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July 30 Luis Salgado Choreographer reviews
LUIS SALGADO CHOREOGRAPHER REVIEWS
Reviews about Luis Salgado's Work in
"Shafrika The White Girl" and "SERENADE"  "who can watch anyone else when Anika is raising the rafters with that gospel-inflected voice of hers in "Glory, Glory," or enthusiastically shaking her booty -- appropriately enough, in the well-executed schoolyard chant, "Shake Ya Booty." Choreographed by Luis Salgado. - Variety "The biggest surprise is that “Ebony and Ivory” -choreographed by Luis Salgado- somehow manages to be effective and not too smarmy." - NYTimes "Shafrika was choreographed by Luis Salgado, and he is one to watch. The show really begins to find its way with the school-yard chant/dance “Shake Ya Booty,” where we begin to see the effect of Larsen’s mother’s choices on her when she’s outside the family. Salgado’s moves light the place up." - By Paul Cozby, About.com  Shafrika The White Girl "Yet when they sing "Ebony and Ivory," that dose of Paul McCartney treacle, the arrangement turns out to be so divine and (* Luis Salgado's) staging so purehearted that the moment transcends the utter corn of the song itself." - BackStage (*NOTE: the number was choreographed by Luis Salgado) "Shafrika only really comes alive when the ensemble bursts into a song and dance. The titular opening number is a tightly choreographed delight, while a riff-heavy rendition of “Ebony and Ivory” sung on a road trip is both funny and touching." - By Mark Peikert NYpress  Shafrika The White Girl "Particularly enjoyable are the choreography by Luis Salgado and vocal arrangement of Paul McCartney's "Ebony and Ivory" by Charlie Alterman." - NYtheatre.com David Gordon. More on the show: "High energy, fast pace, and true story telling make this new musical one worth seeing. The ensemble is tightly knit and has a clear connected performance with one another. The musical numbers are electric with gorgeous harmonies and surprising dance moves! This show has so much heart. A true and beautiful story of interracial adoption and the fight for integration at a time when our country knew little of either. Highly recommended!" "The opening number, which ingeniously parodied a hip-hop video, showcased her talented ensemble dancers (the “Sh-freaks”) and singers (the “Sh-chorus.”) I noticed that without meaning to, I was enjoying myself. " Luis worked last year with Jaradoa Theater in the production of Serenade:  Serenade Luis Salgado's "endlessly inventive staging" "What the show lacks in plotting depth, which is a lot, it makes up for in sheer energy and a fearless mix of musical and choreographic styles." "you're sure to feel for Thomas as he attends a dance party (snappily choreographed by Luis Salgado)" - Sandy MacDonald TheaterMania.com June 24 Luis Salgado in Movmnt MagazineHeightened Exposure: In The HeightsThursday, May 28, 2009 By Movmnt Magazine
When In The Heights opened Off-Broadway in the summer of 2007, no one could have guessed that it would move to Broadway and become one of the most popular hits of the season. After making the transfer, it’s clear that it exceeded everyone’s expectations and then some. Movmnt gets cozy with the hearts and souls of the show and finds out what gives this Tony Award winning Best Musical its pulsing beat.
The adage, “the show must go on” must have never encountered technical sound issues. But as In The Heights composer and breakthrough star, Lin-Manuel Miranda, walks on stage to address the antsy crowd, it is clear something is wrong. The set, which portrays a slice of the uptown neighborhood, Washington Heights, looks strangely inauthentic sans the vibrant fiesta of children, street vendors, and the boom-box soundtrack that greets cabs en route beyond 180th street. After an explanation and apology for an uncommon technical delay, he begins to fill the stage with the needed energy and satiates the audience’s growing hunger for Broadway spectacle with an impromptu rap incorporating selected theatergoers into his amusing banter. Miranda is a true showman, and in this moment of improv, we encounter a slight glimpse into the wonder behind his frenetic, witty mind and raw voice– a voice that lends itself to a new inspection and celebration of the Latino community. Not since West Side Story debuted in 1957 has Latino vibrato echoed center stage with the kind of jubilance that transcends cultures and possess mass appeal. Heights is innovative and modern, but unlike American youth culture, the show reveres its ancestry. No matter how far astray the syncopations and bass thumps edge the music, or the grit and grime of rapping make it sound like it jumped out of the radio, the songs are rooted in a classic Broadway vocabulary. Because when all is said and rapped, Heights is still a bona fide Broadway musical. And although Lin-Manuel Miranda credits his musical predecessor as “one of the greatest [shows] ever written” he quickly notes how its social commentary has provided a sort of stigma for Latinos, a blessing and a curse. Perhaps the core of this “curse” is also Miranda’s blessing. Unlike West Side Story, Heights sings a Latino voice, cultivated from a genuine Latino mind. Performer and Heights assistant choreographer Luis Salgado was all too familiar with this curse. When he read in the blogs that the show he was working on prior to Heights would probably not see a Broadway opening due mainly to the fact that its cast was predominantly Latino, he couldn’t help but feel a slight pang of uncertainty. He had fought adversity and doubt on every front, including his parents, who were not quick to celebrate his love for the arts.
