The magic of audience participation is that you never quite know what to expect. In an early moment at GALA Hispanic Theatre’s Botiquin de Boleros Columbia Heights (Columbia Heights Bolero Bar), it appears that it’s going just as they’d thought: One audience member takes the mic for an impressive rendition of Daniel Caesar’s “Best Part,” with the band perfectly grooving along. A board member in the onstage seating proudly proclaims, “Soy una gringa, pero es en mi corazón,” in response to the performers asking if she speaks Spanish. Then things start to go a bit off the rails. That board member requests to change the song she and her husband are singing and dancing to. The band figures out the chords on the spot — without having had time to prepare an audience request beforehand. Live theater, baby.
This wonderfully mad improvisational energy is at the heart of the cabaret experience happening at GALA right now. In Botiquin de Boleros, Columbia Heights, magic abounds in a visually stunning and passionately performed new musical with a book by Rubén Leon and adapted by artistic director Gustavo Ott. In what might be A Chorus Line meets In the Heights, the “Columbia Heights Bolero Bar” is auditioning for new performers and preparing to reopen on November 6, 2024 — one day after the last presidential election. Co-owners Veronica (a grounded, logical presence in Fran Tapia) and Claudia (a sparkly physical dynamite in Anna Malavé) harbor hidden secrets: Veronica’s work visa has expired; Claudia is an ex-con. Combining traditions of musical theater cabaret, immersive theater, and bolero songs, a musical tradition from Latinx countries including Mexico and Cuba, arranged and orchestrated for this show — all performed in Spanish with English supertitles — Botiquin de Boleros takes audiences through a beautiful slice-of-life experience, with a plot that thickens in the second act.
It’s intimate yet expansive, with passionate, powerful, and vibrant performances with big conflicts that reach high peaks in small moments. Even for someone who might know some Spanish but isn’t fluent, this storytelling is perfectly understandable. Director and choreographer Valeria Cossu guides the company on these journeys with great stage pictures in dance numbers and an overall look and feel to its design that’s simultaneously reminiscent of a twisted cabaret, an intimate bar, a jam session in its band’s small onstage platform, and a theater utilizing its entire house all in one. In particular, the detailed, colorful, often head-to-toe spectacles of costumes by Becca Janney are awe-inspiring, making the larger-than-life characters pop even more in this staging.
This production had moments of exquisite magic and rollicking fun, balanced with serious moments. The opening trill from guitarist Jaime Ibacache (who also steps in as an actor) immediately sets the tone for the show in combination with mood lighting. There were funny language-oriented jokes that are simple yet hysterical for audiences to catch; during auditions, an eager and perky Valentina, played by Rachael Small, proclaims, “No estoy cansada, estoy de Arkansas,” as she introduces herself. The strongest moment was Claudia’s backstory, as her pain is palpable when she takes us on her life journey, being treated “like a boy” by her brothers, having to grow up fast, and ending up in prison for a period of time. Malavé’s captivating and tragic presence pulls us into her world.
Part of why Claudia stood out was also because of Malavé’s powerful voice. This show is rooted in Latin folk songs, characterized by their distinctive rhythms. The beautiful, almost-wailing kind of release that much of the cast achieved in their renditions of folk anthems is heartbreaking to hear. Another standout is Facundo Agustin as Simón, the bartender previously told he “can’t sing,” who finally gets his shining moment performing “La regadera,” “La gato baja la lluvia,” and “La luna y el toro” in a show-stopping middle section of the second act. Percussion from Michael Barranco sets the tone for the ensemble, with piano from Ben Shaver keeping everyone together. Every time Ibacache plays a difficult guitar run like it’s nothing, one may just ascend. A band that can maintain the beat while allowing for freedom to flow and groove, especially with music that’s important to its culture like this, is so fun to hear, and Walter “Bobby” McCoy excelled in supervising the music.
