Review of: Celia

Celia subtitled "The Life and Music of Celia Cruz" opens with a slide show superimposed on the back of the set. As the onstage band plays the overture, the photos flip as if one were perusing an old photo album. They follow Celia's life chronologically from a 1925 birth in rural Cuba through adolescence to her early days as a band singer to her later years as "the Queen of Salsa" (with those fabulous wigs). It sets the tone for the show; which is a by-the numbers bio-drama brought alive throughout by Celia's indomitable spirit and her infectious songs.

The show starts out in a nursing home with Pedro Knight (the excellent Modesto Lacen), Celia's loyal and ultra-supportive husband recalling his life with Celia to his young male nurse (an amusing Pedro Capo). The vocally gifted young Celia while fighting off her conservative father's disapproval (yet having her mother's tacit approval) began singing in local contests often winning first prize; usually a cake. She made her breakthrough in 1950 with the renowned Cuban orchestra Sonora Matancera where she met Knight (who despite an initial shyness spent many years wooing her before she was won over). The rather staid book by Carmen Rivera and Candido Tirado becomes galvanized with Cuba's takeover by Fidel Castro. Touring in Mexico at the time, Cruz is somewhat apprehensive about Castro's new regime (although she is flattered that she is Fidel's favorite singer). Deciding her fortunes were really in America, she left for New York City to join Tito Puente's band. At the time of her mother's death during the height of her popularity, Castro refused to allow her back in Cuba to attend her mother's funeral. She became an avid anti-Castro crusader bringing many other displaced Cubans to her fan base. After a career lull, in the 1970's Cruz joined Johnny Pacheco and his Fania All Stars, a successful ensemble of salsa musicians. She hit a late career high in the 1990's winning several Grammys (both domestic and Latin) and was awarded the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton.

What keeps the show on track (especially in Act I) is the actress who plays Celia. Actually, there are two Celias. One is Selenis Leyva who plays the singer in the book narrative and the sensational Xiomara Laugart who plays the vocal Celia (a similar effect was taken several seasons ago in Love, Janis where two actresses played both sides of Janis Joplin; it's as if these women were too titanic for one actress to handle). Ms. Leyva is quite effective and at times very moving as Celia the woman; however she is no match for Ms. Laugart's performing Celia. She easily brings down the house with most of the numbers she has ("La Guarachera" is an Act I highlight) and often takes the sting out of the banal bromides that Knight exchanges with his Nurse ("Our relationship lasted so long because we were best friends").

If Act I is essentially the "life" of Cruz; Act II is the "music". It's really just a glorified concert. Ms. Laugart rips through one hit after another ("Guantanamera", "Canto a la Habana", "Oye Como Va") and one dazzling costume change after another (exceptional work from Haydee Morales). Unfortunately, Cruz's death (due a brain tumor) is depicted in an overwrought production number with everyone in white (i.e. Heaven) with strains of Donna Summer's "I Will Survive" in the background. But even this schmaltz cannot defeat the outrageous life force that was Celia Cruz and the show closes with a rousing "La Vida es un Carnaval". It's hard to fault a show this contagious and it's a good lead-in if one knows nothing about Cruz's life. In the end, it's a great showcase for Xiomera Luagart and Celia Cruz's songs. And I think Celia would not have wanted it any other way. Azucar !

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