Mambo Kings (which was slated to open on Broadway in 2005) never reached New York, although the ripples of those blog postings resonated in the psyche of Salgado, who couldn’t help but wonder if they were right. Salgado, after all, was born in Puerto Rico, and unlike Miranda, who found artistic nurture in the bastion of Wesleyan University, Salgado’s ambitions left him fending for his own. His parents preferred he pursue a career in medicine or law, and it wasn’t until he started his own dance school at the age of 17 that they began to take him seriously. So he took his passion and wandered over to New York, where he found, as he best puts it, “[his] Disney World.” “It was paradise, I could take a dance class any time, in any style. In Puerto Rico you had to wait ’til Wednesday at 8pm to take a jazz class.” Salgado adds, “Here you could take a class at eight at night or eight in the morning! “With new direction and instruction, Salgado implemented a new philosophy. “When I first came to NY, I tried very hard to stay away from my Latin influences because they came too easy for me. It”s who I am. I wanted to push myself so far away from what was my comfort zone.”
With the kaleidoscopic hues of performers in New York, Broadway, like most American media outlets, is still recovering from a deficiency in providing performers like Salgado their respective spotlights. Luckily, Salgado’s assimilation into musical theater found salvation in his heritage. “It wasn’t until Mambo Kings that I realized…I need to celebrate who I am and my culture. I don’t need to limit myself. I will have the opportunity to do everything else that I also love, but it’s only by celebrating the one thing that I am, that all of the other things will happen.” For Salgado, and every performer like him bearing the sometimes marvelous, sometimes stifling burden of being Latino on Broadway, vindication got its opening night. Like Washington Heights (the neighborhood where the show takes place), the cast of In The Heights is eclectic and gutsy. The show is a visual melting pot of urban flair rooted with distinctive traditions of other worlds. Rhythmic beats adorned with rap soliloquies compel an unforeseen admiration for a genre not yet heard on a Broadway stage; a genre best encapsulated in that moment of technical blunder, when Miranda’s freestyle rap vacillated to show tune camp as an audience member requested the cast sing a few numbers, to which he replied, “We don’t have voices like Ethel Merman, we need to fix the mics.” If the nuisance of technical issues yielded Miranda’s improvisational antics, then all was forgiven when the lights gleamed as the show opened. In a sort of graffiti symphony, the story goes through three days of life in Washington Heights, exploring the different aspects of struggle contained in the tight-knit neighborhood. Miranda, who leads the cast as Usnavi (the proprietor of the local bodega), blazes the stage with the opening number rightfully titled In The Heights. The number infuses the vibrancy of the neighborhood with a counterpoint: all the frustrations of unpaid bills and heat waves.
We are introduced to the cast of eccentric characters, like the owners of a car service and their daughter, Nina (Mandy Gonzalez) who has just returned home from Stanford University. Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz), whom Usnavi considers his grandmother, tickles the stars and purchases a lottery ticket — unknowingly altering the fate of her loved ones. Before destinies can be etched, Heights explores relevant social issues like Nina’s struggle to pursue higher learning in lieu of her parent’s financial welfare. Gentrification and assimilation incite characters to move on, or ‘to the West Village.’ Luck, love, and lottery culminate in an award-winning musical that poses the same question to today’s immigrants as it did to the passengers of the Mayflower, or as Miranda puts it “essentially, a question of home– and what, or where, home ultimately is.” In a city that is the cultural Mecca of the world, Heights has ushered a new crop of theater aficionados. Luis Salgado broke his subtle machismo with a misty observation of a crowning moment in his career. His mother had always enjoyed his performances, but never seemed immersed in anything beyond his solos. After watching In The Heights, Luis was met by his mother’s excitement and meticulous mental notations on the production and story. She wanted to share her thoughts about characters and songs. It was a rare and special moment for Salgado. Cast member Nina LaFarga, who is a first generation American to immigrant parents from Cuba and Trinidad, also reveled in her family’s emotional reactions, although her father, sadly passed away before the show’s Broadway run. Prior to Heights, LaFarga (whose killer looks are made for music videos) danced with the likes of Mya, Jennifer Lopez and Alicia Keys, as well as in Broadway shows like Aida, and Sweet Charity. But this show allowed her to embrace her ancestry in a way those other jobs didn’t. “The story of the show is about immigrants moving from other countries in general, but specifically Cuba and other Spanish countries. I was seeing my life in this art piece, in this show. And what was difficult for me was finally I’m in this show that’s about me, something that my father could really understand.” Nina, with a bittersweet smile adds, “I wanted him [to] see me doing something that represented our culture and he was never able to do that.”
