Musicians taking centre stage on Broadway is nothing new. In recent years, artists like David Byrne and Bruce Springsteen have transformed the Broadway stage into long-running residencies. Scripted productions about real and imagined musicians, like MJ The Musical (about the life and music of Michael Jackson) or the play Stereophonic, have been awarded Tony’s, and have seen successful runs on the New York stage.
As we speak, not only is MJ on Broadway, but there’s also shows about Bobby Darin (Just In Time) and Alicia Keys (Hell’s Kitchen), while the music of ABBA continues to be celebrated in a revival of Mamma Mia! And tickets to all these shows are available through The Broadway Collection.
One of the newest additions to that list is Buena Vista Social Club, which opened its Broadway production at the Schoenfeld Theatre in March. It’s a show based around the making of the 1997 album of the same name, featuring its distinct and much-lauded authentically Cuban music. It’s a story we’ve also seen explored in the 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary of the same name, from director Wim Wenders.
It’s a production that effortlessly switches between two time periods, and a number of Havana locations – including a recording studio and the original Club that gives the show its title. It achieves this thanks to some ingenious stage design, choreography, and phenomenal performances. And accompanying those performances, is a live band that truly blow the roof off the venue every show.
Similar to earlier Broadway productions like Once and Come From Away, the band sit on stage for the majority of the show, with the conductor amongst them. They are characters themselves, pulling you into the world, telling a beautiful story, while playing some of the best live music you’re going to hear in your next visit to NYC. As good as it is as a narrative – enough that it won five Tony Awards this year – it’s in the quality of the inclusive concert that makes it one of the hottest tickets in town.
And its vocal stars are sensational. Natalie Venetia Belcon is sublime as the elder Omara Portuondo, whose real life story sits at the centre of the production. She has been playing the character since the show started Off-Broadway in 2023. The younger Omara is played impressively by Isa Antonetti – her voice is a stand out of the show. Isa came on board for the 2025 Broadway run, following Kenya Browne’s stint in the role Off-Broadway.
Most of the rest of the cast also play real life musicians, such as Ibrahim Ferrer (played by Mel Semé & Wesley Wray), Rubén González (played by Jainardo Batista Sterling & Leonardo Reyna), Eliades Ochoa (played by Renesito Avich) and Juan de Marcos González (played by Justin Cunningham). This is, after all, a show about an ensemble album, and every character in the show will find their way into the audience’s hearts.
And that includes the band, who are an integral part of the story. Nothing would work if they weren’t amongst the best musicians in the business. And they are, bringing the joy and energy you can hear on the original record to life on that stage. Outside of seeing the artists on which the characters are based (many are still alive!), they put forward as faithful a performance of this music as you’re likely to ever see; a testament to which being the emotions many in the audience were experiencing hearing this music performed so faithfully. Even as someone who only knew some of the music, I was feeling that emotion too.
The music they’re playing is undeniably important to the people of Cuba, and those from countries of Spanish language descent. While the narrative of the show is in English, hearing these Spanish language songs on Broadway is something that is not lost on me, or its audience. It’s a rare thing to get to see and experience, especially in the current political climate. And it’s a story, and a soundtrack, treated with care and skill. The result is one of the best new Broadway shows in years.
Don’t miss this show while you have the chance. It’s the best concert you’ll see right now in New York City. And you have eight opportunities a week to see it.
Buena Vista Social Club tickets are available through The Broadway Collection.
For more details about the show, which is dark on Mondays, and enjoys two performances, including a Matinee, each Wednesday and Saturday, head to their official website. The show is performed at the Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W 45th St New York, NY 10036).
All Broadway production photos by Matthew Murphy. The author attended the matinee performance on 3rd September 2025, as a guest of The Broadway Collection.
