Morales, Williams, Albita, and Machado Head Cast of Broadway-Bound Mambo Kings

Producers Daryl Roth and Jordan Roth have announced four of the stars of their new Broadway-bound musical The Mambo Kings, set to begin performances on Wednesday, July 20 at the Broadway Theatre following an engagement at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre from May 24 through June 19. Opening night on Broadway is scheduled for Thursday, August 18.

Esai Morales will play Cesar Castillo in The Mambo Kings. The actor, who recently starred as Lt. Tony Rodriguez in the ABC-TV series NYPD Blue, is also known for his role in the 1987 film La Bamba and for his many other movie and television credits.

The role of nightclub impresario Fernando Perez will be played by Billy Dee Williams, returning to Broadway for the first time since he replaced James Earl Jones in August Wilson’s Fences some 17 years ago. Williams has starred in such films as Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Return of the Jedi, and he played football player Gale Sayers in the 1971 ABC-TV movie Brian’s Song.

The Grammy Award-winning Cuban music star Albita will play nightclub goddess Evalina Montoya, the role played in the film version of The Mambo Kings by her idol and mentor, Celia Cruz. Albita, who defected to the U.S from her native Cuba in 1993, quickly became one of Miami’s hottest performers and has since recorded seven hit albums, receiving four Latin Grammy nominations and winning last year’s Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical album.

Justina Machado, who plays Vanessa Diaz on the HBO series Six Feet Under (for which she shared a SAG Award for Best Ensemble) and whose film credits include Torque and Final Destination 2, will play the role of Ana Maria in The Mambo Kings.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the Academy Award-nominated film of the same title, The Mambo Kings tells the story of the Castillo brothers, Nestor and Cesar, from their youth in 1950s Havana to their appearances on the stages of Manhattan’s glamorous nightclubs. Additional casting for the show, including casting for the role of Nestor Castillo, will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Mambo Kings has a book by Oscar Hijuelos (based on his novel) and Arne Glimcher, music by Carlos Franzetti, and lyrics by Arne Glimcher. The production will be directed by Glimcher, with choreography by Sergio Trujillo and musical direction by Constantine Kitsopoulos. The design team for The Mambo Kings includes Riccardo Hernández, (sets), Ann Roth (costumes), and Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (lighting).