Heights has a universal story about human struggle that is aided by its abundance of musical styles. Shaun Taylor-Corbett, whose small stature defies his enthusiasm, avidly attests to this. The product of parents both prolific by their own measure in the entertainment industry (his mother choreographed the movie Fame), Shaun is adamant about the power that the diversity in the show produces. ”It’s a revolutionary show that hits home with musical theater lovers and people who have never seen musical theater.” Although he is only an”honorary Latino,” as he jokingly alludes to the character Benny in the show, his love for Heights is genuine corazon.
It’s that authenticity from every level of the creative team that makes Heights such a captivating evening. When posed with the question of choosing one singular moment in the show that captures its true essence, Miranda’s choice was definitive. “There’s a character in the show, the piragua guy,” he notes of the flavored ice street vendors synonymous to Washington Heights, “he sings,” keep scraping by, keep scraping by “I think he’s a perfect metaphor for anyone in this community. The odds are stacked economically against you and you just gotta keep scraping and hawking what you’ve got.” After scraping and hawking from Puerto Rico to the George Washington Bridge to the Great White Way, In The Heights and its spectacular cast serves us something worth savoring. Text and interviews by Jayzel Samonte - Photography by River Cark (riverclark.com) - Styling by Paloma Related Article: Interview with Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights Choreographer
intheheightsthemusical.com Luis Salgado en People en Espanol!Latinos brillan en el TeatroStageFest de NYCJosefina Scaglione, Luis Salgado y Jackie Guerrido asistieron al estreno del festival de teatro
16 de junio, 2009
Por Judith Torrea/NYC  Broadway's R.Evolución Latina CORTESÍA: TEATROSTAGEFEST Pero la noche del lunes en el mítico club neoyorquino Joe´s Pub fue para el TeatroStageFest, la tercera edición del festival de teatro Iberoamericano de Nueva York. Una fiesta de teatro que por dos semanas, y hasta el 28 de junio, mostrará desde la capital mundial de la cultura más de 50 producciones de Argentina, Cuba, Colombia, España, Chile, Uruguay, Puerto Rico y Estados Unidos. "Va a estar bárbaro, ojalá pudiera ver algo pero a esa horas tengo actuaciones", dijo la argentina Josefina Scaglione, que a sus 21 años y con sólo 5 meses en Estados Unidos ha logrado dos premios teatrales y una nominación a los Tony por su interpretación de María en la producción de Broadway, West Side Story. Como Scaglione, muchos artistas latinos que brillan en las obras de Broadway se dieron cita en la apertura de TeatroStageFest. Y lo hicieron en su noche de descanso. Janet Dacal, Marcus Paul James, Doreen Montalvo, Rogelio Douglas Jr. y Eliseo Román, entre otros, presentaron en un concierto íntimo el grupo al que pertenecen: R. Evolución Latina de Broadway, que inspira y apoya con talleres gratuitos y conferencias a niños y jóvenes latinos. "No puedo pensar en algo mejor que hacer en mi día libre que estar apoyando a TeatroStageFest", subrayó Doreen Montalvo (In the Heights) quien dejó un grato sabor de boca al público con sus interpretaciones. La gran homenajeada de la noche, con premio sorpresa incluído, fue Susana Tubert, directora ejecutiva de TeatroStageFest, que con su pasión por el teatro ha logrado en sólo tres años que este festival se convierta en un referente en el teatro Iberoamericano, desde Nueva York para el mundo. Luis Salgado: ¿un futuro ‘Gene Kelly Boricua’?Luis Salgado: ¿un futuro ‘Gene Kelly Boricua’? Por Miguel López Ortiz
Luis Salgado es un artista a quien sus compatriotas puertorriqueños deben seguirle la pista, porque se encamina aceleradamente a alcanzar un sitial estelar, tanto en Broadway como en Hollywood. Es indiscutible que este actor y bailarín boricua figura entre los hispanos de mayor promesa en el ambiente del espectáculo anglosajón en Estados Unidos. Dicho en palabras claras, se trata de una estrella en potencia. Para refrescarle la memoria a aquellos que todavía permanecen ajenos a sus triunfos, baste señalar que, además de caracterizar el personaje de “José”, fue el asistente del coreógrafo Andy Blakenbuehler en la aclamada producción “In the Heights” – creada por otro compatriota nuestro, Lin-Manuel Miranda –, presentada en el Richard Rodgers Theatre y merecedora de