PW Inside Tango Argentino

InsideTangoArgentino
TheStoryoftheMostImportantTango
ShowofAllTime
AntónGazenbeek
Books,ebooks,DVDs,rareTangoCDs-mp3s:
http://tango-dancers.com
ISBN:978-1-304-69202-3
ebookeditionby:
EnricoMassettiPlublishing
InsideTangoArgentino
©2013AntonGazenbeek
Acknowledgments
This book isdedicated to Mr. Claudio Segovia and hisvision,the late
HectorOrezzoli, and to all the artistswho made Tango Argentino the
success that it was. May their hard work, talent, and artistry be
remembered…forever.
AveryspecialthanksalsotoSergioSeguraforallhishardwork,endless
supportofthisproject,hisbeautifulgraphic designofthisbookandthe
many hours shared interviewing, researching, and preparing this book.
Graciaschabon!
Disclaimer
Thisbookistheresultofovereightyearsofintenseresearchconducted
in Buenos Aires and around the wo r l d .Personal interviews were
conductedwitheachofthesurvivingmembersof the cast of the show,
and countless documents, programs, newspaper and magazine archives,
films, videos, audio records, and photographs were consulted. This
accumulatedmaterialconstitutesthebulkofthesourcematerialforthis
book.
Thisbookreflectshowtheeventsoccurredtothebestofmyknowledge,
and no personal opinions on my partwere included. It is a non-biased
studyoftheexistingfactsregardingtheshow.Thisbookis intended to
showgreatrespecttoeachandevery member of the cast, both onstage
andoff.
AntonGazenbeek
Foreword
Thetangoalwaysgivesussurprises.ThatayoungDutchboycouldbeso
attractedtothemusicanddanceoftheRiodelaPlata,ashashappened
withhim,seemedstrangetomeandalmostasifitwasafable,untilone
dayImethimpersonallyandconvincinglydiscoveredthattohavebeen
borninHolland,withallrespect,wasamistake,asthetangoispresentin
his entire body and mind and that through study, sacrifice and a
dedicationwhichdeserve sfullrespect and admiration as “work”which
hehasdonefromtheheart,I hope the diffusion of this book will be a
successandhopeitwillbeacceptedandunderstoodinitstruedimension.
AsI,JuanCarlosCopes do, I wish him the best of triumphs in all the
facets of his tanguero career. Strength, a hug and that his “message”
continuesconqueringlandandadmirersallovertheworld.
Allthebest,
JuanCarlosCopesBuenosAiresOctober2008
El Tango siempre nos depara una sorpresa. Que un joven holandés, se
sienta atraído por la música y danza, del Rió de la Plata, como ha
sucedidoconél,mesonabaextrañoyhastacasiunafábula,hastaquelo
conocípersonalmenteycomprobarfehacientemente,quehabernacidoen
holanda,contodorespeto,fuéunaccidente,yaqueentodosucuerpoy
mente, el tango esta presente, a base de estudio, sacrificio y una
dedicaci óndigna de todo respeto y admiración como “trabajo”, esta
hecho con el corazón,espero que su difusión y éxito sea entendido y
comprendido, en s uverdadera dimensión; como hago yo, Juan Carlos
Copes, que le desea el mayor de los triunfos, en todos sus ciclos
tangueros. Fuerza, un abrazo y que su “mensaje”, siga conquistando
plazasyadmiradoresentodoelmundo.
LoMejor.
JuanCarlosCopesBuenosAiresOctubre2008
Introduction
Thirty-threepopularArgentineartistsreuniteinParisto play, sing, and
dancetango.
Anorchestraoftwelvemusicians.Fivesingers.
Sixdancingcouples.Anactor.
The danc efloor:Bordello, European Cabar e t ,Buenos Aires Cabaret,
DanceSalon,NeighborhoodClub.
Ablackbackground.
TheskyofBuenosAires.
Aselectionoftangosthatrecountsthetruehistoryoftango.
Eachartisthastheirownrole.
EachartistisanauthenticPorteño.
ThiswasTangoArgentino.
WhatwasTangoArgentino?Whywasitsoimportant ?Whocreatedit?
Whostarredinit?Whydidithavesuchworldwidesuccess?Whydidit
stop?
Inthepagesofthisbookyouwillfindtheanswerstoallthesequestions
andmore.InsideTangoArgentinoisanacademic,almostscientificstudy
oftheworld’sfirstandmostimportantinternationaltangoshow,Tango
Argentino.
TangoArgentinowasthecreationoftwoverytalentedtheater directors
and designers, Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli. It was the most
magnificentshow the world had ever seen in its time, and it spent ten
yearstouringtheworld.It appeared in France, Italy, the United States,
Canada,Broadway,Japan,Austria,Switzerland,Germany,over52North
American cities, Venezuela, Holland, Engl a ndand in itshomeland
Argentina.
It had such unprecedented success everywhere that it appeared that a
whole“tangomanía”ortangocrazewa ssetoff.Peoplebegantogointo
thestreetsandtothetheaterdressedinclothesthatmimickedthedancers
intheshow.Menbegantoslick their hair back with shiny gel to style
themselves after the men in the show. Women began to wear long,
elegant, black dresses with high slits, modeling themselves after the
women in the show. Fashion designers began to pick up on this and
designed“tango-inspired”clothinglines.Voguemagazinephotographed
the cast of the show on more than three occasions. Famous celebrities
fromallfieldsbecamewhatonecouldcall“groupies”oftheshow.Liza
Minellisawitonnumerousoccasions,RobertDuvall(wholater,thanks
tothisshow,becameatangofanatic,andcontinuestodancetothisday),
AnthonyQuinn,AndyWarhol,PrincessDiana,andotherswerejustsome
ofthosewhofellundertheshow’sspell.
Apartfromthefashionandhairstyles,themostimportantpartofallthis
craze was that Tango Argentino started a boom of interest in tango
dancing. Thousands of people clamored at the stage door after every
performance, begging the dancers to give them classes in authentic
ArgentineTango.Afterholdingbackandresistingforquitealongtime,
thedancersfinallyagreedandawholetangodancecrazetookoff from
BroadwaytoParistoTokyo,andbackt oBuenosAireswherethedance
had originated but been forgotten and suffered many years of neglect.
Tango classes started up everywhere in dance studios and dance halls.
Tangoprofessorscameoutofthewoodworkclaimingtoteachauthentic
tango.Milongas(socialtangodances)startedupinmanycitiesallover
theworld,andcontinuetothisday.
As a result of all this interest in tango, a tremendous tango tourism
businessstartedinBuenosAires.Intheyear1986there had been three
Americans who went to Argentina specifically to study tango: Robert
Duvall was t h efirst, and next was a couple named Al and Barbara
Garvey,wholaterwentonto become important tango teachers and the
founders of the San Francisco tango community. After 1986 a steady
increaseintangotourismstartedthatburgeonedintothethousandswithin
two years. It seemed that every city where Tango Argentino went was
inspiredbywhatitsawintheshowandhadanappetitetolearnmore.
AndTangoArgentino,ormoreimportantlyitsstory,isinspiring.Itisthe
storyofthefightoftwomen.Thefighttokeepadyingartformaliveand
presentittotheworld.ThisisthestoryofTangoArgentino.
