Musical Inspired by Paraguay's Recycled Orchestra Premieres in US

The musical "Basura," inspired by the remarkable story of Paraguay's Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, is set to premiere in Atlanta, Georgia. The production, a creative collaboration between renowned singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan and her daughter Emily Estefan, will debut on May 30 at the Coca-Cola Stage of the Alliance Theatre.

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I looked at it and was impacted by the ingenuity, the heart, the inspiration of these kids who live next to a landfill and created this orchestra together with their teacher Favio Chávez.

Directed by Michael Grief, the musical features a book by Karen Zacarías, with musical supervision, orchestration, and arrangements by Alex Lacamoire. The choreography is by Patricia Delgado, and Ken Cerniglia serves as the dramaturg. This theatrical endeavor aims to bring the inspiring narrative of the Cateura orchestra, whose members create instruments from landfill waste, to a wider audience.

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What the Cateura Orchestra did, in the context of this difficult situation, elevated the entire community.

Members of the Recycled Orchestra have been actively promoting the musical during their tour across the United States since April. They have performed in various locations, including New York City's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), California, and Hawaii, before arriving in Atlanta. Promotional posters for "Basura" are already visible at the Atlanta airport, highlighting the upcoming premiere. The musical's run in Atlanta is scheduled to continue until July 12.

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All the experiences I had there, in addition to what we learned from the documentary, became this fabulous soufflé of different things.

Gloria Estefan shared that her inspiration for the musical stemmed from watching the 2019 documentary "Landfill Harmonic." She was deeply moved by the "ingenuity, heart, and inspiration" of the young people living near a landfill who, with their teacher Favio Chávez, created their unique orchestra. Estefan emphasized how the orchestra's efforts uplifted their entire community despite challenging circumstances. Writer Karen Zacarías added that extensive research and interviews with the orchestra members and teachers in Paraguay informed the creation of the musical's characters and emotional core, ensuring the story honors the young musicians.

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There was a lot of research and a lot of humility in the process.