cuatro premios Tony, uno de ellos en la categoría de Baile. Consecuencia de su creciente éxito es el hecho de que el sábado 16 de mayo desfiló como “Grand Marshall” en la New York Dance Parade y el 7 de junio actuará como presentador invitado de la producción especial que, sobre la gala de los premios Tony, realizará el portal cibernético de noticias en español sobre el acontecer de la Meca Mundial del Teatro, todoBroadway.com, que podrá ser disfrutado por el público hispano de Estados Unidos, España y Latinoamérica. “Mi función será la entrevistar a artistas nominados cuando llegan a la gala y a los que resultan premiados y comentar lo que acontece durante la ceremonia. Es una experiencia nueva para mí que me tiene ansioso y emocionado”, nos dice el artista, cuyo nombre completo es Luis Alberto Salgado Pérez y vio la primera luz en Vega Alta, el 30 de agosto de 1980. Ahora es el coreógrafo de la producción “Shafrika, the White Girl”, que se presenta en el Jaradoa Theatre, en Broadway –
Claro que su ansiedad y emoción no se limita a esta función que tanta exposición le brindará a nivel internacional. Porque casi de inmediato, junio 12, tendrá que incorporarse a la producción musical “Shafrika, the White Girl”, en el Jaradoa Theater. La dirección general de la misma recae en Katrina Stevens, mientras que Karl Mansfield y Brian Usifer comparten la dirección musical. “Monté las coreografías de esta obra que es una especie de autobiografía de Anika Larsen, una joven que creció en Cambridge, Massachussets, con nueve hermanos, entre los que unos tienen sangre negra, otros asiática, otros latina y otros de nativoamericanos o indígena. Este proyecto me entusiasma porque aborda un tema que resulta novedoso en el teatro”, declara. Vale la pena indicar que en “Shafrika, the White Girl” intervienen otros actores puertorriqueños o de origen latinoamericano. Entre ellos Ricardo Hinoa, Joamer González, Stephanie Martínez y Eileen Rivera. Antes de llegar a Broadway y Hollywood, fue bailarín de Jailene Cintrón, Olga Tañón, Gilberto Santa Rosa y otros artistas – Luis Salgado nos cuenta que hizo sus pinitos artísticos como actor y bailarín en funciones escolatres cuando contaba nueve años. Profesionalmente emprendió su trayectoria integrando el grupo coreográfico de la entonces exitosa merenguera Jailene Cintrón durante el período 1997-1999. Luego se desempeñó como bailarín en espectáculos de Olga Tañón – con quien viajó a Venezuela –, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Shalim y otros artistas. En el interín, cursó estudios de Actuación Dramática en la Universidad de Puerto Rico (1998-2001). “En el 2002 fundé mi propia Academia Ensueños en mi pueblo de Vega Alta, pero mi sueño siempre fue triunfar en grande. Así que, con mucho dolor, al poco tiempo la cerré y me vine a Nueva York, donde ingresé a la Acting School para especializarme en la técnica Meisner. Para ese tiempo trabajé como bailarín de la cantante mexicana Paulina Rubio y, después, con Thalía, también mexicana”, nos cuenta. ─ ¿Cuándo consideraras que tu carrera comenzó a cobrar fuerza?
“Gracias a Dios, aunque tuve que ir a numerosas audiciones, como todo el que aspira a dedicarse a esto, rápido fui seleccionado a trabajar en teatro y en cine. Estuve primero en producciones de Off-Broadway como ‘The Mambo Kings’, con Albita Rodríguez y Jaime Camil. Después en otros musicales de Broadway como ‘Fame on 42 Street, ‘Evita’ y ‘Aida’. Pero la experiencia de ‘In the Heights’ ha sido extraordinaria. En Puerto Rico hice el papel de ‘Bobby’ en el clásico ‘AChorus Line’ en el 2006. Al año siguiente, 2007, me concedieron el Drama Desk Award, lo cual para mí fue un privilegio”. Ya ha aparecido en cuatro películas norteamericanas – ─ ¿Cuál ha sido tu experiencia en cine? “Mi primer trabajo en este medio, o mi debut, fue hacer de doble de Diego Luna en ‘Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights’, que se rodó en Puerto Rico en 2004. Después, aparecí, básicamente como bailarín, en ‘Across the Universe’ en 2005 y, en 2007, en ‘Step Up 2 the Streets’, que se estrenó en febrero de 2008. También aparezco en otra película, que está inspirada en la vida del trompetista de jazz Louis Armstrong cuando era joven: “The Great Observer”, dirigida por Dan Pritzker y protagonizada por Anthony Coleman. Aquí hago el papel de ‘Alejandro’. Pero, este filme no se ha estrenado todavía. Creo que llegará a las salas de cine el año que viene, 2010”.