1-THECREATORS:
CLAUDIOSEGOVIAANDHECTOR
OREZZOLI
ThestoryofTangoArgentinoreallystartswiththestoryofits creators
ClaudioSegoviaandHéctorOrezzoli.Bothwereporteños,ornativesof
Buenos Aires, Argentina, and both grew up with close contact to the
tango.Segoviacamefromahighlyartisticfamilyandsincehischildhood
hadagreatinterestinthetheater,music,dance,songandallformsofart.
HegrewupnextdoortoanAndalusianflamencopeña.Manyyearslater
thisinspiredhimtocreatetogetherwithHéctorOrezzolithespectacular
showFlamencoPurowhich,likeTangoArgentino,hadgreatinternational
successandtriumphedallovertheworld.
Attheageof20,ClaudioSegoviagraduatedfromtheEscuelaNacional
de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires,where he studied theater design, set
design, costume design and other arts. He also graduated from the
EscuelaSuperiordeBellasArtes.In1965hestartedhisworkasatheater
designer, and already showing extraordinary talent for hiscraft, he
designedthesetsandcostumesforworksbyShakespeare,VictorHugo,
andIbsen,amongothers.
HoweverSegoviaalwayshadastronginterestin popular artforms and
this led him to create in 1966 the spectacular show Baguala with
Mercedes Sosa, with whom he traveled throughout Europe, the United
StatesandthethenSovietUnion.Segoviaquicklyconvertedhimselfinto
oneofthegreatestmusic-halldirectorsinArgentinaatthetimeandhad
theopportunitytoworkwithsomeofthegreatestArgentineartistsofhis
time, such asAstor Piazzolla, Ernesto Sabato, Antonio Gasalla, Nélida
LobatoandEduardoFalu.
With the collaboration of his long-time associate a n dfriend Jorge
Lavelli,Segoviaworkedformanyyearsonimportantoperaproductionin
theatersacrossBrazil,ArgentinaandFrance.
Inspiteofallhi sworkinthefinerarts, Segovia neverforgotthatlittle
flamenco peña near his childhood home. In the year 1980 after many
yearsofhardworkandinvestigation,Segovia,togetherwithhislongtime
partnerandcollaborator Héctor Orezzoli, presented the show Flamenco
Puro in Seville, Spain. Flamenco Puro brought together the most
authenticgypsyflamencoartistsinSpainandpresentedthemusic,song
and dance on stage in its most authent i cform. The finest clothes,
costumes and makeup were used, all without losing the authentic,
“earthy” roots of the genre. This was the basis of all the work that
SegoviaandOrezzolididtogether:Bringapopular,dying,forgottenart
formtothestage with its most authentic and true singers, dancers and
musicians, present a high quality show with unparalleled costumes,
exquisitelightingdesignandspectacularhairandmakeup,andsharethe
heartandsouloftheartformandtheartistswiththeworld.Segoviadid
thisonmorethanoneoccasion.AfterFlamencoPurodebutedinSeville,
itlatercontinuedontotheFestivalD’AutomneinParis,atourofEurope,
andover50NorthAmericancities,includingBroadway.
SegoviacontinuedtheideaofshowslikeFlamencoPuroandwentonto
design, direct and produce four other great mega-shows: Tango
Argentino,BlackandBlue,NocheTropical,andBrasilBrasileiro.Allof
these shows always conserved Segovia’s strivi ngand determination to
presentauthenticityinallhiswork.Intoday’sworld,whereauthenticity
isscarceandalmostimpossibletofind,thatisaveryadmirabletrait.
HéctorOrezzoli
WemustnotforgetthatTangoArgentinowasnotthecreationofClaudio
Segovia alone. It was also the creation of Segovia’s longtime partner,
HéctorOrezzoli.OrezzoliwasbornandraisedinBuenosAires.Orezzoli
was quite a different child from Segovia and had a different way of
viewingtheworld.Althoughextremelyartistic,hehadamorebusinesslikewayofseeingthings.Hewas,inshort,whateverygreatartistlacks
andneeds:thebusinesssideoftheart,theorganizationalside,thebrains.
Orezzoli studied literature, psychology and theater at the University of
BuenosAires,wherehegraduatedintheearly1970s.
Orezzolialwaysworkedinthetheater.In1974hecreatedthe costumes
andsetsfortheshow“Honeymoon” of Sonia Delaunay. Hewent on to
designotherprominentandimportantshowsaswell.
In the early 1970s as if by destiny, the paths of Claudio Segovia and
HéctorOrezzolicrossed.Itwasthemeetingoftwogreatmen,twogreat
artistsandtwogreatlovers,whotogetherwouldchangetheworld’sview
of theater .Together Segovia and Orezzoli worked on many theater
productionsandwonmanyprestigiousawardsforthei rwork.Theywon
thegrandprizeattheBiennaledeSaoPaulo,the Prix Moliere, and the
premier prize from the Fond National des Arts. In 1974 Orezzoli and
SegoviapresentedtheshowCarnavaldeVeniseattheFestivalAix-enProvence, with scene and costume design by the two, and direction by
JorgeLavelli.In1975theytouredEuropeandLatinAmericawithsome
ofthegreatshowstheycreated.In1980camethedebutofFlamencoPuro
aftermanyyearsofhardworkanddeepinvestigationintotherootsofthe
flamencoartform.
Around 1976 Segovia began toyingwith the idea of putting together a
large scale tango show that placed all the best dancers, singers and
musiciansonthesamestageatthesametime.Thishadneverbeendone
before,andhethoughtitaninterestingidea.Hetalkedwithafewpeople
intheshowbusinessindustryandwasmetwithoneunanimousanswer:
impossible.Theyallthoughitwouldbeimpossibletoconvincesomany
artists,allofwhomhadan ego the size of the Moon, to appear on the
samestageatthesametime.Segovia,however,beingaspersistentashe
is,didnotgiveup.
AtthetimethegreatJuanCarlosCopesandhispartnerMariaNievesand
their tango ballet were performing in t h enightclub Sans Souci on
Corrientes and 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires. Segovia approached Copes
aftertheshow,explainedhisideatohim,thetwomenexchangedcards
andparted.CopessaidtoMaria,“Whatastupididea.Thismaniscrazy.
Hewillneverdoit.”
But no amount of discouragement was enough to kill the idea in
Segovia’shead.Hecontinuedtodevelopitinhisimagination,tweakit,
perfectit.Hecontinuedwithotherprojectsinthemeantime,but it was
alwaysinthebackofhismind.
WemustnotforgetthatTangoArgentino(andthereforeothershowslike
FlamencoPuro and Black and Blue) did not only have these two great
creators.Therewerewholeteamsofextremelytalentedartists,eachonea
masterinhisorherfield,whocontributedtothemagic,theexcellence,
thesuccessofTangoArgentino.
HildaCurletto
Hilda Curletto was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She
showedsignsofextremetalentfroma veryyoung age. Hilda is a very
speci al ,very gener o u swoman. Very quiet, observant, extremely
intelligentandwildlycreative.Sheisawomanwhoknowshowtotakean
ideaandmakeitreality.Shelistens,andthenshecreates.Hildawasthe
costumemakerandrestorerfor Tango Argentino, as well as Black and
Blue, Noche Tropical and Brasil Brasileira. She is best known for her
extraordinaryworkinthefieldofvintagecostumerestoration,repairand
re-creation.Shehastheabilitytotakea200yearoldpieceofclothing
andrestoreitintoitsoriginalformuntilitlooksasspectacularasitdid
thefirstdayitwasworn.ThiswashertalentinTangoArgentino.
