LA BARBERIA Opens Off-Broadway At New World Stages 2/3

Producers David Maldonado and Juan Toro announced today the Off Broadway premiere of La Barbería (The Barbershop), a new Spanglish comedic drama by David Maldonado (Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz, Quien Mato A Hector Lavoe) and Ari Maniel Cruz. This funny, yet emotional journey of hope, identity, and assimilation will begin performances at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street - between 8th & 9th Avenues) on Thursday, February 3rd. Opening Night is set for Thursday, February 17th. La Barbería is performed mostly in Spanish. It will play an open-ended engagement.

When Beny Acevedo, landlord and proprietor of a bustling Washington Heights barbershop, gets a multi-million dollar offer to sell his building, he faces the toughest decision of his life. Set against a score of original contemporary Latin music emanating from the airwaves, La Barbería is a comedic and wistful portrait of a neighborhood in flux and a tribute to the strength of a community.

Directed by Waddys Jacquez, the cast of La Barbería features an all Latin cast including Manny Perez, Mateo Gomez, Ruperto Vanderpool, Modesto Lacen, Sunilda Caraballo, Ivan Camilo, Graciany Miranda, Juan Carlos Diaz and Emme Bonilla. The creative team is comprised of Raul Abrego (sets), Sarah Sidman (lights) and Hochi Asiatico (costumes).

Tickets are $55 & $70 (premium seats) and include a $1.50 facility fee. They can be purchased through Telecharge.com/212-239-6200 (212-239-6240 for Spanish). The performance schedule for La Barbería is: Monday at 8pm, Wednesday-Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 4:30pm & 8pm and Sunday at 3pm & 7pm.

BIOS

David Maldonado and Juan Toro (Co-Author/Producers) are veterans in the Latin music and entertainment industry and have a strong understanding of the US Hispanic market. They both began their careers at Ralph Mercado Management (RMM), the foremost Latin booking and production agency working with personalities such as Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Baretto and Tito Puente, just to name a few. In 1990 David and Juan branched out and began to represent and develop some of the most contemporary Latin artists, such as Ruben Blades, Marc Anthony, La India, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Victor Manuelle, Millie Quezada, and Obie Bermudez, among others. In recent years, Juan Toro has added to the roster International Artists such as Wisin y Yandel, Don Omar, Omega, Tego Calderon, Jowell y Randy and Jerry Rivera. In 1999 Maldonado and Toro produced their first theatrical endeavor, ¿Quién mató a Hector Lavoe? which received critical acclaim as a theatrical success by local and national media including The New York Times, The Daily News, NBC, all major Spanish language newspapers and became a box-office success. In 2007 Maldonado co-produced the feature film El Cantante (Picture House) starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, based on the life of Hector Lavoe. In 2007 David also co-produced the musical hit Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz.

Ari Maniel Cruz (Co-Author) is a writer, director and producer of film, television and theatre. Some of his film credits include: Barrios, Zompi, El Brindis del Bohemio and El Enigma de Mariano Faría. Arí's original screenplay, Julito y la Calle (aka Julito Marana), which is being produced by State Street Pictures, (Soul Food, Men of Honor, Nothing Like the Holidays). In 2010, Arí Maniel wrote the screenplay Rev for Tres Ojos Films and producer Julio Caro (The Cell, El Cante). Arí Maniel is currently the Executive Producer, Writer and Host on V-ME, a U.S. National Television Network in Spanish.