Nuestro entrevistado revela que, además de disfrutar intensamente de su desempeño en los escenarios, siente una particular pasión por la enseñanza. Esto lo impulsó a producir, en sociedad con el también reconocido coreógrafo Seth Stewart, dos valiosos DVDs didácticos en 2007: “Latin Fusion / Fusión Latina” (Vol. 1 y 2), que le ha permitido viajar a Toronto (Canadá), México, Perú, Japón y a diversas ciudades norteamericanas para ofrecer talleres a aspirantes a bailarines profesionales. Su más reciente y ambicioso proyecto como educador es encaminar la academia R.Evolución Latina, que ha fundado en colaboración con los muy experimentados Michael Balderrama ( de “In the Heights”) y Gabriela García (de “Chicago The Musical”). “Aquí
preparamos o pulimos a bailarines que aspiran llegar a Broadway y a
otros escenarios de alto nivel en el teatro musical. Es algo que mis
compañeros y yo disfrutamos al máximo y les aseguro que nos está yendo
muy bien”, concluye evidentemente feliz. 06/jun/09 April 15 Luis Salgado at THE AFTER PARTY (singing 4 songs)DARE TO DREAM!
 I am a Dreamer... I believe that we should search for the joy of doing what we love and when you are afraid of trying something we should jump right on it and get it done. Not for anyone else but for us....for our heart and for our dream..and that it's the best example we can give....!  My love; DARING TO GO BEYOND! Luis Salgado More pics:
April 10th!
THE AFTER PARTY
welcomes
the cast of
In The Heights and more!  with
WILLIAM WADE
at the piano! From In The Heights... Sex and the City's
JOSHUA HENRY
After Party favorite MARCUS PAUL JAMES
and making his debut at The After Party...
LUIS SALGADO
And performing with the cast of In The Heights...
London's Desperately Seeking Susan's
CHLOE CAMPBELL
and Chicago's GABRIELA GARCIA
PLUS...
The winner of the 2008 Broadway Beauty Pageant
FRANKIE JAMES GRANDE
and the cast of the new musical Republic,
including Hairspray's
MICHELLE DOWDY Also...
Win a pair of VIP tickets to the
2009 Broadway Beauty Pageant!
A $500 Value!!! THE AFTER PARTY
Friday, April 10th
Doors open @ 10:30pm.
Show begins @ 11pm. The Laurie Beechman Theatre
@ the West Bank Cafe.
407 w42nd St., NYC.
FREE! September 29 IN THE HEIGHTS Garners Second Annual ACCA Award
September 19 Check it out! Exo Magazine
EXO Limited is the new & innovative Hispanic Lifestyle Magazine bringing you the latest from the Latino world. We are dedicated to being a source of empowerment and entertainment to the Latino community and its neighbors. EXO is proud to bring our audience a variety of exciting content, in English and Spanish, ranging from women & men’s fashion, beauty, health and entertainment.
Visit us at www.exolimited.com today! Register Today! SIGN UP For Our FREE EXO Newsletter Also be sure to check out our site to find out how you can win $50! Luis Salgado Dares You "To Go Beyond"
September 18 VIVA La R.Evolucion!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, September 18, 2008 ( New York, NY )--As he stepped to the stage, a few audience members who are inspired by his awareness campaign exclaimed, "Viva La Revolucion!" Luis Salgado, Founder and Director of R.Evolucion Latina, was the recipient of this year's HOLA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Technical Production for Choreography for his work in Seranade at the Jaradoa Theater.
