Review: ANNA IN THE TROPICS at Bay Street Theatre

Sag Harbor's Bay Street Theatre certainly has another hit on their hands with their latest offering, the Pulitzer winning Anna in the Tropics. The stellar production, the second of their current season, runs through July 24th at the adorable East End venue. It was on Broadway from the Fall of 2003 to early 2004 and this showing is indeed not one to be missed.

Excellently directed by Marcos Santana, the Tony nominated play - set in 1929 - by Nilo Cruz tells the stirring story of a Cuban family who owns a cigar factory in Ybor City; a section of Tampa, Florida, and the center of the cigar industry. One thing that the family carries on is a tradition that, as the workers went about their work day hand rolling each cigar, a well-educated and well spoken "Lector" would read to them. In this tale, the lector reads Anna Karenina which emboldens the workers lives and relationships to spin out of control.

The ensemble cast is extraordinary.

Serafin Falcon excellently portrays Santiago, the patriarch of the family and owner of the cigar factory; strong willed and full of pride yet loving to his family. Iliana Guibert expertly portrays Ofelia, Santiago's wife and a true force in supporting the family business. Their daughters, Conchita and Marela, are exquisitely portrayed by Christine Spang and Maria Isabel Bilbao. Both fiery and strong, they shine in their respective roles. Anthony Michael Martinez is fantastic as Juan Julian, the lector. Guillermo Ivan has a duo role of Conchita's husband, Palomo, and Eliades, a local gamester. It is brilliant to watch Mr. Ivan go from role to role as he portrays Palomo very sternly and Eliades very comically. And rounding out the cast is Christian Barillas as CheChe, Santiago's half-brother and the skeevy villain in this story. Indeed, everyone in this cast is spectacular and keeps the audience engaged.

Not only is the cast brilliant, the crew of this production is superb as well.

On Mr. Santana's clever creative team, Luciana Stecconi's set is well done and makes great use of the intimate stage. Wooden desks that the workers use stand on wood floors and a platform stands in the back where Juan reads. A structure also hangs from the ceiling adding to the dramatic effect. This is heightened by Fabian Fidal Aguilar's stunning costumes and Maria-Cristina Fuste's atmospheric lighting. I really could go on and on, but as you can plainly tell by the photo in this article, this is a visually stunning production.

And so, Anna in the Tropics is certainly a must see this Summer (fitting title!). Seeing a Pulitzer winner is always thrill, but when you have a cast and crew as amazing as the one at Bay Street, it truly is a special experience. A gripping tale, a fantastic cast, and the gorgeous Bay Street Theatre make for a wonderful night of theatre.

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