Salsa star Gilberto Santa Rosa to lead a revival of ‘Forever Tango’ to Broadway this summer

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The singer known as the Gentleman of Salsa is turning to tango: Gilberto Santa Rosa will make his Broadway debut in the musical “Forever Tango,” which returns to New York in July for a 10-week stand featuring some of the Puerto Rican singer’s hits.

“I haven’t stopped jumping, screaming and pinching myself because I still don’t believe it,” Santa Rosa told The Associated Press Monday. “I am as anxious as one can be ahead of a project like this one: super-astonished, super-surprised and all the supers you can imagine.”

The revival of Luis Bravo’s show opens July 9 at the Walter Kerr Theatre and Santa Rosa, the singer of such salsa hits as “Medias negras,” ”Perdoname” and “Amor mio no te vayas” will spend three weeks as a guest vocalist. Future vocalists will be announced later.

“Forever Tango” originally opened on Broadway 1997 and earned multiple Tony nominations. It returned for a limited four-month engagement in 2004.

While the world knows he can definitely dance salsa, many mightwonder if Santa Rosa can do the famous South American dance.

“I took tango lessons many years ago and it is one of the most difficult dances that there are,” he said. “I did it for a show we were doing in Puerto Rico and it was a crash course. I had a lot of fun but it was very hard.”

With 16 dancers and an 11-member orchestra, Santa Rosa hopes he doesn’t disappoint. “I will give my all so us salsa-singers will be well represented in this tango environment,” he assured.

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Online: http://www.forevertango.us