When accepting his award, Luis stated, "We won a TONY in June of this year, and that felt great, but winning this award and being celebrated by 'my people' is something that I truly cherish." He later added, "HOLA is a great organization; and it inspired me to start R.Evolucion Latina. I can only hope that together, our Latino-based groups grow so much that they become world-wide and well known to bring inspiration to each and every generation of young Latino and Hispanic performers." R.Evolucion Latina will celebrate its 1st Anniversary in February of 2009 and Luis Salgado plans to throw a gala in honor of his own arts organization this year. All HOLA members will be invited and Luis added, "R.Evolucion Latina has given back to HOLA with a special $1,000 donation in support of their new ideas and ventures." For more information on Luis Salgado or R.Evolucion Latina, please visit www.revolucionlatina.org. For more information about HOLA, please visit www.hellohola.org. For press and promotional inquiries, please contact: Elizabeth Barry & Associates September 16 Luis Salgado and Antonio Banderas team up for great causeTuesday, 15 July 2008Luis Salgado and Antonio Banderas team up for great causeR.Evolucion Latina Joined Antonio Banderas for the Launch of Blue Seduction with Proceeds Donated to BCEFA (New York, NY) Tuesday, July 15, 2008—Luis Salgado announced that over $20,000 will be raised for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS through the new perfume, Blue Seduction, launched by Antonio Banderas and Puig. An event was held at Cedar Lake Ensemble last Thursday in collaboration with R.Evolucion Latina to deliver this message to the press. Salgado choreographed a segment with dancers from Ballet Hispanico, STEPS on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, leading cast members from In The Heights, and the Mercy House, which added a performance element to the premiere.
The young dancers were exposed to a unique pre-production workshop with educational concepts including: culture, history, music and self-awareness. In addition, all dancers received a gift from Luis Salgado, his Latin Fusion DVD, as well as being asked to join R.Evolucion Latina's Children's Workshop during the last week in August. Several celebrities and members of the press were on hand to view the performance. "This was a great way for R.Evolucion Latina and our motto: Dare To Go Beyond to get their names on the map. We were even mentioned by Antonio Banderas, on the popular daytime talk show, The View, the morning of the performance," stated Gabriella Garcia, Co-Director of R.Evolucion Latina and Dance Captain of Broadway’s Chicago. R.Evolucion Latina will be holding a fundraiser on Monday, July 21st, 2008 at 7pm at Repertorio Español, 138 East 27th Street, NY, NY. A reading of "Yemaya’s Belly”, a play from TONY award nominee, Quiara Alegria Hudes, will be performed and proceeds will be directly donated to their upcoming workshop for children who don't have much access to the arts. John Leguizamo recibe un reconocimiento de la Organización Hispana de Actores Latinos El actor colombiano John Leguizamo, uno de los latinos que ha triunfado en Hollywood, recibió esta noche el Premio Rita Moreno a la Excelencia que le concedió la Organización Hispana de Actores Latinos en su gala anual en Nueva York.
En un escenario plagado de actores, actrices, productores y otros miembros de HOLA (por sus siglas en inglés) el actor colombiano fue recibido por sus compañeros puestos de pie, a quienes dijo en su mensaje que 'continúen luchando por el teatro'.
'Me siento muy honrado de recibir este premio porque comencé desde lo más humilde', dijo y acto seguido comentó 'soy de Queens' en referencia al condado neoyorquino donde creció el actor, que ha actuado tanto en cine, teatro y televisión. Agregó que en sus comienzos siempre tenía que interpretar papeles latinos como traficantes de drogas o gangsters, pero después 'empecé a interpretar los papeles que a mi me gustaban, empecé a hacer mis propios proyectos porque no veía que nuestra gente estuviera siendo representada correctamente'. Leguizamo, de 44 años y que debutó en el cine en 1985 con una breve actuación en el filme 'Sangre y salsa' al que le siguió 'Corazones de Palma' de Brian de Palma, recibió el premio que lleva el nombre de la actriz Rita Moreno, la primera puertorriqueña que ganó un Óscar como mejor Actriz de Reparto por su papel en 'West Side Story', que estrenó en 1961. Leguizamo ha ganado fama además por sus actuaciones en Off-Broadway, en particular hay que mencionar 'Mambo Mouth' (1991), en el que interpretó a siete personajes. Entre sus actuaciones teatrales en solitario el actor protagonizó además 'Freak' (1998), nominado a dos Tony y que le valió un Drama Desk y un premio del Círculo de Críticos a la Mejor Interpretación en Solitario. En el evento también se reconoció al actor cubano radicado en Nueva York, René Buch, con el Premio a Toda una Carrera por sus 50 años en las tablas. Los últimos 27 años Buch ha trabajado con la compañía Repertorio Español. Se reconoció además al cubano Eduardo Machado, quien creció en Los Ángeles y ha escrito más de 40 obras de teatro, productor y director. Machado recibió de manos de Meredith Juliá, viuda del actor puertorriqueño Raúl Julia, el premio que lleva el nombre de su esposo. Varios españoles fueron reconocidos esta noche por HOLA entre éstos Angel Gil Orrios, fundador de la compañía