The hit Broadway tango revue, Forever Tango, played its final performance at the Walter Kerr Theatre April 5, and reopens April 15 at the Marquis Theatre.
When the producers announced that The Beauty Queen of Leenane would move from Off-Broadway into the Walter Kerr Theatre, the press immediately began speculating where the Kerr's current tenant, Forever Tango, would move.
The answer proved to be the Marquis, where Paul Simon's The Capeman closed Mar. 28. To capitalize on weekend and tourist traffic, Tango will play a special schedule at its new home: Mon-Wed. 8 PM, with three shows on Saturday (2 PM, 6 PM & 9 PM) and two more on Sunday (3 PM & 7 PM).
Meanwhile, Martin McDonagh's dark comedy, Leenane, begins previews at the Walter Kerr April 14 for an opening April 22.
In other Forever Tango news, RCA Victor released the original cast album of the revue Feb. 24. The Argentinian dance show gave its 250th performance at the Walter Kerr Theatre Jan. 24, making it the longest running of several tango shows that have opened on Broadway in recent years. That was 51 performances more than Tango Argentino. Forever Tango opened June 16, 1997 for a limited run that was supposed to end Aug. 9, but then was extended several times before announcing an open run.
Produced by Steven Baruch, Richard Frankel, Thomas Viertel, Marc Routh, Jujamcyn and Interamerica Inc., Forever Tango offers 14 dancers, one vocalist (Carlos Morel) and an 11-piece orchestra. New and traditional Argentinean music accompanies the dances. Asked why he thought Forever Tango was such a hit with Broadway audiences, spokesperson Stephen Pitalo said, "1997 was the year of the Tango; it looks like 1998 will be, too."
"Tango is a feeling that you dance," said creator/director Luis Bravo. "A story you tell in three minutes. It's passionate, it's melancholic. It's tender, violent. You dance it with somebody -- but it's so internal, you dance it by yourself. More than just a dance, the tango is a music, a drama, a culture, a way of life." Bravo is best known as a cellist with the various international philharmonic orchestra.
Dancing this Tango are Miriam Larici & Diego DiFalco, Luis Castro & Claudia Mendoza, Carlos Gavito & Marcela Duran, Jorge Torres & Karina Piazza, Carlos Vera & Laura Marcarie, Guillermo Merlo & Cecilia Saia, Pedro Calveyra & Nora Robles, and Gabriel Ortega & Sandra Bootz, Carolina Zokalski.
Designing the show are Bravo (lighting), Argemira Affonso (costumes), Tom Craft (sound) and Jean-Luc Don Vito & Marian Torre (make-up). Lisandro Adrover serves as music director and arranger, and composed several pieces in the production.
For tickets ($30-$75) and information on Forever Tango, call (212) 239-6200.
Forever Tango also is planning to embark on a North American tour. w, a North American tour, with 12 US dates, two stops in Canada and one in Mexico. The interary is subject to change and includes the following performance venues:
April 17-26: Playhouse Theatre; Wilmington, DE
April 28-May 17: Princess of Wales Theatre; Toronto, ON
May 19-23: Rosemont Theatre; Chicago, IL
May 27: Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA
May 29-31: Tropicana Showroom; Atlantic City, NJ
June 2-7: Theatre Maisonneuve; Montreal, QB
June 9-14: Carpenter Center; Richmond, VI
June 16-21: Historic State Theatre; Minneapolis, MN
June 23-28: Orange County Performing Arts Center; Costa Mesa, CA
June 30-July 12: Royce Hall--UCLA CPA; Los Angeles, CA
July 14-28: Teatro Alameda; Mexico City, Mexico
July 28-August 2: Auditorium Theatre; Denver, CO
August 4-9: TBA; Portland, OR
August 11-16: TBA; San Jose, CA
September 8-13: TBA, Seattle, WA
