The story of immigrants who find success after leaving their country is well known, but what happens to those who decide to stay? That’s the premise of a new musical that is making its world premiere in Miami. Well, Coral Gables actually.
The show, “Havana Music Hall,” opens this weekend at Actor’s Playhouse, and it’s a critical stop in a journey that creator, Richard Kagan, hopes will land it on Broadway.
For the past week, the show has been in previews, and the response from the audience has been overwhelming positive, says Kagan.
“People are connecting with this show in a way I’ve never seen,” says Kagan, whose multiple hats include serving not only as the show’s creator, composer and lyricist, but also as its backer, having spent $2 million of his own money to bring the show to this pivotal point.
Set in Cuba in 1958, the show tells the fictional story of Rolando and Ramona Calderon, owners of the popular Havana Music Hall. They are on the cusp of stardom, until their career –and their lives – are upended by the Cuban revolution. Now, 60 years later, they are living with the aftermath of their devastated music hall –and their dreams.
Kagan found his inspiration years ago, when he became fascinated by “The Buena Vista Social Club,” the 1999 award-winning documentary about a group of legendary Cuban musicians making their first tour outside their country.
“I fell in love with these great musicians, who had ended up doing things like shining shoes, so I went on a quest to meet them. Their stories stuck with me, and inspired me to write this musical for all immigrants,” says Kagan.
To help him create the show’s story, Kagan picked up a top-notch team along the way, including Carmen Pelaez, performer and author of the one-woman show, “Rum and Coke,” who wrote the book, and, as choreographer and director Maria Torres, known to Actor’s Playhouse audiences for helming “Four Guys Named Jose una Mujer Named María.”
But Torres is best known as the associate choreographer of “On Your Feet,” the smash hit musical about that real life couple with Cuban roots, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, whose families left Cuba, and who found great success in the U.S. As both these shows are musicals that showcase the Cuban experience, there are doubtlessly going to be comparisons, Kagan acknowledges.
“’On Your Feet,’ is their amazing story of Gloria and Emilio’s success, their struggles, and all the barriers they broke. Our story is different –we tell the story about what happens to people who don’t immigrate and don’t necessarily succeed, and what they went through,” says Kagan.
Also, while Kagan wants to take nothing away from “On Your Feet,” indeed, he notes, “I love the music,” that show is known as a “juke box musical,” for its use of Estefan hits, while his show boasts an original score, featuring songs including “Escape to Havana,” “Place of My Birth,” “Todo Es Bueno en Cuba,” and “I Have My Voice.”
Although this is his first show, Kagan, who is married to actress Julie Hagerty (“Airplane,”), is, at the age of 72, no Broadway newcomer. Indeed, his show business roots go back to when he was a young pianist working in the Poconos of Pennsylvania, and started writing music with Marvin Hamlisch, who he became lifelong best friends with, serving as co-producer of several Hamlisch shows, including “The Goodbye Girl” and “Smile,” as well as the non-Hamlisch show, “Leader of the Pack.”
Kagan also kept on writing music, writing pop songs with legends like Hal David and, with Michael Jay, creating music that has been performed by symphonies “At one of the previews, a woman came up to me, humming songs from the show, and we don’t have a CD,” says Kagan.
But, above all, Kagan, who is Jewish, says he wants to create a show that will capture the experience of what happens to people when they are faced with oppression – not only those who leave their countries, but also those who chose not to as well.
“Many of the people who stay behind do so because they believe its temporary. You’ll find those elements in Venezuela, in Cuba, and also in Germany during World War II. It’s about the power of the homeland, the power of family –and the power of music."
As for why he chose Actor’s Playhouse, Kagan says it’s the
perfect venue. “(Maria) Torres had
worked at Actor’s Playhouse before, and felt the size of the house –600
seats—was the perfect size for our show to start. The area of Miracle Mile is hot, and the
people of Coral Gables have really embraced us,” he says.
“Havana Music Hall,” runs through Nov. 18 at Actor’s Playhouse, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, Fla., 33134. Performances are Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., with select Wednesday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets, $30-$75. Call 305-444-2923. www.actorsplayhouse.org
