Tango Argentino (musical)

Tango Argentino (musical)
Tango Argentino - Dani and Silvina Valz-Obelisco in 2011
Premiere11 November 1983; 40 years ago (1983-11-11): Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, France
Productions
AwardsTony Award Nominations:
  • -1986 Nominated Best Choreography
  • -1986 Nominated Best Direction of a Musical
  • -1986 Nominated Best Musical
  • -2000 Nominated Best Revival of a Musical
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox musical with unknown parameter "direction"

Tango Argentino is a musical stage production about the history and many varieties of Argentine tango. It was created and directed by Hector Orezzoli[1] and Claudio Segovia, and premiered at the Festival d'Automne in Paris in 1983 and on Broadway in New York in 1985. The Mel Howard production became a world-wide success with numerous tours culminating with a Broadway revival in 1999–2000. It set off a world-wide resurgence of tango, both as a social dance and as a musical genre.[2] Tango Argentino recreates on stage the history of tango from its beginnings in 19th-century Buenos Aires through the tango's golden age of the 1940s and 50s up to Piazzolla's tangos.[3] Most of the dancers in the show did their own choreography.[4]

Tango Argentino was a totally unexpected hit. It violated all the rules— It was low budget, used a single set, and showcased slim, athletic professional dancers, such as Nelson Avila, along with middle-aged dancers, such as Verulazo, all on the same stage. The average age of the cast was 42 years.[2]

All this glamour attends a show that even Argentines wouldn't invest in at the outset, a show that made it to Broadway largely by accident, a show that has one set, four accordions (called bandoneons) and a couple of 38-inch waistlines.[5] (Samuel G. Friedman, NY Times 1985)

  1. ^ Dunning, Jennifer (8 December 1991). "Hector Orezzoli Is Dead at 38; Won Tonys for 'Black and Blue'". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Boutwell, Jane (21 October 1985). "The Tango". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  4. ^ "Tango Argentino Broadway @ Mark Hellinger Theatre - Tickets and Discounts | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).