ShealsoaidedSegoviainthedesignofmanyofthecostumesandadded
herexpertisehelpingClaudioselecttherightfabrics,colorsandtextures
forwhatwasneeded.
Jean-LucDonVito
Jean-Luc Don Vito was a talented young, French makeup artist and
hairdresserwhoalreadyhadgreatexperienceasoneofthetopstylistsfor
thephotoshootsofthe major French and European fashion magazines.
Hewasingreatdemandtomakeuptheimportantmodelsofthetimeand
seldom found himself without work. Through a relationship with the
ArgentinetheaterdirectorAlfredoArias,whoformanyyearsresidedin
Paris,Jean-LucfoundhiswaytoTangoArgentino.Arias,aclosefriend
ofSegovia,recommendedhimasagoodchoicetobethemakeupartist
andhairdresserfortheshow.Segoviasawhiswork,liked it very much
and plans were under way to discuss the look Segovia and Orezzoli
wantedfortheirshow.
2-ThePreparation
Claudio Segovia spent years scouring Argentina lookin gfor the best
dancers,singersandmusicianstobepartofhisshow.Hewentnightafter
nighttoallthetouristshowhouses,suchasCasaBlanca,Michelangelo,
ElViejoAl macénandRugantino,lookingforthebestdancers he could
find.Withhisstricteyefortalentandhisknowledgeofwhathewanted
forhisshow,afteryearsofcarefulscoutingSegoviafoundwhatandwho
hewanted.
ThefirstdancerswithwhomSegoviaspokeintheearlypartof1983were
Juan Carlos Copes and María Nieves. Copes and Nieves, who were
already well known and respected dancers, choreographers and artists,
wereatthetimeworkinginSansSouci,apopulartangoshowhousein
BuenosAires.In1976Segoviawenttoseetheshowandafterwardswent
backstage to the dressing room to speak with them. Copes listened to
whatSegoviahadtosay,said,“We'llkeepintouch,”andsaidtoNieves
whenSegovialeft,“Thisguyiscrazy.Hisideaisstupidandhewillnever
everbeabletodoaprojectlikethat.Itwillneverhappen.”
Well, 7 years later Segovia went back to see Copes, told him that his
projectwasarealityandthatitwasgoingtohappen,andthathewanted
JuanCarlosandMaríatobeamaincoupleinthe show. He also called
uponJuantobechoreographerofthegroupnumbersoftheshow,aswell
asthefinaleandanumberofthesolopieces.Juanagreedandbeganto
worksidebysidewithamanwhojustafewyearsbeforehehadthought
wascrazy.
Copesquicklyrealizedthatthismanwasnotcrazy, but rather a genius
andavisionarywithamagnificentideaandconceptsthatwereaheadof
theirtime.Forexample, for the scene of La Cumparsita, which was to
showtangoasitwouldhavebeendancedinParisin1913,astherewere
nodocumentsorfilmsofthewaytangowasdancedatthattime,Segovia
showed Copes many old vintage French postcards of tango couples
posing.Copes laid them out on the floor with Segovia, arranged them,
rearrangedthemina different order, and from thos eposes, with a few
linkingsteps,thechoreographytoLaCumparsitawasborn.
CopesandNieveswerefine,butSegovianeededfiveother couples. He
recruitedNélidaandNelson,whoatthetimewereartisticdirectorsand
choreographersatMichelángelo.Theywerealreadyawellknowncouple
inArgentinaandabroad,astheyhadbeenworkingsince
1971 in the tango show business. They had appeared o nstage, on
televisionandinthetheaterwiththebestorchestrasandsingers,andthey
had their own ballet in large and important cabarets such as King and
Rugantino.
Theywerewellknownfortheir high speed dancing and their acrobatic
steps, which were unusual for that time, but all this would soon be
changedbySegovia,ashewas lookingforadifferentkindofdancefor
hisshow–amoreelegant,dignified,respectfuldanceonthefloor.
CarlosandMaríaRivarolawerethenaddedtothecast,eventhoughthey
wereconsiderablyyoungerthantherestofthoseinthecast.Carloswas
considered (and is still considered to this day) to be a very physically
attractive and beautiful man. He was tall and elegant, with extremely
strongfacialfeaturesanddark,slanted,almostAsian-looking eyes. He
wasquitestrikinginhisappearance,andhiswifeMaríawasevenmore
so.Withherlonglegs,shapelydancer’sbodyandpiercingblueeyes,it
wasawellknownfactthatMaríausedtocausetrafficaccidentson the
streetsofBuenosAires,astheeyesofallmale(andsomefemale)drivers
wereonherandnotonthetrafficwhenshecrossedthestreet!
Carloswastodanceoneofthemainrolesin the show, La Cumparsita,
withathen-famedvedetteshowgirlnamedCeciliaNarova.Segovia had
workedwithNarovainvariousrevistasporteñasthathehaddirected in
the Teatro Maipowith Antonio Gasalla, Nélida Lobato and other great
artists. In late 1982 when Lobato, the top showgirl at the time in
Argentina,becameillanddiedunexpectedly,Cecilia,whowasadancer
inthechorus,wascalledintoreplaceher.
ThiswasaveryimportantstepforCecilia,andonethatcouldhaveshot
hertohighfame.Butshortlyafterherpromotion,Segoviacalledherfor
hisnewproject.Shewasexactlywhathehadimaginedfortworolesin
hisshow:theelegant,highclass,ParisiansalondancerinLaCumparsita,
andthedark,morocha,girlofthebarrioturnedprostituteforMilonguíta.
NarovawastodanceLaCumparsitawithCarlosRivarolaandMilonguíta
withMaríaNievesandallthemaledancersintheshow.Narovafit her
role to a “T”, and it became one of the most recognized rolesof her
career.
ThenextcoupleaddedtothecastwasMayoralandElsaMaría.Bothwere
already very well known dancers in Argentina and abroad, but not so
muchinthetouristshowmarket asweretheotherdancers.Mayoralhad
his ownballetformanyyears,theInstrumentalBallet,in which all the
membersdanced,sangandplayedamusicalinstrument. The ballet had
greatsuccessinthe1970sandtraveledalloverSouthandLatinAmerica.
Itwonmanyimportantprizesandawardsandappearedatallthemajor
festivals.MayoralandElsaMaría also hadfilmedaseriesoftelevision
programsthattaughtsimplesalóntango.Theseprogramswerebroadcast
alloverSouthAmericaandnotonlyhelpedtospreadtangodancetothe
generalpublic,butalsohelpedMayoralandhiswifetogainrecognition
onagranderscale.
The style of Mayoraland Elsa Maríawas tha tof tango salón, a very
simple yet highly dignified dance full of small, playful movements by
Mayoral.Mayoralhadatremendoussenseof humor and playfulness in
his dance, and this was a delight to see. Instead of the typical stiff,
straight-forwardtangothatwaspopularatthetime,hiswasadancefull
ofcharacterandpersonality.
GloriaandEduardohad originally been called by Segovia, but because
Gloriawasabouttogivebirthtotheirfirstchild,travelingonalargetour
wasnotanoption.Theirtimewouldcomeonlyashortyear later when
theywouldjointheshowforasecondtour.
