Cuba's Famous Tropicana Dancers Come to Miami For First Time

Cuba's Famous Tropicana Dancers Come to Miami For First Time
Written by Hayley Phelan December 31, 2015

As Cuba and the U.S. continue to warm up to each other, new Miami
hotspot El Tucan is set to add some serious sizzle to the courtship.
On December 30, 1939, at a villa on the outskirts of Havana, doors
opened at what would become one of the world's most famous cabarets. It
was called the Tropicana—and for the next 20 years, it became the
epicenter of hedonism, a veritable bacchanalian eden for the jet set.
Ernest Hemingway drank there. So did J.F.K. Marlon Brando supposedly
tried to buy the drum set right off the stage—before taking off with two
of the establishment's best showgirls instead. The performers became
celebrities and the show was so popular that, in 1956, the Tropicana
debuted its first promotional flight from Miami to Havana, entertaining
revelers on a Cubana de Aviación plane with in-air performances. Then,
toward the end of the 1950s, Fidel Castro took control of the country
and everything changed; the club's owners quickly fled (or were
imprisoned) and the showgirls' travel was greatly restricted. Americans,
needless to say, were no longer welcome.

Today, however, marks a new era for the Tropicana. The club's famous
entertainers are set to perform at new Miami hotspot El Tucan for a New
Year's Eve bash that's set to make history: When the feathered and
bedazzled dancers hit the stage tonight, it'll be the first time in 32
years they've done so in the United States.

"The arrival of the Tropicana dancers to the States is a sign," said
Havana-based filmmaker and producer of the show, Rolando Almirante. "It
is like a greeting from Cuba, which is why we called the show Ola
Havana. We wanted to use this moment to bring the roots of the two
shores together again."

The arrival of the Tropicana dancers to the States is a sign. It is like
a greeting from Cuba.
The performance is the culmination of a long, arduous—and
surprising—journey that began over a year ago, when nightlife
impresarios Mathieu Massa and Michael Ridard signed a 20-year lease on a
space in upcoming Miami neighborhood Brickell with plans to open a Cuban
cabaret. "We had no idea what was about to happen between the two
countries," said Massa, a French transplant who, along with partner
Ridard, owns Miami eateries Baoli and Marion. "A few weeks after we
signed, [President] Obama shook the hand of Raul Castro for the first
time in I don't know how many years."

Massa and Ridard had already teamed up with Cuban-American Emilia
Menocal (director of the Charlize Theron–produced doc East of Havana) to
create a dinner and show experience at El Tucan that would pay homage to
the glamorous Cuban cabarets of the 1940s and '50s. The trio, along with
their team of creatives, began visiting Cuba in late 2014 and early 2015
to conduct some very fun research: "We rented a house in Havana and
began going out every single night to every single live performance to
get inspiration for the atmosphere and performance," said Massa. The
biggest lesson he learned? "The personality of the characters and the
performers is key to getting the audience emotionally involved," he
said—which is why El Tucan's bartenders and waiters also had to audition
for the gig.

As Massa and his team got to work on the new space, Cuban-American
relationships continued to warm up. "I thought it would be a perfect
opportunity to create a bridge, to give the opportunity to the younger
Cuban-American generation to learn about their cultural heritage by
bringing the jewel of the country—the Tropicana—here," he said. Again,
his timing was impeccable: After tracking down the man in charge at the
Tropicana, Massa was informed that the cabaret was already planning a
world tour. It was decided then, that the tour would kick off in Miami
at the El Tucan.

"It's very symbolic that we're starting in Miami," said Almirante, who,
along with Massa, noted that there was plenty of red tape to cross.
"We've been working on this a long time. But we feel that all that work
will pay off."

The one-hour performance will feature 15 dancers, two live singers—and
12 outfit changes (fun fact: the costumes arrived in nine crates from
Cuba, weighing a staggering 850 pounds). And, if performer Alisbet Rebe
Reyes, aka La Santiaguera, has any say in it, it will indeed be truly
unforgettable.

"It is my first time in Miami and an absolute honor," she said. "I am
excited to share a piece of my culture and to give native Cubans in
Miami a taste of home. I am emotional and ready to give the best
performance Miami has ever seen. Get ready for some flavor!"

You can read more about the historic performance (and buy tickets) at El
Tucan's website. The Tropicana dancers will be performing through
January 2. Back in Cuba, catch one of El Tucan's regular cabaret shows,
every Thursday through Saturday. Diners are seated at 8 p.m. and 10
p.m., but walk-in guests are welcome to grab a drink at the bar and take
in the show from there.

Source: Cuba's Famous Tropicana Dancers Come to Miami For First Time -
Condé Nast Traveler -
http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2015-12-31/cubas-famous-tropicana-dancers-come-to-miami-for-first-time