This show has all the ingredients to be exactly what this city needs right now, with these performances, this heart, this look and feel. I walked out of the theater uplifted, but not quite empowered to action, because I saw something fun with performers who elevated the material into an experience. Case in point: our young lovers. The co-founders have long backstories: Dino (with fun dramatic flair and a strong tenor by Luis Obed) and Valentina, a little less so. We know they had broken up and didn’t expect to see each other at these auditions. They have a lovers’ spat that takes them all around the theater in a hysterically staged rendition of Consuelo Velasco Torres’ “Bésame mucho,” where the audience interaction went crazy. But there isn’t much to them beyond “she kisses and leaves” and “he kisses and hurts” — at the end of the show, I’m not particularly sure if I want them back together.
As a work of live theater, this presentation is worth seeing. The ensemble clearly loves creating this world together, and that is always wonderful to see. These performances are in a story that could use a bit more depth to fully capture the experience it aims to convey to its audience. I did wonder: Is it immersive just to be immersive for fun, or will the immersion ultimately lead us to a dramatic “look at yourself” moment? Am I expecting this show to be like Cabaret or Here Lies Love when it’s intended to be more a celebration than an indictment? When we do get an indictment, it’s a moment one might be waiting for.
There were overt political messages, especially in Fran Tapia’s character Verónica delivering an emotionally brave and passionately bold monologue about her visa status and the concept of “waiting.” Given the increased ICE raids around the country at the time, the question of her status — symbolized by the unanswered question of what her dreaded red letter said — was a palpable one to see. I’m not saying that every single character needed to go that far, but I did want to see more specificity beyond pretty prose in the individual stories from everyone.
This is the first production I’ve seen since the election that actually discusses the election, saying that with the current president in office, we’re going to need boleros now more than ever. It’s definitely important. However, it felt like this is the “origin” story, the limbo period of anticipation and waiting, but not the full story of what this cabaret could be. I wish we could have actually seen it opening, getting shut down by police, and re-opening again on repeat — which they allude to. The lines revealing that future pack the strongest punch in talking about the effect of the election, and in being genuinely funny and moving storytelling. There would have been more interesting conflict to actually see that. Since it didn’t seem that half the cast was particularly concerned about the election until the end, the main interest was the cabaret itself. A more politically moving plot beyond “it’s the night of the election” could have been more powerful.
Reopening in the first place, is still an act of revolution. The question of whether it’s possible to open remains a palpable one: how can anything beautiful begin during a time of such chaos? This show demonstrates that it’s possible to create art that responds to its city. As a character study, we do see what the lifeblood of this cabaret could look like. We see their hearts, their minds, their hopes, even if we don’t know their futures. And that life is so worth seeing right now. Oh, to imagine if there truly were a lively, entertaining, special cabaret centering Latino performers in Columbia Heights after the 2024 presidential election! It doesn’t have to be imaginary if you see this show.
Running Time: Approximately two hours, including a 15-minute intermission.
Botiquín de Boleros Columbia Heights (Columbia Heights Bolero Bar) plays through June 29, 2025, at GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets online. Four on-stage seats are $70 each and four close-to-stage seats are $60 each for all performances. Regular tickets are $48 (Wednesday through Sunday), $50 (Friday and Saturday), $35 (seniors 65+, military personnel, and groups of 10+), $25 (25 under). Rush tickets are $20 each and are available for every performance starting 30 minutes before showtime. To get rush tickets for 8 p.m. performances, show up at the Box Office at 7:30 p.m. and for 2 p.m. performances, show up at 1:30 p.m. For more information, visit galatheatre.org or call (202) 234-7174.
In Spanish with English surtitles.
Recommended for ages 13+.
The playbill for Botiquín de Boleros Columbia Heights (Columbia Heights Bolero Bar) is downloadable here (scroll down).
COVID Safety: All performances are mask-optional. See GALA’s complete COVID-19 Safety Policy.
Botiquín de Boleros Columbia Heights (Columbia Heights Bolero Bar)
By Rubén León (Venezuela)
Adapted by Gustavo Ott
Directed & Choreographed by Valeria Cossu
SEE ALSO:
GALA to close season with cabaret-style ‘Botiquín de Boleros Columbia Heights (Columbia Heights Bolero Bar) (news story, May 16, 2025)