GloriaandRodolfoDinzelalsowerecalledbySegoviatotakepartinthe
firstshow.HewenttoseethemperformatElViejoAlmacén,likedtheir
lookonstageandarranged
ameetingwiththem.Afterlongnegotiations,theDinzelsdecidednotto
dothetour.Segoviadidnotwanttogivethemasolonumbertodance.
Th e ywe r eto be likeall the other dancers and dance as part of an
ensemble. The only solos were given to Copes and Nieves, Nélida and
Nelson,andMayoralandElsaMaría.TheDinzels,especiallyGloria,did
notlikethisonebit,andbothturneddownSegovia’soffer.Theytoo,like
GloriaandEduardo,wouldhaveasecondchanceayearlatertojointhe
show.
A young couple was needed, so Segovia called on Mónica Canda and
Luciano Frías. Mónica and Luciano, although both only in their midtwenties,hadalreadybuiltanimpressivecareer.Theybothhaddancedin
theballetofCopes,performedonimportanttelevisionprogramssuchas
Grandes Valores del Tango, toured Colombia, Brazil, Chile, performed
withorchestrasliketheSextetoMayorandSextetoTango,andstarredin
theshowsoftheveryimportantArgentineactorHugodelCarril.
MónicaandLucianowerewell known on the scene for two things: his
extreme physical beauty, and her strong appearance on stage. Luciano
wasfamousforhisslickedbackblackhair,whichwhenwelldonegave
theimpressionofanextremelyreflectivemirror.Itwasquiteasightto
see,andnoothermaletangodancerafterhimhasbeenabletoreplicate
thelook.Mónica,ontheotherhand,wasanunusualbeauty.Althoughshe
didnotpossessthetypical“dancer’sbody”,shehada pair of eyes that
could light up the lighthouse of Alexandria! With her long, curly hair,
amplebosomandshapelylegs, she was just what Segoviawas looking
for.Sotheywerein.
Onemorecouplewasmissing.Segoviahadseeneverymajorandminor
tango couple in Buenos Aires but had n o tfound that last couple he
needed. One day, speakingwith Nelson, Nélida said to him, “And that
largemanthatisyourfriend. What is hisname? The one who we saw
dance on the street for pennies? Where is he?” That “largeman” of
coursewasVirulazo.Nelsonlikedtheideaverymuchandsetoutwitha
friendtosearchforVirulazoandhiswife,Elvira.
Thatwouldprovetobenoeasytask.Virulazohadgivenupontangoand
wastiredofdancingforsuchlittlemoney.Hehadafamilytosupportand
wasnolongerinterestedinthehardlifestylehehadsufferedduetotango.
Ashewasquitebohemian,heandhisfamilymovedoften,soitwasquite
difficult to track them down. Nelson and his frie n dwalked around
Virulazo’s old neighborhood knocking on doors, askingfor the
whereaboutsofthedancer.Noone knew anything until in San Justo (a
neighborhoodontheoutskirtsofBuenosAires)onemansaid,“Oh,yes!
ElGordo(thefatman)!Heworksinthebutchershoponthecorner.”
SotothecornertheywentandfoundVirucoveredinblood,workingat
hisnewjob.TheyexplainedtohimwhatwashappeningwithSegoviaand
hisnewproject.Virulazowantednothingtodowithit;hedidn’tcareif
theydiditinBuenosAires,orParisoronthemoonitself.Hesaidheno
longerdanced,didn’twanttodanceandwas not going to dance. When
theymentionedtheideaofanaudition,henearlyhittheroof.Hesaid,“I
amVirulazoandIdo not have to audition for anybody! Especially not
somefrou-froutheaterdesigners!”
Finally Nelson convinced Virulazo to do it. So one d a y,while the
rehearsalsfortheshowwerewellunderway,NelsontookVirulazo and
ElviratoElViejoCaféNacionalwheretherewasasmallstagewherethe
audition was to be held. José Libertella was there with some of his
musicians,andSegovia was introduced to Virulazo andElvira. He was
extremely skeptical at first. Virulazo and Elvi r awe r eno tthe typical
imageofatangodancer.
Theywerenotthetypicalimageofanykindofdancer!Virulazowaswell
over s i xfeet tall, towered over most averaged sized people and was
overweight by about 120 pounds. He, like many Argentines of his
generation,livedonadietofasado(barbecuedbeef),beerandcigarettes.
Elvira,ontheotherhand,wasoversixfeettallaswell,slender,sinewy
andmuscularwithlong,thinlegs,longarmsandasomewhat“handsome”
face.Withhershort,boyish,blackhair,“feminine”wasnotawordthat
describedherwell.
Segoviawasextremelyhesitantandhadhisdoubts,butheagreedtolet
themdance.HeaskedthemwhatsongtheywouldlikeandVirulazosaid,
“Tanguera”.TheorchestraplayedTanguera,theydidtheirbest,butitwas
not the best audition of all time .It simply wa sno tthe right musical
choicefor their personality. So Segovia asked them to do another one,
andthistimeVirulazochoseOrgulloCriollo.
Themusicstarted,VirulazoandElviradanced,andeveryoneinthecafé
froze, stopped what they were doing, approached the stage, and stood
theremesmerized as towhat they were seeing. The music ended, and
Segovia, in shock, stood up, applauded wildly, and hired them on the
spot.“ElGordo”fromSanJustowasabouttodebutinParis.
There are, of course many dance couples who were bending over
backwards to get into the showat that time. It is known that a young
bricklayernamedMiguelÁngelZottoattemptedtojointhecastin1983,
but was turned down, as were other prominent couples such as Los de
Cobre,LosdelPlata,Marinelandothers.
With the dancing couples already chosen, an orchestra and a musical
director needed to be found. Segovia h a doriginally spoken with the
legendarybandoneónistAníbalTroilo“Pichuco”tobemusicaldirectorof
theshow,butshortlyafteronthe18thofMay1975,Pichucopassedaway
leavingbehindhimanunforgettablemusicallegacy.
NextSegoviaspokewithAstorPiazzolla.However,Ast orstartedputting
conditions:Hewouldonlyplayintheshowifallthemusicalpieceswere
hisown.This,ofcourse,wasimpossible,astheideaoftheshowwasto
take the audience on a journey through the history of tango and the
evolution of the genre. Piazzolla also was overly anxious t ofinalize
everythingandsignacontract,anotherimpossiblecondition,asSegovia
hadnotcompletedthedesignofhisshow,letalonethecastingofartists.
Hehadnotevenwrittenhisowncontract.Segoviadecidedagainstit,and
Astorwentonhisway.
The Sexteto Mayor orchestra debuted at the Casa de Carlos Gardel in
BuenosAiresonthe29thofApril1973andplayedeverynighttoafull
house.Theorchestraimmediatelybecameasuccesswiththepublicand
thepress.InternationaltourstoallofLatin,SouthandCentralAmerica
followed,asdidtourstoJapan,Asia,andEurope.Around1981/1982the
orchestrawasenjoyinggreatsuccessattheTrottoirsdeBuenosAiresin
Paris. The Trottoirs was a legendary old tango café opened by Susana
Rinaldi, Antonio Cantón and Tomás Barna, and was where all the best
tangomusiciansandsingersintheworldperformedwhenin Paris. The
SextetoMayorplayedatthegrandopeningoftheTrottoirsonthe19thof
November
1981.AtthistimeClaudioSegovia,whohadbeenlivingandworkingin
Parisfor many years, got word of this new orchestra and went to hear
them.SegoviaspokewithJoséLibertella,whotogetherwithLuísStazo
wasthedirectoroftheorchestra.TheSextetohadagreatrepertoireand
couldgiveSegoviawhatheneeded,soitwasagreedtoincludethemin
thecastoftheshow.DiscussionsgotunderwayandSegoviaexplainedto
Libertellahisideatopresentallthemusical styles and time periods of
tang ofrom the earliest Milongas to the most modern compositions of
AstorPiazzollaandHoracioFerrer.
