Principal Cast Set for B'way's Upcoming The Mambo Kings Musical

The principal cast of the upcoming Broadway musical version of The Mambo Kings has now been set. Dennis Staroselsky has joined the company and will appear alongisde Esai Morales, Jaime Camil, Billy Dee Williams, Albita, Justina Machado, Cote de Pablo, Christiane Noll and Allen Hidalgo.

Staroselsky appeared at the New York Fringe Festival in Gamelegs. His regional credits include Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, Broadway Bound, The Chosen, Dead End and the recent Huntington Theatre Company production of The Rivals. Staroselsky will play Bernadito, a member of the band, in The Mambo Kings.

The story of The Mambo Kings is based on Oscar Hijuelos' novel, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, which was made into a 1992 film. Set in 1949, the plot centers on the Castillo brothers, Cesar Morales and Nestor Camil, who work by day and by night become stars of the dance halls, where their orchestra plays the pulsing music that earns them the title of the Mambo Kings.

The stage version features lyrics and direction by Arne Glimcher who produced, directed and wrote lyrics for The Mambo Kings film and a book by Glimcher and Hijuelos. Music is by Carlos Franzetti, who worked with Glimcher on the film. Sergio Trujillo will choreograph the show.

The Mambo Kings will try out at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre from May 24 through June 19. It is then scheduled to begin performances at the Broadway Theatre on July 20 in preparation for an August 18 opening.