A Night at Buena Vista Social Club: My NYC Birthday Weekend at the New Broadway Musical
For my thirty-sixth birthday last month, my husband got tickets to the new Broadway show Buena Vista Social Club set in Havana, Cuba. The play is inspired by the album Buena Vista Social Club, recorded in 1966 by a group of Cuban musicians playing the songs that were performed in the Buenavista Social Club, a members-only Havana nightclub for working-class Afro-Cubans in 1940s and ‘50s Cuba. Buena Vista tells the imagined story of the artists behind the album before their fame, and gathering them again in the ‘90s to record the songs they sang together in the club. It came highly recommended by Margarita Diaz, a writer from New York known as Diverse in the City on Instagram, whom I connected with online and became friends with offline. She loved the musical so much that she saw it four times. We rented a room in a small Marriott hotel in Times Square and counted the days until our weekend getaway. Again, following Margarita's recommendation, we made a reservation at Guantanamera, a Cuban restaurant in Manhattan near the theater where we’d catch the show. Margarita and I made plans to meet there for dinner—the first time we’d see each other in person outside of a few FaceTime calls.
Photo Credit: Alberto Gonzalez
I didn’t know much about Buena Vista Social Club, just that the score was all in Spanish, a first for a Broadway show. I learned that Lin-Manuel Miranda was one of the producers, and I was immediately excited to watch it. The man is a national treasure, and he’s Puerto Rican! Nothing gets my son Sebastian more hyped than hearing a Moana song. Albert is a huge hip-hop head and really liked Hamilton even though he’s normally not a fan of musicals. He hates Broadway music, so I worried he would be bored with Buena Vista. I’m still haunted by the memory of him falling asleep in the movie theater watching Les Misérables (at my request) for our one-year anniversary when we were dating. But once the band started playing on stage, opening the musical act with their instruments, I didn’t have to worry. Buena Vista was like nothing we’d ever heard before on Broadway: authentic live salsa. He was all in. Because of its amazing musicality and Spanish melodies, the whole production felt like a party. It was impossible not to dance in our seats to the beats. The diverse audience was also immersed, clapping and shouting, in awe of the musicians’ and singers’ prowess. I’d never experienced that before. I didn’t get swept away by the story, but that’s okay. It was about the music.
Photo Credit: Alberto Gonzalez
After the show, we met up with Margarita, her husband, and their son for dinner. Going from the play straight to the Cuban restaurant was the perfect segue. I knew from Margarita that a live salsa band would perform that night at 8:30, but with our reservation at 5:30, we would miss it. Stepping into Guantanamera, you instantly melt into the intimate vibe they’ve created with the dim lighting, beautiful murals, and Spanish music playing overhead. The hostess promptly led us back to our table. The music on the speakers grew louder the faster we approached our seats near the empty, tiny stage, masking the conversations of the tables close by. I pored over the menu, wavering between the Cuban sandwich and arroz con pollo. I chose the latter. Albert and I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so when my meal arrived, I forgot to take a picture. We also ordered empanadas as appetizers, and that was delicious, too. We talked about the musical (Margarita pointing out that you normally don’t see the band, but in Buena Vista, they’re on stage), our different cultures, and how we met our spouses. The hours flew by. Albert even remarked that he felt like he was at one of his family parties. Before I knew it, the four-man salsa band was assembling in front of us, and Margarita and her husband were the first to tear up the dance floor. Eventually, more couples abandoned their tables, forcing the waiters, juggling plates, to sashay through the tight space. We were having such a good time that we didn’t leave until 10:30.
We said goodbye to Margarita and her family before walking down 9th Avenue at her suggestion to see more restaurants and things. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t been to New York in a few years—maybe since the pandemic—but all day I was taken aback by the throng of people in the streets and how quickly we had to move. I don’t think I ever noticed before how people just walk through each other there. I was impressed with the women in short dresses and bare legs, while I, in a sweater and jeans, longed for some earmuffs. Albert wanted to get a famous New York glizzy, so he bought a hot dog off the street cart, and we smoked a joint in Times Square at midnight. The whole day felt like we were in our own members-only club, celebrating with the food and music we grew up listening to. The feeling I had walking out of Buena Vista was the same one I felt by the night’s end: Joy.
Photo Credit: Alberto Gonzalez
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