Fromtheverybeginningmostofthemusicalarrangementswereadapted
by José Libertella. Libertella,who was born in Italy, but moved to
Argentinawhenhewasonlyafewmonthsold,.Hewasverywellknown
forhistalentasamusicalarranger.Segoviahadalreadybeentoseehim
in1976whenheoriginallywanted to debut his show. Initially Segovia
wantedthegreatAníbalTroilotobemusicaldirectoroftheshowandto
havehisorchestraonstage.
However due to Troilo’s death in 1974, this was not a possibility. An
interestingnoteisthateachperformanceofTangoArgentinobeganand
ended with Quejas de Bandoneón as a homage to the great “Pichuco”.
Mostofthe musical arrangements in the show are those of Troilo that
Libertella“adapted”,butbasicallytheyarethearrangementsofTroilo.
Next Segovia called Horácio Salgán, a magnificent tango pianist and
composerwhoplayedinasuccessfulduowithUbáldodeLío.Salgánand
deLíohadplayedtogetherintheTrottoirsde Buenos Aires in Paris in
1982andcausedsuchasensationthataliverecordingoftheconcertwas
made.TherearestillParisianswhoto this dayvividly rememberthose
concerts.Salgánwasandforeverwillbealegend in Argentine musical
history,writingsuchsongsasAFuegoLento,ADonAugustínBardi,and
OratorioCarlosGardel.
Salgánhadanextremelymodernstyleforthetimeandhadbeenpartof
many important orchestras, such as those of Roberto Firpo, Edmundo
Riveroandothers.In1960hehadcreatedtheQuintetoReal,whichhad
tremendous success all over the world. He later created the Nuevo
QuintetoReal,whichhadevengreatersuccessthan thefirst.Ubáldo de
Lío had alwa y splayed in duo with Salgán in all their concerts and
recitals.TheybothhadrecordedmanyLongPlayrecordsand cassettes,
andtheirmusicwasknowntheworldover,especiallyinJapanwherethey
hadalargenumberoffollowers.Bothwereaddedtothecast.
Withthecastcompleteandtheorganizationoftheshowwellunderway,
rehearsalspacewasanotherissuethatthecompanyhadtodealwith.In
an interview with Gloria and Rodolfo Dinzel by Luís Tarantino in the
magazineTangoXXI,thecouplesaid,“ManypeopledeniedSegoviathe
useofrehearsalhallsforthefirstTangoArgentino.Werehearsedinthe
oldCano14.Evenwiththetriumphandwiththesuccessitwasthatway.
Inrealitythefirstonetogiveusanyattentionwhenwecamebackfrom
Paris was Alejandro Romay in Canal 9. He gave us a plaque. I think
nobody realized what had happene d;we hadn't gone to Broadwa yyet.
Romayrealizedsomethingwasabouttohappen.”
3-TheDream:Paris1983
Ashasbeenmentionedbefore,Segoviafoundnosupportwhatsoever in
hishomeland.Afterspendingyearspitchingtheideaforhisprojecttoall
themajorandminortheaterdirectorsinthecountry,hewa salwaysmet
with a unanimous “No!” Not discouraged, he began to search outside
Argentina,althoughhisdreamreallywastopresenttheshowforthefirst
timeinthebirthplaceoftango.
Thiswasnottobe,anditwasthankstohislongtimefriendandsupporter
JorgeLavellithathewasabletoprocureaspotattheFestivald'Automne
inParis.
The Festival d'Automne was a long running, highly prestigious arts
festivalknownforpresentingavantgardeworks,manyofwhichwenton
tobecomeiconicinthei rfield.The slotwasforsixdaysonly, but at a
most unusual theater: the legendary Théâtre Châtelet. It is joked many
yearslaterthatmostmembersofthatfirst cast immediately said “yes”
simply upon hearing the word Châtelet! N oon ewanted to pass up the
opportunitytoperformonthesamestageonwhichtheBalletsRussede
MonteCarlohaddebuted.Noonewantedtopass up the opportunity to
performonthesamestageonwhichVaslavNijinskyhadonceleaptand
pirouetted.Greasewasnottheword,butChâteletwas!
SegoviaandOrezzoliwerefamiliarwiththeFestivald’Automneasthey
had presented their highly successful show Flamenco Puro there a few
yearsearlierandmetwithgreatsuccess.Theirworkhadtheintegrityto
bepartofafestivallikethis,andTangoArgentinowasnoexception.
The company did one dress rehearsal in the Teatro Alveár in Buenos
AiresbeforetheydepartedforParis.Asmallgroupof family members
and friends was invited to see the incomplete show. Many of the
costumeswere not evenboughtyet,the makeup had not been designed
andtheorderoftheshowwasratherdisorganized.Thefewpeoplewho
wereprivilegedtobethereallhadnegativefeedbackforSegovia.They
thoughtitapitythatpeoplewithsuchtalentweregoingtogotoParisand
showsomethingaslowclassastango,especiallywithdancer swhowere
middle-agedandoverweight.
As Segoviafound little to no support for his show in Argentina or
elsewhere,hehadtobendtherulestoconvinceafriendofhiswithtiesin
theArgentineAirForcetoprocurethecompanymemberspassage on a
militarycargoplanethatwasenroutetoParis.
Thestorygoesasfollows:TheFalklandIslandsWarhadjustendedafew
monthspriorandtherewasaFrenchExocetmisslethatwasfired,butdid
notexplodeontheislands.AsitwasofficiallyFrenchproperty,itneeded
tobereturnedtoitsmothercountry.Segovia’sfriendgotwindofthisand
enabledthecasttotravelalongwiththemissile in the small passenger
areainthecargoplane.
Onthedayofdeparturethe30membersoftheshow,uneasybutat the
sametimeexcited,ascendedthestepsintoastrangeplanewithastrange
routetoaveryuncertainfuture.Onlytimewouldtellhowthisexperience
wouldturnoutforthemall.
Astherewasnoon-boardserviceonthemilitary plane ,food had to be
boughtforthepassengers,soNelson,NelidaandElviraweresentoutto
buyafewsandwichesandothersmallitemstotidethepassengersover
untiltheplanereacheditsdestination.
Itdidnot,however,reachPariswithoutmakingnumerousstopsalongthe
way.TheplanerefueledintheCanaryIslands,andthe passengers were
anxioustoexittheplane,entertheterminalandrefreshthemselves.They
discovereduponopeningtheplane’sdoorandbeing literally “hit” with
110degreeheat,thattheywouldnotbeallowedtoleavethevicinityof
theplane,astheyhadlandedatamilitarybaseandwere traveling in a
military jet. So there they were, the haggard members of Tango
Argentino,allowedtowalkinthe110degreeheatoftheCanaryIslands
only around the steps of the plane, whi chwere surrounded by armed
Spanishsoldiers.Itwasasightthathadtobeseentobebelieved!
