What to Expect from New Musical Alma: The Revolution of a Dream , Bringing 'Beauty of Cuba' to N.Y.C.
Courtesy of Alma Musical
In the heart of Havana, Cuba, a new musical revolution is underway.
Alma: The Revolution of a Dream opened Saturday to a packed house and standing ovations at the Teatro Nacional de Cuba, where a cast of over 20 multidisciplinary artists inspire audiences through dance and Cuban music.
"I want to bring the beauty of Cuba, the beauty of its culture, the beauty of its people, the beauty of their dancers, the music," creator Iván Belaustegui told PEOPLE at the show's opening in Havana. "And I want to remind people outside Cuba, what an amazing country this is."
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Courtesy of Alma Musical
Alma, told primarily through intricate and athletic choreography, follows the journey of Yaya and her African clan as they are captured by Europeans and eventually auctioned as slaves in Cuba.
"Yaya is this African woman that has a dream, and her dream is to bring freedom to her clan — to her tribe," Belaustegui explained.
The show's second act takes place 400 years later. This time, Alma — a descendant of Yaya who is influenced by her African ancestors — takes center stage as she sets out to achieve dreams of her own.
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Courtesy of Alma Musical
"Dreams are very different in the 16th century than today — but dreams are dreams," said Belaustegui. "No matter the period. The context [may] change, but as humans, we always dream."
Belaustegui has one of his own: bringing his vision to audiences around the world.
"What I wanted to do is start doing more meaningful things — use my creativity to entertain people, but also transmit a message and also make them think [and] feel something beyond fun and sexy," he said.
"I was looking for a new venue, and then my choreographer [Joan Morell], who is Cuban … he brought me one day to Cuba, I fell in love," said Belaustegui. "And suddenly I had this inspiration about creating this show."
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Courtesy of Alma Musical
Following its run in Cuba, Alma: The Revolution of a Dream — complete with its local cast — is planning to hit New York City this spring with a possible national tour planned.
By doing so, Belaustegui said many wishes, including one of his own, will come true.
"The show is called Alma: The Revolution of a Dream — it is my own revolution," Belaustegui told PEOPLE. "I was able to put this together privately through my wife and myself. So that already was a revolution, but also I'm fulfilling the dream of so many people. So we are a big family achieving our dreams [and] working very hard to do that."
For more information, visit AlmaTheMusical.com.
