Cuban delivery is worth the wait at the Stardust

Monday, Aug. 23, 2004 | 8:19 a.m.

Hardly anyone gave Nicole Durr a snowball's chance in August of bringing her Cuban production "Havana Night Club -- The Show" to the Stardust.

History was against her -- it had been decades since artists from Cuba had been allowed to enter the United States to perform.

Politics were against her -- for weeks both the American and Cuban governments stonewalled Durr's efforts to get visas for her troupe of 50.

Even the weather was against her -- last week Hurricane Charley swept across parts of Cuba en route to slamming into Florida.

But in the end, Durr conquered two governments, the past and a deadly storm to show pessimists what perseverance can accomplish.

"Havana" premiered Saturday night, 23 days after the original announced starting date. The show will continue through Sept. 5.

Was the Herculean effort worth it?

Absolutely.

This is a wonderful, history-making production with exciting choreography, colorful costumes and a story to tell about the genesis of dance in the Caribbean island nation.

It is directed by choreographer Kenny Ortega, a genius whose work includes the films "Xanadu" (1980) and "Dirty Dancing" (1987).

If you already are a fan of Cuban music and dance, you will be thrilled. If you aren't, this is a chance for you to see what all of the excitement is about, and possibly become a convert.

With almost no time to rehearse, the talented cast of young dancers managed to put together a show in the 1,100-seat Wayne Newton Theater that seemed all but flawless to the unwary eye.

Rehearsal should not have been a major issue anyway. The production has been traveling around the world since 1999. It has been performed in 16 countries. The U.S. is No. 17.

As Durr noted that at a dress rehearsal Friday night, 10 cast members still had not arrived and the rest of the troupe had to work the choreography around the missing performers. A Las Vegas musician filled in for a Cuban drummer who had not yet arrived. A pianist had to sing.

The production opens with jungle sounds -- insects, birds -- and a bare stage.

There is a primal nature about the beginning of the dancing, as if it is innate to the Cuban ethos.

A female dancer, dressed as a butterfly, dances with a male dancer, whose brief costume hints at a tiger. Their routine is more sensual ballet than Latin rhythm.

From the jungles, the dance and music evolve. Scenes from various stages in the evolution make up the production.

A nightclub, circa 1940s, rises out of the stage floor to provide a setting for the dances popular during that era.

There are flamenco dancers, cha cha, mambo, rumba and ultimately street dancing. Music that seems to have been influenced by rap is presented as the Cuban culture continues to evolve.

Perhaps the political climate also will continue to evolve.

"This had been like a dream," Durr said. "It was a big fight to break the Cuban government, but we stood up as one voice and said we just want to dance. We want to bring our talent to America."

Cuba would not let the troupe come as a unit, but they allowed them to come individually, which became a long, tedious process. Those who applied for visas had to depart from the place of their birth.

"Travel in Cuba is very bad," Durr said. "My cast went through a long journey."

She says the journey won't end when the show closes in Vegas on Sept. 5. Durr is confident there will be more engagements in more cities and that the visas, good for six months, will be extended.

Ortega praised Durr and the Stardust.

"She is truly remarkable," he said. "She has not let up, has never bowed down to the possibility of it not happening. She has incredible strength and vision."