After numerous other stops, the plane finally landed i nParis and the
companysaidgoodbyetotheirmilitarytransport,neveragaintotravelin
similarstyle.
ItwasnotuntilthecastgottoParisthatJean-Lucmetthepeoplehewas
tomakeupforwhatwouldbethenext10years,sohehadtostudytheir
individual features, thei rfaces, their angles. He began to apply their
makeup and hair and, following Segovia’s strict guidelines and vision,
adaptittotheindividualityofeachartist.Timewasoftheessenc eand
efficiencywascrucial.
Costumingwasanissue,andotherpiecesofclothingwerepurchasedto
supplement thewardrobe of the show. Assistants scoured flea markets
andantiqueshopsinParis,lookingforparticularvintageerapiecesthat
Segoviafelt he needed to give the show the necessary authenticity.
Althoughtheywereonaverylimitedbudget,noexpensewasspared.
ThecompanyarrivedtoParisafteraverylong,tiringtriponthemilitary
plane and immediately began to rehearse in the theater. The Théâtre
Châteletwasanenormous space, and many of the dancers in the show
werenotaccustomedtoperforminginspacesthatlarge.Thatwasabout
to change. They had to make their movements larger, stretch out the
spacemore.However,whenthestagefilledattheendforDanzarínand
QuejasdeBandoneón,theyhadtorespecteachothers'space.Onedayin
1984inVenice,JorgeReeves,dancingwithCeciliaNarovaatthe time,
crossedinto Virulazo and Elvira’s space. Virulazo was so angered that
backstageaftertheshowhepulledoutaknifethathehadinhisbeltand
threatenedReeves.Thistypeofbehaviorwascommoninthedaysofthe
compadritos t owhich Virulazowas accustomed, but not on a stage in
Venice. Virulazo was reprimanded by Segovia, and the a c twa snever
repeatedagain.
Although the company arrived without fanfare a n dwithout hype, the
news did get to the press, and a small article appeared in the La
Liberationnewspaper onThursday,the10thofNovember1983,theday
beforethedebut.Thearticlesaid,“Withcostumesandbandoneóns,they
arrived t oParis in a military plane lent to them by the government of
Buenos Aires. Final destination: the Châtelet. Thirty-three argentine
porteñosaccompaniedbytwodirectors,willfromthe11thtothe17thof
Novemberpresent the show <<TangoArgent in>>. It has not been seen
yet.TheFestivald'Automnethrewanideaintotheair:tomountashow
onauthentictangoinParis.Dance,song,andmusic.Twoargentines,in
Europe for many years after leaving Argentina, took up the challenge:
Claudio Segovia, creator of musical shows that went on tour with
Mercedes Sosa, who in collabor a t i o nwith Jorge Lavelli created
<<Flamenco Puro>> in 1980 in Seville, and Héctor Orezzoli, costumer
and decorator, co-creator with Segovia of many successful music-hall
shows.BuenosAires,thesmallworldoftango,ischaotic,unacceptable,
impossible.TheprojectwiththeparticipationofAstorPiazzollaechoue.
The idea to incorporate the Orchestra of Osvaldo Pugliese, one of the
greatsoftango,wasalsoabandoned.Thedancers,justliketheactorJorge
Luz, is confident in his intuition, free of choreographic indications…
SomeoftheartistshavealreadytouredEurope,Japan,theMiddleEast,
LatinAmerica.ButmostofthemarediscoveringPariswithamazement,
trustinginthereceptionwhichwillbegiventothembyFrance.Alltheir
dreams are allowed. One dance couple sees it as a springboard to
stardom.Anotherenvisionssettlingdownsometime‘ifwewantto.’One
musiciancitestheneedtobreathcreatively.Othersdonothavefaithyet.
Buttomorrow,‘IfGodwantsit,’theresponseisintheChâtelet.”
Thisarticlegaveageneralimpressionofthefeelingamongstthecastas
theyhadjustarrivedtoParis.Itwasafeelingofgreatuncertainty,butat
thesametimeofgreathope,dreamsandfaith.Manyofthemembersin
the cast had very different agendas. Cecilia Narova, for example, had
alwaysdreamedofbeingashowgirlin the Lido or Folies Bergere, and
herdreamwastobe“discovered”bysomeonefromthereandbecomethe
starofa Parisian cabaret show. JovitaLuna wanted to relive her glory
daysofwhenshehadbeenastarinthetheatersandcabaretsofthecity.
CarlosandMaríaRivarolajustwantedtoseeParis.
The article also gives an uncanny premonition of wh a twas about to
come,andasthesuspensegreweveryoneknewthemomentforthetest
wouldbeintheChâtelet.
When the cast arrived in Paris the director of the Festival D'Automne,
MichelGuy,askedSegoviatogiveaspecialdressrehearsalforthepress.
Segovia said i twas impossible, as many of the costumes were not yet
ready,thelightingwasnotset,andtheequipmentandtechnologyinthe
theaterwasnotadequatelysetupfortheshow.Guyopenedthecurtainof
thestage,andSegoviasawa theater full of press, reporters, journalists
andphotographerswaitingfortheperformance.
Inshock,hedecidedtohaveJovitaLunasingBaládaParaMiMuerteand
to show the last scene in the show, that of Danzarín and Quejas de
Bandoneón. Jovita sang, and when she finished, the photographers'
flashes went off like wildfire. The dancers entered, danced, and when
theyfinished,theentiretheaterjumpedtoitsfeetscreaming,andflashes
wentoffallaroundthetheater.Noonecouldbelievewhattheyhadjust
seen.Historywasabouttobemade.
And so it was. After 10 years of struggling, fighting and never losing
faithinhisdream,ClaudioSegovia'sdreamcame true. Tango Argentin
debuted at the Théâtre Musicalde Paris Châtelet on the 11th of
November1983toafullhouseof2,500spectators.
Itwasasmashhitfromthemomentthecurtainwasraised.Afterevery
number,whether itwassong, music or dance,a tremendous thunder of
applauseandstampingwasheardallthewaytothedressingroomsofthe
theater .When Carlos Rivarola and Cecilia Narova entered the stage to
dance La Cumparsita, the most well-known tango in the world, the
audience burst into applause at the sight and sound of something very
beautifulandfamiliar:Parisiantango.Rivarolacame out in his elegant
blacktailcoat,whitebowtie,slickedbackhairinthestyle of Rudolph
Valentino,andNarovamorebeautifulthaneverinhergoldfloor-length
dress,blackbejeweledlaceoverdress,andherspectacularpearlheaddress
withawhiteegretfeatherthatseemedtoreachtheheavens.Onthefinal
poseofthedance,thefamoussoupleé,thetheaterwentwild.
When Nélida and Nelson finished performing their solo of Celos, they
wenttotheedge of the stage, embraced andwept at the responsewith
whichtheywerereceived.Theyexitedthestagecrying.Evenafterhaving
beenprofessionaldancersforover20yearsbeforeTangoArge ntino,they
had never been received with such warmth and such passion by an
audience. Copes, who had been watching in thewings, told them,
“Chicos,takethischoreography,putitinaboxwithalittleribbon,and
displayitonyourmantle,becauseitisabeauty.Thisisthechoreography
thattheworldwillrememberyoufor.”Andsoitwas.
AninterestinganecdoteisthatwhenVirulazoandElvirafinisheddancing
theirsolo,Virulazoreturnedtothemen'sdressingroomandsaid,“Guys,
didyouhearallthatnoise?”andCarlosRivarolareplied, “What noise?