Waddys Jaquez (Director) was born in Santo Domingo, ninth in a family of 16 children. He wrote his first literary works at the age of 8. He is recognized as a writer, director, actor, choreographer and artistic producer - one of the most well-rounded artists of a new generation of stage performers and producers from the Dominican Republic. At an early age he received musical and circus training with the Spanish company "El Circo Los Muchachos". He later studied theater at the National School of the Scenic Arts in the Dominican Republic. He studied dance at the Modern Dance Workshop of Santo Domingo; at the Mérida School of Fine Arts in Mexico; and at Broadway Dance Center in New York City. He also studied advertising and television production at the Catholic University of Santo Domingo. In New York, he founded the "Poison Apple" theater troupe with actress Mariluz Acosta. He has devoted much of his career to theatrical research and physical training. Although he was trained in the Stanislavsky acting method, he is more influenced today by contemporary artists including Eugenio Barva and Anthun Filhio. He is a versatile actor, having played a wide variety of characters to great praise from the public and international critics. His first monologue, entitled "Pargo: Permitted Sins," has been performed in more than 15 cities around the world and studied in international seminars and at universities including New York City's Columbia University, the Catholic University of Santo Domingo and the National University of Mexico (UNAM). His most successful creations as a writer and director are Pargo: Permitted Sins, CERO, The Chameleon and the Seven Gates, Requiem for Damian. "Lethal: Live Television" and his most recent work, the musical La Cabeza del Rey (The King's Head). Waddys was also the protagonist of the Spanish version of the musical Cabaret. He directed the musical Annie for the National Theatre of the Dominican Republic. Among the artists he has collaborated with as a producer or director are Zoe Saldana, Juan Luis Guerra and the musical group Aventura. In just ten years, his work has won 4 ACE awards, 4 HOLA awards, and 12 Casandra awards (the Dominican Republic's most prestigious artistic award). In August 2011, Waddys will begin filming his first movie, the film version of his play The Chameleon and the Seven Gates.

Manny Perez (Beny) is one of eleven siblings, born in a small town in the Dominican Republic. He graduated from Marymount Manhattan College, majoring in theatre and is a member of the LAByrinth Theater Company. He was last seen in the LAB's Deathwatch and Rough House and has worked in many other theatres such as INTAR, Theatre for the New City, Trinity Arts in Prov, RI and others. Film: La Soga (which he produced & wrote) El Cantante, Bella, (for which he won an Alma Award) Illegal Tender, Pride & Glory, Forged, (which he produced & wrote) The Ministers, Nothing like the Holidays, Yellow, Amexicano, Where God Left His Shoes, Washington Heights, (critically acclaimed for which he won Best Actor in the festival routes) and many others. TV: Cold Case, Criminal Minds, Third Watch, Rescue Me, CSI Miami, 100 Centre Street, All of the Law & Order shows and others.

Mateo Gomez (Cheo) has been working in theater, film and TV for 38 plus years in Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway, nationally and internationally. Mateo has appeared in films such as Che, Fresh, Pinero, I think I do, Music of the Heart, Company Men, La Ciudad, Persecucion, Delta Force II, The Bone Collector, Shine On, Exposed, and Circus. Mateo has also appeared in countless episodes of New York-based TV dramas "Law and Order," "Rescue Me," "New York Undercover" and many of the soap operas. Mateo is the Senior Artistic Director and Founder of Teatro LATEA, and Co-Founder of The Clemente Soto-Velez Cultural and Educational Center.

Ruperto Vanderpool (Bachatero/Policeman) is a native New Yorker of Dominican extraction and a recognized comedian and actor in the Latin American community with a national fan base and an international appeal and flair. As a stand-up comedian, the boisterous Ruperto Vanderpool has appeared on Martin Lawrence Presents The 1st Amendment Stand Up on STARZ , BET's "ComicView", "ShowTime at the Apollo", "Comics Unleashed" with Byron Allen, SiTv's Latino 101 and was personally selected by P.Diddy to perform for HBO "Bad Boys of Comedy Season 2." His film credits include: co-starring with Queen Latifah in the Lions Gate Film The Cookout, Carlito's Way (Rise to Power), and a memorable role in the Latino cult-classic EL Vacilon: The Movie. Mr. Vanderpool won the 1st Annual American Latino Award for "Favorite American Latino Comedian" and also was the Recipient of the "El Awards" from El Diario La Prensa.

Modesto Lacen (Correo) has worked consistently in theater, film, television and radio for the past 17 years in Puerto Rico and US. Off- Broadway: Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz (Pedro Knight), Gardel, Pantaleón y las Visitadoras. NY Theater: Réquiem por Yarini (HOLA Award), Ser o no Cer...vantes (HOLA Award), Salsa Gorda and Las minutas de Marti. Regional Theater: Medea, The Boys in the Band, Romeo and Juliet, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Godspell, Hamlet, Blue Surge, Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Film: Animal, Dirty Dancing 2, Kidnapped in Paradise, Second Honeymoon, Back in the Day (Ja Rule's Acting Coach) and the upcoming No me visites. Education: B.A. in Acting from the University of Puerto Rico; The Public Theater and Circle in the Square in NY.

