Selena Forever is an American stage musical, based on the film Selena (film)

Selena (film)

Selena is a 1997 American biographical drama film about the life and career of the late Tejano music star Selena, a recording artist who was well known in the Mexican-American and Hispanic communities in the United States and Mexico before she was shot to death at the age of twenty-three.The movie...

, that tells the life of the famous Tejano

Tejano

Tejano or Texano is a term used to identify a Texan of Mexican heritage.Historically, the Spanish term Tejano has been used to identify different groups of people...

 singer Selena

Selena

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...

. The musical has been staged under two titles. The first - Selena Forever was conceived with book and original lyrics by Edward Gallardo and original music by Fernando Rivas

Fernando Rivas

Fernando Rivas is a Cuban-born composer, pianist, arranger and producer.He graduated from the Juilliard School of Music where he studied with National Arts Award recipient David Diamond. He has worked extensively in film and theater, as well as in broadcast media and advertising. Mr...

 as well as additional songs that were originally performed by Selena herself. The musical premiered at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium before launching on an ill-fated 30 city tour. The musical was then restaged as Selena: A Musical Celebration of Life in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

.

Productions

In 1999, a new Broadway bound musical entitled Selena was announced to premier in San Antonio in March 2000 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of Selena's death. Broadway producers Tom Quinn, Jerry Frankel, Peter Fitzgerald and Michael Vega were soon onboard to stage the musical. Later on, librettist and lyricist Edward Gallardo was brought on to write the show's book and lyrics. Gallardo was followed by Fernando Rivas to compose the show's songs.

In 2000, Selena Forever was first produced for a 30 city national tour with a budget of over $2 million. After a national casting call, the producers casted Veronica Vasquez to portray Selena. The role was also alternated by Rebecca Valdez. The musical previewed on March 21 and opened on March 23 at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium. The people expected at the premier was The Quintanilla Family, Edward James Olmos

Edward James Olmos

Edward James Olmos is an American actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt...

 and Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

. The musical opened to mostly positive reviews. Some of the reviews can be seen on the show's official website.

The show continued on its tour throughout Texas, such as Corpus Christi and Houston along with four other stops. But due to financial problems in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 and poor ticket sales, the rest of the tour was canceled. The show closed on April 30 at the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago after performing in only in six cities. The tour, in total, ran from March 21 through April 30 after 4 previews and 56 regular performances. A cast recording was never produced.

Following the abrupt ending of the tour, in March 2001 Selena Forever was rewritten, reproduced and renamed under the title Selena: A Musical Celebration Of Life. Originally the show was to be directed by Daniel Valdez, who would also perform as Abraham. After a falling out with the producer, Valdez left and was replaced by Miranda Garrison, a professional choreographer. With a $1 million budget and after a week delay, the production began previews on March 28, 2001 and opened on April 19, at the James Doolittle Theatre, (now the Ricardo Montalban Theatre) in Los Angeles, California. Despite receiving harsh criticism, became a box office success. The musical was expected to close on May 27 but due to ticket sales being extremely high, the show was extended by two weeks. However ticket sales increased and the production extended to and officially closed in November of that same year, performing over 200 performances.

Reception

Selena Forever was received very positively by critics. Deborah Martin of the San Antonio Express stated that the show "will appeal to hard-core Selena fans and musical theatre fans who are looking for something new." Ramiro Burr of Billboard magazine commented on the show's musical numbers that they "deliver the hardest punches.". Linda Emmerick of the Chicago Sun-Times noted the performance of the cast. Veronica Vasquez and Margo Reymundo, who played Selena's mother, both were given critical acclaim for their roles. Mario Tarradell of the Dallas Morning News was less positive. He felt that the "legend is lost" in the production and despised the show's musical numbers and that Selena and Broadway don't mix. However he praised the cast's performances.

Musical Numbers

Act I

• "A New Show's About to Begin" - Selena and Ensemble
• "The Ballad of Selena" - Los Sueños Del Pueblo
• "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - Young Selena
• "Simply Me" - Young Selena
• "Blue Moon Memories" - Abraham
• "Abraham’s Dream" - Abraham, Marcella
  • "Como La Flor" - Adult Selena
• "Papa Gayo’s" - Los Sueños Del Pueblo
  • "Blue Moon" - Young Selena
• "Abraham’s Dream" (Reprise) - Abraham
• "Living On A Bus" (Medley) - Marcella and Company
  • "Dame Un Beso" - Selena y Los Dinos
  • "La Bamba" - Selena y Los Dinos
• "Guitar Solo" - Chris
• "Baila Esta Cumbia" - Selena y Los Dinos
• "I’ve Grown Up, Daddy" - Selena and Company
• "Somebody Special" - Suzette, Los Sueños Del Pueblo
• "Pizza & Coke" - Selena
• "Wanting a Dream" - A.B., Los Sueños Del Pueblo
• "My Daughter Wants to Be Just Like Selena" - Mothers
  • "Techno Cumbia" - Daughters
• "Amor Prohibido" - Selena y Los Dinos
• "Como La Flor" - Selena y Los Dinos