de teatro Thalia, por su puesta en escena del musical 'Picasso: FLAMENconde de Orgaz, escrita por el pintor Pablo Picasso y que Orrios adaptó; la actriz Soledad López, y un premio especial a Lorenzo Piriz Carbonell, médico, escritor y cofundador de la Compañía Tespis. También se reconoció a la actriz Xiomara Laugart por su papel de la fenecida cantante Celia Cruz en el musical que sobre la 'Guarachera de Cuba' protagonizó el año pasado, así como al coreógrafo Luis salgado, por producción Técnica, por su trabajo en el musical 'In The Heights' seleccionado el musical del año en Broadway, entre otros actores y actrices. ) September 12 Interview with Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights ChoreographerInterview with Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights ChoreographerBy movmnt • August 28, 2008
Movmnt: In The Heights features a good amount of street dancing; did you cast performers with non-traditional dance backgrounds? Andy Blankenbuehler: Our dancers don’t have traditional dance backgrounds. We cast the show to be very much like a street show, so these dancers are very good at what they do - better than I am at what they do. They’re not traditional musical theater dancers- they’re really talented so they’ve done a bunch of Broadway shows, but this is more their forte. They specialize in different things, like Luis is a really great salsa dancer and is familiar with lots of different Latino styles, whereas there are other dancers in the show who are more specialized in hip hop. As a choreographer I try to pull their strengths out of them and really use their personality. The challenge for me when I started was I didn’t have a lot of experience choreographing hip-hop or salsa. I understood what needed to happen in terms of storytelling, and my vocabulary is diverse, but hip hop was sort of an extreme that I hadn’t choreographed in, so I had a lot of research and pre-production to do to figure out how to choreograph vocabulary that I wanted. The cast was great because I would do a step, and if the step wasn’t perfect, by the time they added their own things to it, it brought the show to life. Can you tell us more about the importance of authenticity in a show like In The Heights?
What was the process like for you? What I had to do was begin research. I watched MTV and VH1 constantly, and figured out which artists I liked and which grooves I liked; what styles of choreography I felt matched that world. As soon as I figured out the world I wanted them to live in, then I had to start experimenting. I’d analyze the syncopation of the movement and find how the syncopation could match our music. It was a really long process. With the Latino styles, we used Salsa dancing in the show in social dance settings, in a dance club- so those numbers weren’t so interpretative. I didn’t feel the need to learn Salsa dancing inside and out; I felt the need to understand it enough to shape it. With Luis as my associate on it, we were able to say ‘oh this is this kind of step’ and we’d find the step together. Then I crafted the number like a story ballet, so the audience followed the story line…it just happened to be dancing the whole time. But with the hip-hop and the more contemporary movement, it’s very interpretative. So with that movement I felt that I needed to be able to execute it on my own, so I went to L.A. and studied for a few weeks, and then I took classes in New York. I brought people in the studio with me, and they would coach me on learning stylistically how to approach the music, so that when I started choreographing, it met that world. It was a very long process. I worked for about six months before I really started the show, [then] it took us several months to choreograph. The style of choreography is very contemporary, was it important for you to create something that was also timeless? I think structurally, we created a musical that’s not so much timeless, but a very accessible forum. So if somebody is 65 years old and they’re Jewish and they usually see a show like Gypsy, they’ll go to our show and they’ll still be able to take in the show as if it were a normal Broadway musical. Structurally that was the first step in creating a show that would appeal to a lot of people but was also in a sense, timeless. I felt like the show needed to be really tight, the syncopation and movements very specific and chiseled. As the musical has a life, that timing will remain true to the music. If movement is big or flamboyant, it starts to become generic. The fact that our rhythms are very chiseled creates a structure in the show that makes the audience pay attention. Jayzel Samonte September 11 Mi amigo Jaime Camil es Vivo ejemplo de nuestra Filosofia en R.Evolucion LatinaMi querido Amigo Jaime Camil escribio en su Blog;
"LUIS SALGADO y su Revolucion Latina!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Rd7Cpx-Ss
Lo que no sabe JAIME es que el es para mi motivación y VIVO ejemplo de lo que es R.Evolución Latina. NO solo su historia es una de superación y lucha; Ejemplo perfecto para todos los que buscan su sueno; pero también Jaime se da a su comunidad artística con el fin de desarrollar y alentar los talentos de su querido México.Es el segundo ano en el que logro participar de talleres ofrecidos por Jaime Camil para la comunidad de Teatro Musical en México y no saben lo hermoso que es el poder ser parte de esta experiencia.Los alumnos se retan, crecen y creciendo ellos, tienen la oportunidad de ir y compartirse con otros que los necesitan también. La iniciativa de Jaime en México inicia esa colaboración y movimiento progresista en cadena que buscamos nosotros con nuestra R.Evolución de Evolución.Gracias Jaime por tu ejemplo, por tu apoyo y por tu amistad.Mis respetos;Luis SalgadoLuis Salgado Wins Actors' Equity's ACCA Award for Outstanding ChorusIn the Heights Wins Actors' Equity's ACCA Award for Outstanding Chorus
