Married ‘Havana’ performers reunited

Monday, Dec. 20, 2004 | 11:05 a.m.

Noybel Gorgoy and her husband, Jose David Alvarez Del Valle, had been apart for almost half of their yearlong marriage.

The Cuban couple, both vocalists with "Havana Night Club -- The Show," were divided by the Atlantic Ocean, two continents and politics.

She was in Berlin, a victim of red tape. He was in Las Vegas, performing in a show that was making international headlines.

Friday night the 21-year-old Gorgoy and 25-year-old Del Valle were reunited at the Stardust's Wayne Newton Theatre, a drama that unfolded in the darkness of a showroom full of fans who were unaware of the intrigue in their midst.

The couple's separation ended in the middle of "Havana," shortly after 8 p.m. Friday.

After 15 hours of flying, Gorgoy arrived at McCarran International Airport at 7:20 p.m., 10 minutes before the curtain went up for that evening's performance.

She went straight to the Stardust showroom from the airport, walking into the theater about 30 minutes after the 90-minute show began.

Del Valle, a vocalist, was onstage when he saw his bride enter the dark room.

"I wanted to jump into the audience and hug her and kiss her," said Del Valle, beaming proudly as he and his wife clung to each other backstage. "And then I thought, 'No, I cannot do that while I am singing.' "

So he waited until the song was finished.

His part finished for the moment, Del Valle dashed backstage, threw on a hat and coat for a disguise, ran into the showroom and -- with the audience none the wiser -- grabbed his exhausted and trembling wife, and they kissed before he had to dart back to the stage.

It was a tearful yet joyful reunion, not only between Gorgoy and Del Valle, but also between Gorgoy and her extended family -- the nearly 50 cast members of "Havana" who had been eagerly anticipating her arrival.

The story began last summer when "Havana" creator/producer/director N.D. Durr announced plans to bring her show to the Stardust on July 30.

But after the announcement the regime of dictator Fidel Castro refused to give the Cuban performers permission to go to the United States.

Durr and her troupe fought the government, demanding to be allowed to express their artistic talents.

Gorgoy and six other cast members of "Havana" left Cuba for Berlin to await the outcome of the struggle and to perform in other productions in Europe.

In mid-August the Cuban government said the rest of the cast could go to the United States, but not as a group. They had to leave individually.

Over a period of weeks the cast trickled into Vegas. When their production premiered in August it did so with several cast members still stuck in Cuba.

Durr was evicted from the country and her performers were warned that they could face severe consequences for their defiant stand when they returned.

The show premiered Aug. 21 and ended its abbreviated run Sept. 5. It returned for a brief engagement from Oct. 16-22.

The current run, which ends Jan. 11, began on Nov. 15 -- the same day 43 of the cast members asked for political asylum. Three Cubans did not seek refuge and have since returned to Cuba.

Those who did ask for asylum were interviewed last week by immigration officials in Los Angeles.

A spokesman for "Havana" said that since Gorgoy is Del Valle's dependent, there should not be any problems with her staying in this country.

Gorgoy will begin performing with the troupe after Christmas.

"I haven't seen her in six months and six days," Del Valle said.

For a while, they wondered if they would ever see each other again.

"We weren't sure," Del Valle said. "If she ever went back to Cuba they would never let her leave because she is married to me.

"It was a very lucky thing that she happened to be in Germany when we decided to seek asylum."

They wrote to each other constantly and spoke by phone almost every day.

"We spent so much money on phone bills," Del Valle said. "But we don't care."

The couple were inseparable backstage, clinging to each other as they talked about their future.

Del Valle did most of the talking. Gorgoy is still learning English.

"We plan to work together and to be the happiest couple in the world," he said. "We want to make our dreams come true."

Eventually they want to start a family.

"He wants 13 kids," Gorgoy said. "His dream is to have 13 boys, all of them with the names of all the states in America."

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