Sunilda Caraballo (Nurys) Born to a Dominican mother and a Puerto Rican dad, Sunilda is thrilled to be a part of La Barberia. She began her career dancing for Ballet Hispanico, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, The New York City Opera, Thomas/Ortiz Dance Company, Olga Tanon, Jerry Rivera, Manny Manuel, among others. She has performed alongside musical theatre stars such as Lillias White, Euan Morton and Kevin Gray. Theatre credits include: La casa de los espiritus, Don~a Flor y sus dos maridos, Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz, where she got rave reviews for her multiple roles, and Pantaleon y las visitadoras, which she also choreographed and got an HOLA Award for the second consecutive year. Sunilda's Stand-Up comedy has been seen at Carolines on Broadway, Nuyorican Poets Café, Triad Theatre, The PIT and recently, presented her one woman show "Hardware Dreams" at Theatre for the New City, produced by Nueva Escena. She holds a Magna cum laude B.A. in Communications, with a minor in theatre from the University of Puerto Rico.

Ivan Camilo (Sandy) was born in the Dominican Republic, started studying at the age of 9 years old at "The School of Fine Arts" and graduated from "The National Academic of Fine Arts." He got his BA in theater from University of Puerto Rico. Stage credits include: The Lion in Winter, Salome, Peter Pan, Lion King, Fuenteovejuna, Harlequin Server of two Masters, Twelfth Night, Don Quixote, Lorca in a Green dress, The Goat, Dona Rosita The Spinster, Signed and Sealed, etc. (HOLA AWARD 2006, 2007) (ACE AWARD 2009). Has worked in several films including: Cayo, where he shared a lead role with Roselyn Sanchez, Lost Bullet, Bitter Sweat, The Nativity, Tell Her I Love Her, Under theRocks, The Cage, Don't Visit Me, Murderous Crocodile, Classified & Under My Nails.

Graciany Miranda (Jeffrey/Banquero) was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He has appeared in 29 productions and 6 films in New York City since moving here 18 months ago. Favorite theatrical roles include Iago in Othello, Ferdinand de Levis in Loyalties, Henriquez in Double Falsehood (US premiere), Lombardi in The Servant of Two Masters, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Gilles de Rais in Saint Joan, Queen Elizabeth in Richard III, Johnny in Dead White Males, Santa in Your Own Private Santa, Jesus in A.D. 33, Feste in Twelfth Night, and Xanthias in The Bohemians. He also played Duke Frederick in As You Like It in Hyde Park, London. He obtained his BFA in Acting from Boston University, and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He's had workshops with RADA's Brian Stirner and Adrienne Thomas, and with John Barton.

Juan Carlo Diaz (Male Swing) is a native New Yorker and has been acting professionally since the age of seventeen, appearing in various stage and television shows. He was last seen on stage in works at The Players Club, New Media Repertory Theatre, Looking Glass Theatre and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe as part of a Latino festival, as well as a promo shoot for NBC. He is a graduate of Bard College where he studied under the tutelage of JoAnne Akalaitis. Juan Carlos is excited and thankful to be part of La Barbería and would like to thank his mother Julia for being his everything including Ray and Angelo for being the best friends in the world.

Emme Bonilla (Female Swing) Hailing from Puerto Rico, Emme is excited to be a part of this great production, her first Off-Broadway show! She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico (BFA in Theater Education and English), where her credits include Divinas palabras (Mari-Gaila), La fierecilla domada (Katerina), and an all-female adaptation of Esperado a Godot (Pozzo). In New York she received an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College, where she trained with Marc Blum and Judylee Vivier. BC Credits: The Tempest (Ariel - dir. by Mary B. Robinson), The House of Bernarda Alba (Martirio), and an adaptation of My Sister in This House (Lea/Isabelle) where she showcased her skills as a puppeteer. She recently returned from a critically-acclaimed and Helen Hayes recommended production of El caballero de Olmedo (Doña Inés) at Washington, DC's GALA Theatre.

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