ARRABAL, an exciting World Premiere, is an explosive story told entirely through dance and the music of multiple Academy Award® winner Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain, Babel) and his band Bajofondo.
Using a modern tango dance vocabulary never seen before, director Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis) and choreographer Julio Zurita create a dramatic vision that is emotional, sexual and powerful. With a book written by Tony Award® nominee John Weidman (Contact), follow Arrabal, our heroine, in this coming of age story as she enters the underground world of Buenos Aires’ tango clubs and discovers the violent history that took her father and disrupted a nation.
ARRABAL is based on the true story of the political violence that threatened to destroy Argentina in the 1970’s. With a live band and performers direct from Buenos Aires, experience the sensual beauty and political intrigue that is ARRABAL.
JOIN THE CAST BEFORE THE SHOW TO LEARN TO TANGO!
Tango lessons are held on stage and taught by the cast members before each performance. Lessons are free and available to ticket holders on the day of their show only. Space is limited so come early.
House open: 1:25pm/7:25pm
Tango lesson starts: 1:30pm/7:30pm
ARRABAL boasts a cast of highly acclaimed dancers and instructors from Buenos Aires. Here’s your chance to learn one of the world’s most sensuous dances from some of the world’s best artists.
CABARET SEATING
Watch the show from intimate seating on the stage and in the first row of the theatre. This unique audience experience lets you feel the power and heat of the dancers and musicians firsthand. You’ll feel transported to the milongas of Buenos Aires! Please note that these are special immersive seats.
You will experience the show up-close and personal, and while you may not be able to see all of the action; you will be part of the action. Mobility challenged seating is not available on the stage.
Drinks that are pre-ordered will be brought right to your table at an appropriate time in the show. Coat check is complimentary if you are seated on stage.
ARRABAL SEATING MAP AT THE PANASONIC
[divider]
Arrabal: a Letter from Sergio Trujillo – Director and Co-Choreographer
I AM A BROADWAY CREATOR, BUT ARRABAL IS NOT A TRADITIONAL BROADWAY MUSICAL.
I have helped create many wonderful Broadway shows – such as JERSEY BOYS, MEMPHIS and THE ADDAMS FAMILY – but ARRABAL is entirely different. It’s unlike any other show I have ever worked on. It’s a theatrical experience – part tango show and part rock concert.
ARRABAL has no spoken words and no lyrics, but it has a powerful, engaging and uplifting story.
The idea for the show began with Gustavo Santaolalla, ARRABAL’s co-creator/composer and the producer and member of Bajofondo, the Grammy Award® -winning band that has rock-star status in the Latin American world. Gustavo had always wanted to see the music of Bajofondo realized on stage.
When I first heard the music of Bajofondo, I immediately agreed with him. The music is a stirring mix of tango, milonga, folklore, rock, hip-hop, electronica, jazz, and classical. It is also very theatrical, conjuring new emotions and feelings with every hearing.
I knew we would also need a writer to help us create ARRABAL. I wanted John Weidman, one of the best storytellers in theatre and one of theatre’s most sought-after collaborators. So I took him to a Bajofondo concert. He was immediately swept up in the intoxicating and electrifying music.
Gustavo, John and I developed an idea for the show: the story of the daughter of one of Argentina’s outspoken, young “disappeared” as she searches to find her place in the world and to learn more about the father she was deprived of by the junta. The “disappeared” were 30,000 people who were tortured and murdered by the military junta that ruled Argentina from 1976 until the mid-80s.
While ARRABAL’s backdrop is Argentina’s recent history, we also wanted the story to have universal appeal. A major theme in the show – the bonds of family and friendship, a theme that runs strong in all cultures – allowed our story to reverberate for those totally unfamiliar with Argentina’s history.
Similarly, the tango, a symbol of Argentina and a key element that roots our show to the country, has universal appeal. We are very lucky to have Julio Zurita, one of Argentina’s leading choreographers and a master interpreter of the tango, as another of our co-conspirators in bringing this unique piece into being. Julio has devised a dance vocabulary that draws from the tango and from many other dance disciplines to create movement that fully serves the story in its power, emotion and sensuality.
But all of us who have created the show would be working to no purpose if we didn’t have a brilliant cast. We have selected the most beautiful, dynamic and talented dancers in Argentina. This gorgeous group brings spirit and depth to the stage with every movement.
The musicians who perform the music of Bajofondo at every performance are talented artists from Argentina who possess the rock-star sex appeal and stage presence of the original band members. These musicians will have you wanting to dance, and we hope you will do so!
I don’t think it is giving too much away to say that the ending to our story is very uplifting. In fact, you’ll be invited to join the cast on stage to celebrate along with them.
We are excited to have you join us on this journey to create a new and immersive theatrical world premiere experience. I hope you will find our show both highly entertaining and deeply moving. You will want to tell your friends!
I’m excited to launch this new work in Toronto, the city in which I grew up. I look forward to seeing you at the Panasonic Theatre.
Sergio Trujillo
Directer and Co-Choreographer
NOW ON STAGE UNTIL APR 20, 2014
The Panasonic Theatre