Act II

• "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)" - Selena and Los Suenos Del Pueblo
• "Just Be Yourself, Selena" - Marcella, Suzette
• "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" - Selena y Los Dinos
• "La Carcacha" - Selena y Los Dinos
• "To Him She’s a Woman" - Marcella
• "A New Contract" - A.B., Los Sueños Del Pueblo
• "Missing My Baby" - Selena y Los Dinos
• "Meet Me In Corpus Christi" - Chris
• "Tomorrow and Forever" - Chris, Selena
• "You’re Gonna Die Today, Brother" - A.B., Friends
• "Amame, Quiereme" - Suzette, Billy, Chorus
• "If Tomorrow" - Abraham
• "Dress Like Selena" - Suzette
• "The Fan Club/I Will Survive" - Los Sueños Del Pueblo and Selena
• "I Could Fall In Love" - Selena
• "The Fan Club" (Reprise) - Los Sueños Del Pueblo
• "Letters to Selena" - Women
• "The Next Morning" - Jose Behar
• "Dreaming of You" - Selena
• "Finale" - Company

Cast

Character	Original Tour	Revivial	Description
Selena Quintanilla-Perez	Veronica Vasquez	Veronica Vasquez	Central figure, a young Texas girl who is discovered by her father to have an incredible singing voice. Her family includes her father, Abrahaml; her sister, Suzette; her brother, A.B. and her mother, Marcella. She marries Chris Perez and her fame grows. She eventually is shot by Yolanda Saldivar Yolanda Saldívar Yolanda Saldívar is a Mexican American woman who was convicted in 1995 of the murder of Tejano music singer Selena at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 31, 1995.- Early life :... , who is an unseen character in the show.
Abraham Quintanilla	Daniel Valdez	Mike Gomez	Central figure, Selena's overprotective but caring father. He discovers Selena's captivating voice when she was nine, opened up a restaurant and formed the band, Selena y Los Dinos Selena y Los Dinos Selena y Los Dinos was the band in which Grammy-Award-winning Tejano music singer Selena performed, until her death on March 31, 1995. Selena fronted the band since 1980, started by her father Abraham Quintanilla, Jr.... . When the restaurant failed, they get a bus and travel all over Texas performing. He is angered when he learns that Selena and Chris were married, but later accepts it and welcomes Chris.
Marcella Quintanilla	Margo Reymundo	Marta DuBois	Selena's trusting and lovable mother. When Selena is in a tight spot, Marcella comforts her, especially when problems happen with Abraham. She always accepted Chris and Selena together. She may get frustrated and angry with Abraham but her love for him is true.
Chris Pérez Chris Perez Christopher Gilbert "Chris" Pérez is a American guitarist and the widower of "The Queen of Tejano music" Selena. He is currently a guitarist for A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia All Starz since he joined in 2006. Prior to that, Pérez was the lead guitarist for his wife's band Selena y Los Dinos...	David Casavona	Aaron Lohr	Selena's husband. Originally joined the band as a replacement guitarist but soon falls in love with Selena. After an argument with Abraham, Selena and Chris rebel and get married. Abraham later accepts that Chris is now part of the family.
A.B. Quintanilla A.B. Quintanilla Abraham Isaac Quintanilla III better known as A.B. Quintanilla III or simply A.B. Quintanilla, is an American songwriter, record producer and musician. He is the older brother of "The Queen of Tejano music" Selena...	Maxx	Gabriel Gonzalez	Selena's brother, the bass guitarist for the band and the writer for most of her songs and music. He is the typical brother who watches out for his sisters. He becomes furois when he discovers Chris and Selena have married telling him he is going "to die today".
Suzette Quintanilla	Liza Ybarra	Liza Ybarra	Selena's sister and the drummer for the band. She and Selena have a strong relationship who share secrets and help each other out. Suzette marry's Billy only a little while after Selena and Chris get married. Suzette always had accepted Selena and Chris together, but she is protective over her sister.
Young Selena	Denise Stefanie Gonzalez	Natalie Herra	Selena at the age of nine.

Original Tour

COMPLETED ENGAGEMENTS

• San Antonio Municipal Auditorium: March 21 - March 26 (San Antonio, Texas)
• Music Hall at Fair Park: March 28 - April 2 (Dallas, Texas)
• Selena Auditorium: April 5 - April 7 (Corpus Christi, Texas)
• Don Haskins Center: April 13 - April 15 (El Paso, Texas)
• Jones Hall: April 18 - April 23 (Houston, Texas)
• Rosemont Theatre: April 25 - April 30 (Chicago, Illinois)

CANCELLED ENGAGEMENTS

• Gammage Auditorium: May 2 - May 7 (Phoenix, Arizona)
• Wiltern Theatre: May 9 - May 14 (Los Angeles, California)
• Buell Hall: June 6 - June 11 (Denver, Colorado)
• San Diego Civic Center: June 13 - June 18 (San Diego, California)
• San Jose PAC: June 27 - July 2 (San Jose, California)

External links

• Selena Forever Official Website