Quien Mato a Hector Lavoe?
Sounni de Fontenay
Quien Mato a Hector Lavoe? (Who Killed Hector Lavoe?) - A Musical Play<
By: DJ "Crazy" Eddie Gutierrez
Quien Mato a Hector Lavoe? is a musical play on the life of the most
controversial salsa artist of our time: Mr. Hector Lavoe. The play takes
us through the key points in Hector's life and seeks to give an
explanation to the undying question of: ¿Who Killed Hector Lavoe?
In casting for the role of Hector Lavoe the producers choose the
incomparable Domingo Quinones. Domingo is an internationally renowned
salsa singer known for singles like "Tu Como Estas," "No Voy A Dejarte
Ir," "Se Necesita Un Milagro" and many more. Domingo's skills as a sonero
make him the perfect match for playing the late salsa legend.
Domingo is joined by an ensemble cast of actors whose backgrounds include
everything from professional dancing, Broadway, films and commercials.
The cast included: Nadeen Gautier, Bruno Izarry, Micheal Rameriez, Marcelo
Rodriguez, Ray Rodriguez Rosa, Claudette Sierra, Fulvia Vergel, Pablo
Cabrera. Musical direction by Oscar Hernandez (Capeman) and Musical
Supervision by El Maestro, Johnny Pacheco.
As one could imagine with such a small cast each actor assumes virtually a
new role in each scene. As an audience member you must use your
imagination and follow the storyline as it progresses. The play does a
great job of taking you through a journey as it goes back and forth
between the story and the music.
The play begins with Hector in Puerto Rico in the early 1960's where we
find that Hector's father didn't wish for his son to become a singer and
much less leave Puerto Rico to pursue a career in New York, but Hector
disobeys his father's plea and goes to New York to live with his sister.
We are then taken through Hector's struggles of trying to make it and
eventually to his stardom with Willie Colon and a soloist. The story all
the while shows the little things that would finally lead to the singers
downfall.
At first I thought the story was leading to the drugs as the answer to the
question: ¿Who Killed Hector Lavoe?, but as the play continued the
answer continuously changed. Was it the death of his son? Was it his
depression over the loss of his son? Was it his failed suicide attempt?
These are all things that we were shown as pivotal points in Hector's life
but in the end the root of it all was the FAME (la FAMA). 'Cause if it
were not for the fame he would have never come across many of the
situations that he was faced with.
The play was beautifully put together and coupled with music was a great
attempt at showing us the life of: El Cantante de los Cantantes. The play
also does a superb job of portraying Hector as he really was: cynically
humorous.
¿Quien Mato Hector Lavoe? gets 5 stars for its ability to make the
audience member feel Hector's joys and pains and for giving a better
understanding of the very complicated life that the singer had. It will
make you laugh, it will make you proud, it make you cry but most of all it
will make you think. Kudos to the cast and especially to Domingo Quinones
for making this play a true success!
You can catch ¿Quien Mato Hector Lavoe? at the Puerto Rican
Traveling Theatre on 304 West 47th Street (off 8th Avenue) in New York
City from July 8 thru Sept 30 1999 .
Performances:
Tues. - Fri.: 8PM
Saturday: 7PM & 10PM
Sunday: 3PM & 7:30 PM
For Tickets:
Box Office: 212/265-1086
Telecharge: 212/239-6200
Info: 212/581-8400 (DME)
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Copyright © 1999 Tag It
ariana hernandez-reguant
>Quien Mato a Hector Lavoe? (Who Killed Hector Lavoe?) - A Musical Play<
>
>
>Traveling Theatre on 304 West 47th Street (off 8th Avenue) in New York
>City from July 8 thru Sept 30 1999 .
>
>Performances:
>Tues. - Fri.: 8PM
>Saturday: 7PM & 10PM
>Sunday: 3PM & 7:30 PM
>
>For Tickets:
>Box Office: 212/265-1086
yes, it sounds really good, but it is also really
expensive. i called for tickets a few weeks ago,
and they told me they cost around 40 dollars.
something like that. no rush tickets, no student/
senior discounts, nothing. the only discounts
are for groups of more than 15 people...
i may not be very accurate with the figures,
but i found it to be expensive. i know it is
new york city, but this community theater should
be more sensitive toward the people they portray
and the people they address, many of whom cannot
swing 40 dollars a piece to see a play.
so i decided not to go.
ariana