Maru Prado Conti: This is Gaga Tribute Concert

[Gary R. Beck]

Maru Prado Conti

This is Gaga Tribute Concert

María Eugenia Prado Conti is 34 Years old from Rosario, Argentina. She has performed in Broadway show musicals in Buenos Aires. Maru is vocal coach and operates a company named "Tu Experiencia Broadway" where students from Iberoamérica travel for fifteen days to NY and train in singing, dancing and performing with coaches and stars from Broadway. She has developed a name for her tribute to Lady Gaga worldwide. Maru had arranged this personal musical in Mexico City right before it succumbed to the pandemic, so why not a trip to entertain theater-goers in Puerto Vallarta? 

A dual montage of videos shown on the two screens. Clips of Lady Gaga in various outfit styles displayed her dressed at many awards shows. Which one is her best? Lady Gaga [Maru] appeared onstage, celebrating her birthday, with an enthusiastic "Poker Face", exclaiming "Don't be a drag. Just be a queen." Two slender skilled dancers, Alex Moran and Carlos Duque, in royal blue and white circled her adorned in a sparkly silver and white bodysuit. They danced in impressive choreography, joined by Damian Mateo. Multifaceted, she is a singer, dancer, actress and vocal coach. There are many costume changes, several done onstage with her dancers in assistance, and she sings in her own voice.   

Maria decided to create this show out of respect for Lady Gaga as one of the most multi-talented entertainers of our time. Maria admires Gaga for her amazing singing, songwriting, dancing and acting. She has wide support of the LGBTQ community, her lyrics express feelings and thoughts of those who suffer bullying and discrimination but encourage them to live freely as deserved. A thumping "Born This Way" portrayed words of self-confidence and pride in who and what you are. 

"Telephone" rings but she pleads to be left alone with her drink and the dance floor. The lady never stops; cannot even text the caller. As if anyone in attendance needed to be told, "Just Dance". "Spin that record, gonna be okay." Move after move, some never seen before, kept the room humming and moving. The audience adored her as a person, a performer and an artist. "Edge of Glory" is right where Lady Gaga is situated, for a long lasting effect on our generation of singers.

She touched delightful with the love ballad "Speechless". The lady can hit your heart strings with full vocals along with her dynamic dance tunes. The video screens showed marching men in black, almost like soldiers revealing her in a bizarre black costume. It was the video for "Alejandro" and wild and sexual it was. Maru included the smash hit to acknowledge where she is standing: "You know that I love you boy. Hot like Mexico, rejoice."

The show takes short breaks, for costume changes and perhaps catching a breath. Following, "Judas" whom she loves but wants to bring down and what she lives for is "Applause" which was next. She has the ability to take any composition from the icon and become her inside her being. Which one is which? Her dedication to this lady is profound and she has mastered the task. She gave a strong performance of the Oscar-winning "Shallow" from "A Star is Born". Tonny Kenneth dueted with her. 

It was pleasurable to chart the flowing curve of her vocals.

Wearing the signature pink hat, she sang the stunning "Million Reasons", accompanying herself on the piano. From the same movie, she gave everyone a resounding song about having so many reasons to leave but needing only one reason to stay. "Always Remember Us This Way" summed up her feelings. As she played off to the side area, two of her dancers, also in delicate pink, performed an acrobatic dance of love. It was stunning and delightful. Tonight was a visual trip.

Lady Gaga has ventured into jazz with Tony Bennett "Cheek to Cheek" and country/pop music "Joanne", although these genres were not examined tonight. The video medley continued jumping into a riotous "Perfect Illusion". Still photos off celebrities marked the dilemma of 'is it real or fake'. "911": "My biggest enemy is me. Pop a 911."

"Did you have fun? Me, too!" Maru signaled the end of the evening is approaching and she and her dancers broke loose with "Bad Romance". The driving beat, rapid movements on stage and the surging song lyrics were bursting with energy: "I want your love and I want your revenge. You and me could write a bad romance."  She graciously thanked her team and then reprised the tune with most of the crowd on their feet. Floor flashes. She said she loved her premier at The Palm Cabaret and hopes word is spread for her next three shows and a return in the upcoming season. She owns an impressive professional demeanor. "Dancin' In Circles."

Maru wrote, "Nostalgia, emotion, joy, sadness...there is no day when some song doesn't steal a tear remembering so many things lived".

marupra...@hotmail.com

Find more photos on my Facebook Shows page below.

The Palm Cabaret

Olas Altas 508  

Zona Romántica - Southside, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
21st Anniversary Season      
Tickets:  www.ThePalmCabaret.com

322-222-0200/322-182-9656

The box office is open from 10 am - 10 pm.

Gary R. Beck   
Puerto Vallarta, JAL.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PuertoVallartaShows 

Puerto Vallarta OldTown/SouthSide

A note from The Palm Cabaret management:  SAFETY FIRST, ENTERTAINMENT ALWAYS We have installed a new retractable roof for air flow and five new air filtration systems to take out old air and bring in fresh cool air. Patrons are protected by Plexiglas shields in front and on the sides of their personal seating area which is at minimum three meters from the stage. We have limited our capacity to sixty guests per show. Masks must be worn to your seats and to the restrooms. Masks may be removed upon entering your private Plexiglas area.

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