
April 23, 2007
Nicole Ibarra
A musical based on the life of late Cuban singer, Celia Cruz, is scheduled to hit Off-Broadway this September.
Celia Cruz: The Musical, produced by David Maldonado and directed by Jaime Azpilicueta is "...a tribute to one of the most remarkable Latin artists that ever lived. Celia's contributions went beyond just music. Her charisma, passion and tireless energy on and off the stage inspired artists and fans alike. Her story is extraordinary, and one that deserves to be told," said Henry Cardenas, the show's executive producer.
The musical is scheduled to kick-off its world tour in New York in September 2007. The rest of the tour will include stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, and Washington D.C.
According to press releases, Celia Cruz: The Musical is the story of an artist's love for her country revealed through a musical life that spans for more than 60 years. Throughout her career, Ms. Cruz faces constant successes as well as challenges. As a young woman, she defies her father's opposition to become a singer and conspires with her mother to accomplish her dream. As her fame increases, so does the price of her success.
She shares her victories and disillusions with the love of her life, Pedro Knight, and dreams of one day returning to her country. However, that dream is challenged when she is denied a visa to visit her dying mother, and then realizes that she may never again return to her beloved Cuba.
Ms. Cruz, a seven-time Grammy Award winner, died July 16, 2003, of brain cancer in her late 70's.
Since her death there have been several tributes to the singer, including "My Name is/ Me llamo Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/ La vida de Celia Cruz" by Monica Brown, is a children's picture-book that illustrates her life.
According to the School Library Journal, "From its rhythmic opening, the first-person narrative dances readers through Cruz's youth in Havana, a childhood bounded by scents of nature and home, the sweet taste of sugar, and the sound of music. A singer from an early age, Cruz sang so continually that one of her teachers finally urged her to share her voice with the world. Thus encouraged, she entered competitions, undeterred when her racial heritage prevented her from competing - undeterred, even, when the advent of Castro's communist regime forced her to leave Cuba as a refugee. Positive even in exile, Cruz made New York City her own and took Miami by storm."
Source: HispanicBusiness.com © 2007. All rights reserved.