Youmeanyoufelldownagainanddentedthestage?”Virulazospentthe
nextfew minutes chasing him around the dressing room, bot hof them
laughinghysterically.
HoweverwhenthelightsslowlycameuponJorgeLuzfor his scene of
Amorpho-tango,noonein the audiencequiteknewwhat to think. Here
was a 60-year-old man dressed in a black satin dress, one shoulder
exposed,completelywhitefacewithblackeyes,redcheeksandlips,and
wig.TocompletetheensembleJorgeworethemostcuriousoffootwear:
blackballetpointshoes.
Asthescenecontinued,thisamazinglytalentedactorimpersonatedevery
majortangosingerfromLibertadLamarquetoTita Merello to Roberto
Goyenéche,copyingtheiraccents,movementsandmannerismsperfectly.
Hethenenteredintoadementedargumentwithafarol(lamppost),which
heinsulted,punched,kicked,andendedup“killing”incompadritostyle
withastrongstabofaknife.Jorgethendancedafourminuteimprovised
danceonpoint to Piazzolla's Lo Que Vendrá, which for a man of well
over 60 years with no ballet training is no easy task. He ended in the
famousposeofthe Dying Swan from Swan Lake: the ballerina on one
kneeonthefloor,otherlegextendedi nfront of her, her hands crossed
towardshertoes and head bowed in a position of submission to death.
Theaudience,afterafewmomentsofstunnedshock for what they had
just seen, burst into spontaneous and wild applause showing their
appreciationforatrulytalentedactor(anddancer).
Butnothingcouldhavepreparedtheaudienceforwhattheywereaboutto
seenext.Thestagewasblack,alightbluealmostmoonlight-typelightlit
upthebackdrop,andtheorchestrastartedtoplaythefirstfewphrasesof
Danzarín. One by one the couples entered the stage. The men in their
elegantblackdouble-breastedpinstripedsuits.
Thewomeninthe most elegant and fine black satin dresses since Rita
HayworthandthemovieGilda.Asthestagefilledwiththesemysterious,
black-cladcouples,dancingso solemnly, so serious, so dignified, Paris
wasabouttofindanewobsession.Anewexoticdesire.Anewfashion.
Andthatfashionwouldstayforever.
During the bows on the first night of the debut of the show, Claudio
Segoviacameout onto the stage to take a bow. He even danced a few
steps with María Nieves in one of the bis or encores, La Cumparsita.
Threeencoresweredancedthatnightandallsubsequentnightsthereafter
astheaudiencedemandedmoreandmore.
Thefollowing is the program for the debut of TangoArge ntin when it
appearedattheThéâtreChâteletaspartoftheFestivalD’Automne1983:
Overture:QuejasdeBandoneónbytheSextetoMayor
ElApacheArgentinoballetbythemaledancers
El Esquinazo ballet by the couples with the entrance of the
femaledancers
La Puñalada orchestral piec eby Horacio Salgan, Ubáldo de
Líoandorchestra
ElPorteñitosongbyJovitaLuna
ElTortazosongbyElbaBerón
LaMorochadancebyMónicaandMaríadelCarmen
MiNocheTristesongbyRaúlLavié
LaCumparsitadancebyCeciliaNarovaandCarlosRivarola
ElChoclosongbyElbaBerón
ElAmanecerorchestralpiec eby Horácio Salgán and Ubáldo
deLío
DeMiBarriosongbyJovitaLuna
OrgulloCriollodancebyVirulazoandElvira
El Marne and Taconeándo bandoneón solos by Libertella,
Stazo,Pareta,andRicciardi
MilonguítaballetbyalldancersandCeciliaNarovaAmorphotangocomicalactbyJorgeLuzNostalgiasorchestralpiec eby
theSextetoMayorCuestaAbajosongbyRaúlLavié
CanciónDesesperadasongbyMariaGrana
LaYumbaandLaGranMuñecadancesbyHéctor
MayoralandElsaMaría
CaseróndeTejassongbyMaríaGrana
CanaroenParisorchestralpiecebyHorácioSalgánand
UbáldodeLío
LosMareados song by Maria Grana with accompaniment by
HorácioSalgánandUbáldodeLío
SinPalabrassongbyMaríaGrana
NuncaTuvoNoviosongbyRaúlLavié
LluviadeEstrellasorchestralpiecebytheSextetoMayor
CelosdancebyNélidaandNelson
YAmiQueandDesencuentrosongsbyElbaBerón
A Fuego Lento song by Horácio Salgán, Ubáldo de Lío and
orchestra
BaladaParaMiMuertesongbyJovitaLuna
VeranoPorteñodancebyJuanCarlosCopesandMaría
Nieves
LosPájarosPerdidossongbyRaúlLaviéwithaccompaniment
bytheorchestra
AdiósNoninoorchestralpiecebytheSextetoMayor
Malena,ElMotivo,LaUltimaCurda,Garúasongsby
RobertoGoyenéche
“HommageaAníbalTroilo”-DanzarínandQuejasde
Bandoneónballetbyallthedancers
Theshowplayedfromthe11thofNovemberuntilthe17thofNovember
1983toasoldouthouseeverynight.Suchwasthecrazeovertheshowin
Paris that long lines of people formed around the block of the theater,
waiting in the cold snowfor the chance to get tickets. People waited
outsidethestagedoorwithsignsthatsaidtothecast,“Don'tleave.Please
stayforever.”ThecityofPariswasunderatruespell.
Thenewspaperandpressreviews of the show praised the show for the
exoticnessitshowedandforthequalityoftheproduction.Onthe13thof
November 1983 Le Mondnewspaper's headline read “Le triomphe du
tangoaParis”(ThetriumphoftangoinParis).Thearticlecontinued,“On
Friday, the 2,500 spectators gave a standing ovation in the Theatre
musical de Paris to the premiere of the show <<Tango Argentin>>,
directedbyClaudioSegovia…Theplaceforthetruetango.Betweenmen
andwomenwiththesoundofmonotonouschantschargedofsensuality.
The scenario is always the same: approach, seduction, hesitation,
conquest,heat,rebellionandfinallydeathlikewhenachildisseducedby
a slick hooligan, perishing under his dagger. Brutal. On stage, an
orchestra of 12 musicians - the <<Sexteto Mayor>>,five singers, six
couples of dancers. The men have the look of macho seducers and the
girlshavetheincandescentglancewhichgivesshiverseverywhere.”
TheLiberationnewspaperonthe14thofNovember1983hadaheadline
that said, “The bandoneón keels over, the bodies seduce, the voices
charm:<<tangoargentin>>,thirtythreePorteñosforamagicevokedin
blackandwhite.”
The article continued, “The tango had never really disappeared from
Paris… and it lived sparsely, without history, in the dance halls…
Imaginea‘digest’of theOldandNewTestament.ClaudioSegoviaand
Héctor Orezzoli, in charge of 31 participants… and with all the
repertoire,allsounds,allstepsandespeciallyallambiguitieswhichmake
thetango.Theentranceofthedancersisalreadyinitselfashortcut of
the philo-tangosophie: the three coupl e swhich penetrate the stage are
maleandawkward,thuswiththemanlinesslearnedbetweenthem,they
seducethesenoras…theyhavealreadymadethebedofthetango…Itis
true that thefirst evening, thechoreographies appeared in precarious
equilibriuminthe premiere, but by the second evening everything was
forgotten with the embroideries of Horácio Salgán, the voices going
betweencaressanddangerofthethreefemalesingers,and the perilous
scissor-likelegsofJuanCarlosCopesandMaríaNieves.”
