New York’s Off-Broadway theater scene is adding a Hispanic touch to its lineup with the arrival of “Vida,” a new Latin musical premiering in the Big Apple that uses the genre of tragicomedy to reflect on the price of fame and the loss of identity in the entertainment industry.
The weight of the production—which will run for a limited engagement from June 18 to 21 at the Repertorio Español—rests on Colombian actress and singer Carolina Gaitán, who, for 90 minutes, is responsible for weaving the narrative together, accompanied only by a musician.
The artist emphasizes that during this show, which blends monologues and songs, she tells a story in which she plays “more than six characters,” and that “music is a fundamental part of it because it helps drive the narrative,” as do the props, costume changes, and variety of accents.
“The songs are part of the story, so let’s say it’s about bringing together dance, music, singing, and, of course, the performance,” he adds.
“Vida” tells the story of a young woman who, after leading a quiet life in the mountains of Colombia, decides to leave it all behind when she is discovered by international producers at an audition, “allowing herself to be lured by the allure of success.”
Throughout this transformation, in which she leaves her true self behind, the actress plays various characters, such as “Misericordita,” an 80-year-old woman from Medellín; the “gringo” producer who seduces her; a hotel doorman; a Mexican interviewer; and even Sarah Harrison, a mute American teenager.
This constant metamorphosis is brought to life for the audience through props—such as glasses and cigars—changes in his clothing, and a wide range of Cuban, American, Colombian, Argentine, Mexican, and Spanish accents.
Although the story begins with a young Colombian woman, Gaitán admits that his strongest emotional connection is with the Cuban woman into whom the character ultimately transforms.
“I went to Cuba to develop my character while I was playing La Lupe in the story of Celia Cruz,” recalls the actress who voiced Pepa Madrigal in the Disney animated film *Encanto*.
Since then, she has fallen in love with “the unique character of Cuba, its accent, its melancholy, and the flavor that defines it,” which is why she says she feels “completely fulfilled and happy” playing this woman.
For Gaitán, his real test was performing “Vida” in Miami, given the city’s large Cuban community.
“So I used to say, ‘If even one Cuban believes me, I’ve made it,'” the artist says with a laugh.
To make the play accessible to all audiences in New York, the performance will feature subtitles, which will be projected on stage.
It’s not the only play with Hispanic influences that can be enjoyed in New York: the classic *Romeo and Juliet* is being performed at the theater in Central Park, with the twist that the young lovers decide to carve out their own space and rebel against society by speaking exclusively in Spanish, while something similar happens in the musical ‘Buena Vista Social Club,’ whose dialogue is in English, but whose musical numbers are in Spanish.
Gaitán notes that this is a “wonderful moment for Latin culture” because the content being produced “is not just for a niche audience.”
“I think that also encourages us to start coming together, so that we’re not just confined to theaters where only Latinos go, but rather that we begin to open up that possibility and make that content appealing to everyone,” reported Agencia EFE.