The eight-member Parranda El Clavo group on stage is a small representation of the actual parranda. “The parranda is the whole town,” says singer Betsayda Machado. “But I couldn’t bring the whole town onto the stage.” From left to right, top row, Nereida Machado, Oscar Ruiz, Betsayda Machado, and Blanca Castillo; seated, Adrian “Ote” Gómez, Youse Cardozo, Nelson Gómez, and Asterio Betancourt, performing on opening night. (Photo by Fernando Gonzalez)
“Paint your village and you will paint the whole world” is advice attributed to Nobel Prize winner Leo Tolstoy. Few theatrical experiences in recent memory make the point as vividly or successfully as the immersive music-driven production “¡Viva La Parranda!”
The musical, commissioned by Venezuelan-born theater director, writer, and producer Michel Hausmann, co-founder and artistic director of Miami New Drama, and produced by Miami New Drama, returns to the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach, featuring the original ensemble after a successful run in South Florida in 2019 opening Thursday, July 10 through Sunday, July 27. Barlovento has deep, centuries-old African roots, and the ensemble plays its music on ancestral instruments such as the mina (a large drum with roots in what is now Benin), the culo’e puya (small drums of Kongo origin), and the quitiplás (bamboo drums). It also includes moving personal stories told by the performers, all of whom are neighbors of El Clavo. They aren’t professional actors, but their grace and emotion come from authenticity.
Jazz With an Accent 