ThearticlegaveparticularpraisetoJorge Luz and Roberto Goyenéche,
“Ther eremaintwocharacterswhom one regrets not seeing more of on
stage:Jorge Luz, dazzling actor who, dressed up in drag plays the one
hundredyearoldheroofvicissitudes,doesaduetwitharubberlamppost,
untilhemakeslovetoit.Itisalaughingevocationofamanwhoknows
how to be exempt from drama. And then Roberto Goyenéche, pathetic
silhouetteandvoicewhocandryanythroatonlybysingingthePorteño
phonebook,petrifiedawholeroomwhilesingingLaÚltimaCurda.”
Oneoftheheadlinesofanarticleontheshowintheearlydaysafterthe
debutread,“OnestepofVirulazoisworthtenchoreographiesofBejart.”
This is a reference to the modern dance choreographer Maurice Bejart
and his modern dance ballet. One must understand that at that time in
Europe, Bejart was at the height of his success and to compare a
completelyunknownstreetdancerfromArgentina tohim,andclaimthat
only one single step of the latter was more valuable than entire
choreographicworksoftheother,reallyisquitehighpraise.Thewriting
wasalreadyonthewallandnotonlywasthisshowgoingtochangethe
courseofhistory,butthedanceformwasgoingtochangemanythingsas
well.Thesewereexcitingtimes.
Onereviewer,Rene Sirvin, wrote in an article on Monday, the 14th of
November1983,“Thedancesareveryvaried.Dancesof salon, cabaret,
tangoonpoint, a parody number, dance between men, between women
andbetweengirls,dancesofcompetition,ofseduction,dance-passionand
dance of death. The tango is all that, the most drama t i cand most
expressiveofallthedances.”
Renefinishedthearticlewiththesewordstothepublic,"Thevoicessplit
opentheair,theheelsstampthefloor,the music stirs the blood. Don't
missthisinvitationtodance.Itisunique."
Demandforticketsreachedahighasthedayswentbyandtimecamefor
theshowtopackup.Ticketscalpersandresellerslinedthestreetstrying
to sell tickets at exorbitant prices. People stood in the cold, snowy,
wintery Paris streetswithsignsthatsaid, “Please don’t go! Please stay
forever!”
Thelastnightitwasdecidedtoopenthedoorstothetheaterandletall
thos ewhohadnoticketsentertohavetheopportunitytosee the show.
Peoplewereseatedintheaisles, on top of people, sharing seats. There
wereevenpeopleoutin the avenue looking in through the open doors,
downtheaisleontothestage.Itwasacrazinessonewouldexpectfroma
rockconcert,notatango show. But itwasobviousthi swa snot a mere
tango show, but rather muchmore than that ,and soon the world would
see.
Such was the popularity of the show and the artists in it that the
prestigiousfashionmagazineVoguedidasixpagephotoshootwiththe
dancersfromtheshow.JuanCarlosCopes,MaríaNieves,Nelson,Cecilia
Narova,ClaudioSegoviaandHéctorOrezzoliposedintangoposesinthe
latestfashionsbybignamedesignerssuchasLorísAzzaroandEmanuel
Ungaro.TherewereevenphotosofSegoviadoinga"boleo"withNieves.
Afterthemiraclethathadjustoccurreditwastimetogobackhometo
BuenosAires.Thistimenotonamilitarycargoplane,butonAirFrance.
ThisistheactualboardingpassusedbyJuanCarlosCopestoreturnto
Buenos Aires (BUE) on the 18 th of November, the day after the show
closed.
When the plane landed at Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires, the cast
expectedtoseejournalists,photographers,reporters.Ther ewasnothing,
ther ewas no one. In typicalArgentine fashion, anything related to the
successoftangowassimplyandplainlyignored.Onephotooftheshow
appearedinthenewspaper Semanario, but only because José Libertella
hadgivenittoafriendofhisthatworkedintheeditorialofficeofthat
newspaper. The small note dated the 23rd of November 1983 said the
following,“ThosewhohavebeenwanderingaroundChacaritatheselast
few days say that Gardel, immortalized in the now classic statue, has
beensmilingmorethanusual.Itisbecausethetangohasjustproduceda
phenomenonintheFestivalD'AutomneintheChâteletTheaterinParis.
Raúl Lavié, María Graña, the Sexteto Mayor, Juan Carlos Copes, el
‘polaco’ Goyenéche, Ubáldo de Lío, Elba Berón, Jovita Luna, Horácio
Salgán,MayoralyElsaMaríaamongadelegationof35people,sangand
danced unforgettable tangos in front of 1,200 French fans of ‘the city
music of the Plata’ in the two hours daily that was reserved by the
festival between the 11th and 17th of November. For more than one
‘criollo’thatisexiledinParisatearwassheduponhearingthesoundsof
tango along the banks of the Seine and upon hearing such complaints
[quejas]oftheBandoneón.”
Thisarticle,translatedabovefromArgentineSpanish,containedan
amazingamountoftango-relatedslang,andthewayinwhichitwas
writteninvolvedthetitlesofmanytangosandthelyricsofmanytangosas
well.Itindirectlyincludedthetitlesofmanyofthesongsthatwereusedin
theshow,butinasarcasticway.
Index
InsideTangoArgentino1
Books,ebooks,DVDs,rareTangoCDs-mp3s:2
Acknowledgments3
Disclaimer4
Foreword5
Introduction6
1-THECREATORS:CLAUDIOSEGOVIAANDHECTOROREZZOLI8
2-ThePreparation13
3-TheDream:Paris198319
4-TheReturn:Italy/Paris198435
5-TheMiracle:Broadway198542
6-TheBoom:Japan198759
7-TheWorldwideTour:1988,1989,199162
8-TheBeginningoftheEnd:BuenosAires199273
9-TheShow78
10-InsidetheShow:104
TheMusic104
TheCostumes110
TheHairandMakeup118
SceneDesignandLighting122
11-TheArtists130
JuanCarlosCopesandMaríaNievesRego131
NélidaandNelson133
CarlosandMaríaRivarola134
GloriaBarrios135
GloriaandRodolfoDinzel136
MayoralandElsaMaría137
CeciliaNarova139
MónicaandLuciano141
NaanimTimoyko143
OmarMazzei144
GiselleAnneZorzenondeNaveira145
CarolinaIotti147
NormaAcostaandLuísPereyra148
GloriaandEduardo150
CristinaCinza152
VirulazoandElvira153
JorgeReeves154
MiguelÁngelZottoandMilenaPlebs155
CarlosandInesBorquez157
HorácioSalgán161
JoséLibertella163
LuísStazo164
OsvaldoBerlingieri166
SextetoMayor168
UbáldodeLío170
OrlandoTrípodi171
MarioAbromovich171
LisandroAdrover171
EnriqueDiaz172
ElbaBerón175
AlbaSolis177
RaúlLavié181
RobertoGoyenéche182
MaríaGraña183
12-Epilogue185
Appendices189
TangoArgentinoCasts189
CitiesinwhichTangoArgentinotriumphed194
Funfacts195
Index199