Spanish artist Joan Vázquez will return to London in May with his new one-man musical Paquito Forever.
Following on from his critically acclaimed London debut at Live at Zédel’s Crazy Coqs in 2016, Vázquez will make a return visit playing the title role in the new musical which was written by Fran Arráez and Gerard Alonso.
Directed by Victor Alvaro, the London performance of the show on Wednesday 2 May follows a successful debut season in Barcelona.
A leading stage star in his home country, Vázquez starred in the first Spanish production of Rent and played Abdullah in the world premiere of Bagdad Café directed by Percy Adlon.
Taking on the title role in Paquito Forever, Vázquez plays Paquito Alonso, the flamenco dancer, comedian and transvestite who was born in post-war Spain and went on to perform at high-profile venues in New York and Las Vegas.
Accompanied by co-writer Alonso on the piano and joined by a West End star guest, Vázquez will bring Paquito to life in a flamboyant evening of stand-up comedy, flamenco, blues and jazz.
Commenting on the show’s London debut, Vázquez said: “Paco passed away shortly after I was cast in the role of Paquito in the revival of FLOR DE NIT. He had created that role in the 90s and the news came as a shock right in the middle of rehearsals.
“I began enquiring about his life and, to my surprise, he had had an amazing artistic career that audiences didn’t know about. His story had to be told. I had to do a show about him. I can’t believe we’re taking the show to London right after our Barcelona run. We have been getting such good feedback for the show and we feel very grateful for that. People are feeling very moved by the story of Paco. I can’t wait for Londoners to see it!”
The original cast recording of Paquito Forever is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Vázquez’s previous London appearance was in a celebration of musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim. The show, Something’s Coming – a Sondheim Tribute features the singer at the piano performing classic Sondheim songs including ‘Losing My Mind’ and ‘Send in the Clowns’ interspersed with quotes from the master of musical theatre.
Angela Thomas
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