BECOMING CHAVELA, a Musical Honoring Chavela Vargas, Comes to Teatro Latea This October

Breaking news to your phone. US mobile only. No password required.

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

West End / UK

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

Ctrl + K to open · Esc to close

Stephanie Trudeau stars in the docu-cabaret directed by Leonard Peters and choreographed by Ana Leon Bella.

Most Popular

All the latest news & discounts for Off-Broadway.

Get all the top news & discounts for Off-Off-Broadway & beyond. No password required.

For three nights only, Stephanie Trudeau's BECOMING CHAVELA, the first ranchera musical celebrating the life, music, and legacy of legendary Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, an iconic voice whose artistry and unforgettable presence continue to inspire generations, will play at Teatro Latea (107 Suffolk St., New York, NY 10002) choreographed by Ana Leon Bella, and directed by Leonard Peters . Performances are ​ Friday, October 23 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, October 24 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, October 25 at 4 p.m.

Pedro Almodóvar called Chavela Vargas 'a volcano.' She was a Costa Rican immigrant who dared to sing ranchera, the Mexican country music that was supposed to belong to men, and she became one of Mexico's greatest voices. She fought alcoholism, disappeared from the stage for years, and then came back. BECOMING CHAVELA tells that story through songs of lust and longing and through her friendships with Frida Kahlo , Diego Rivera, Elizabeth Taylor , and Almodóvar himself.

The show is set in mid-century Mexico City, back when the city was the center of Latin American culture. Chavela was well ahead of her time, and her story takes on gender, gay rights, immigration, and Mexican culture without ever feeling like a lecture.

Trudeau plays both Chavela and herself. The play starts with her own family: a Puerto Rican mother who arrived in New York as a little girl, and a Bronx childhood full of Spanish, Puerto Rican food, and Latin music. That music is what led her to Chavela. 'I'm Puerto Rican, but I feel this Mexican singer in my bones,' says Trudeau. The production mixes ranchera classics, Caribbean songs, and Trudeau's own original songs with dance and multimedia, and it moves between English and Spanish.

Becoming Chavela began as a cabaret that won the 2020 NYC Bistro Award. Since then it has played the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, New York City, Los Angeles and Florida, and it was performed in Spanish in Guadalajara, Mexico. After Teatro Latea, the show heads to the Bronx Music Hall on March 6 and to Lima, Peru on April 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18.

The production stars Stephanie Trudeau* (Law & Order) as Chavela Vargas with Ana Leon Bella (Accredited Dancer) as Frida/Macorina, Sean Kenin Elias-Reyes as Diego/Pedro/Jose Alfredo, and Publicity by Katie Rosin / Kampfire PR .

Prefer BroadwayWorld in Google Search?

Add us as a preferred source so our stories show up more often in Top Stories and Google’s AI answers — for you.

Nominate your favorite local productions and performers before the deadline on October 31, 2026.

Historic Loew's Paradise Theatre to Reopen as Performing Arts Center

WOMEN WHO EAT to Make NYC Debut at Theaterlab Atelier

Cast Set For OUR TOWN at Titan Theatre Co.

Photos: First Look at Pamela Enz' AFTERWARDS at Poetic Theater

When are you seeing ?

Get an Alert Each Time Stephi Wild Writes

BroadwayWorld TV

Breaking Broadway news & show discounts. No password required.

Breaking alerts by text. US mobile only.

POPULAR

Sign up for announcements and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 — Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

Episode

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-off-broadway/article/BECOMING-CHAVELA-to-Play-Teatro-Latea-in-October-20260924)._