By Andrew Gans
The Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights has again been honored. Actors' Equity announced Sept. 10 that the acclaimed musical, which continues to play the Richard Rodgers Theatre, has been named the recipient of the Actors' Equity Association Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs' Second Annual ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. The award, according to a press statement, honors "the distinctive talents and contributions made by the chorus of a Broadway musical." The awards ceremony will be held Sept. 23 during the ACCA meeting at Equity's NYC headquarters. The In the Heights winners, who were all part of the show's March 9, 2008, opening-night cast, include Michael Balderrama, Blanca Camacho, Tony Chiroldes, Rogelio Douglas, Jr. Rosie Lani Fiedelman, Joshua Henry, Afra Hines, Stephanie Klemons, Nina LaFarga, Doreen Montalvo, Javier Muñoz, Krysta Rodriguez, Eliseo Román, Luis Salgado, Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Rickey Tripp.In a statement Jean-Paul Richard, Equity's second vice president and ACCA chair, said, "The chorus of In the Heights truly exemplifies the hard work, dedication and talent it takes to be outstanding in a Broadway musical." Nominees for this year's award included In the Heights, Xanadu, Cry-Baby and South Pacific. Criteria for nomination included "what was required of each chorus by the director, the choreographer, the musical director and the caliber of skill used to execute those requirements. The Committee then deliberated on the requisite technical skill of the chorus actor and the contributions the entire chorus made to the overall production." * Actors' Equity Association, founded in 1913, represents more than 46,000 professional stage actors and stage managers nationwide. Equity seeks to "advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society."
August 09 Luis Salgado 2008 HOLA Award Winners Announced2008 HOLA Award Winners Announced
The awards ceremony will be held Monday, September 15 at 6:30 PM at The Players (16 Gramercy Park South). Advance tickets are $90, door tickets are $125. To order tickets to the ceremony, visit www.nycharities.org. HOLA, a non-profit advocacy and casting organization for Latin actors, annually honors achievements in Latin theatre, particularly in New York. The awards are not preluded but a nomination process. Awardees are listed below. 2008 HOLA Awardees
Outstanding Achievement in Technical Production “Serenade,” a new musical... a fearless mix of musical and choreographic styles." - NY TIMES
"endlessly inventive staging" "snappily choreographed by Luis Salgado" - Variety/Theater Mania
Luis Salgado staging some scenes in Serenade...
José A. López for the scenic and puppet design of La muela de rey Farfán/The Toothache of King Farfán (Society of the Educational Arts) Robert Weber Federico and Alberto Morgan for the costume design of Doña Flor y sus dos maridos Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor Outstanding Performance by a Featured Male Actor Outstanding Performance by a Featured Female Actor Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast Outstanding Solo Performance
Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting Outstanding Achievement in Direction Outstanding Achievement in a Visiting Production Outstanding Achievement in a Dramatic Production Outstanding Achievement in a Musical Production http://www.playbill.com/news/article/120248.html http://backstage.blogs.com/blogstage/2008/08/2008-hola-award.html
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"R.Evolucion Latina is providing many opportunities for young artists to gain exposure to the arts and this is just one that we’re extremely proud of this year," stated Salgado, Founder and Director of R.Evolucion Latina. "The dancers were truly excited to give their best, and the performance was a philanthropic, feel-good show with proceeds going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS," Salgado added. 
We had to figure out what was authentic…and it’s a very deep question for the show. Part of the authenticity was making it look like real people in the city; people who have daily struggles, people who have to take the subway, people who are hot because it’s in the middle of a heat wave. Then there’s another kind of authenticity, which is that the show is very much about Latino heritage. [The creators] wanted attention paid to the specifics of their cultural dances, so that was another level. And then a third level of authenticity was that musically we live in a very contemporary world in the show, so authenticity for that meant that the dancing had to look like what the audience was hearing, because for the general audience who sees the show, they don’t know anything about hip hop. They’re more of a traditional audience, so if they could see what they’re hearing, it’ll make more sense to them.
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