'Havana Madrid' at Goodman recalls deeply personal tales of Chicago's Latino immigrants
In hindsight, the announcement that preceded a recent performance of Teatro Vista's “La Havana Madrid” was unnecessary. “Laughing, applauding and dancing are encouraged,” the disembodied voice told the audience at a Goodman Theatre preview of actress/writer Sandra Delgado's play-with-music.
I say unnecessary because it's impossible not to laugh at the wistful humor that infuses Delgado's exuberant tribute to Chicago's Latino immigrants and the nightclub that served as their cultural hub. Impossible not to applaud its talented ensemble and the honeyed vocals of Delgado, as the club's chanteuse who summons memories and sustains dreams. And impossible to remain still once Roberto “Carpacho” Marin's top-notch quintet begins to play.
The production marks the show's second transfer. Developed as part of Goodman's Playwright's Unit, “La Havana Madrid” premiered in May at Steppenwolf Theatre. After selling out multiple extensions, the show moved to The Miracle Center on Chicago's West Side and then to Goodman's Owen Theatre.
Cafe tables and a bandstand have replaced the main floor seating, creating an ersatz nightspot. Here, in a series of vignettes underscored by salsa, cumbia and cha-cha music, we meet the patrons of La Havana Madrid, a 1960s nightclub at Belmont and Halsted streets, and hear their stories. The first is told by 13-year-old Cuban refugee Maria (an effervescent Krystal Ortiz), sent to the U.S. with her brothers as part of Operation Pedro Pan, which relocated children to shield them from communist indoctrination. Her coming-of-age tale begins with a sense of adventure and ends on a bittersweet note.
A love story comes courtesy of Henry and Maruja (endearingly played by Tommy Rivera-Vega and Valeria Rosero), Colombian newlyweds who marry over the phone.
In budding Puerto Rican photographer Carlos (a passionate, self-aware Donovan Diaz), we witness the evolution of an activist.
On the night I attended, understudy Andrew Neftali Perez played Tony (a role normally played by Mike Oquendo), the radio talk show host who takes over Havana Madrid. A successful entrepreneur, Tony epitomizes the self-made man. But Perez's well-crafted performance makes apparent the pain bigotry inflicts and the wariness it instills, even for the most successful immigrants.
For Tony, music is a balm - just as it is for musician Carpacho (the irresistibly indefatigable Marvin Quijada as Marin's younger self).
Among the most compelling stories is that of Myrna (Claudia Quesada in an emotional, enigmatic performance), the hair stylist turned beauty contestant who gets caught in the 1966 Humboldt Park riots, chillingly depicted in choreographer William Carlos Angula's fierce tango. Myrna learns a hard truth about her adopted city.
“Chicago is called a city of neighborhoods,” she says. “What it means is you stay on your side and I'll stay on mine.”
The action unfolds seamlessly under director Cheryl Lynn Bruce. Bruce, like Delgado, has a keen sense of the immigrant narrative and how it is shared across time. That reality is reflected in recurring videos of crashing waves, a visual metaphor for our ceaseless desire to explore new shores. And it's reflected in Delgado's epilogue.
“We are the echoes ... This story is our story,” she says. “Honor it. Learn from it. Pass it on.”
“La Havana Madrid”
★ ★ ★ ½
Location: A Teatro Vista production at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, (312) 443-3800 or
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; through Aug. 20
Tickets: $30-$50
Running time: About two hours, including intermission
Parking: $22 with Goodman validation at Government Self Park, Lake and Clark streets
Rating: For teens and older