La Bamba! stars Pasha Kovalev and Siva Kaneswaran with Ate O’Clock restaurant manager Emily Crampton, left, and Grand Opera House theatre director Laura McMillan celebrate the new partnership. La Bamba! played the Grand Opera House last week, moving on to the Grand Theatre, Blackpool, from tomorrow to Saturday
THE Grand Opera Houseand Ate O’clock are joining forces to “bring York’s theatregoers an entertaining night out”.
This new partnership combines the pre-show meal setting of the High Ousegate restaurant and bistro for food and drinks with a show afterwards at the Cumberland Street theatre.
Offers will be shared directly with Grand Opera House theatregoers, who are advised to keep their eyes peeled for the theatre’s pre-show emails and newsletters, sharing Ate O’Clock money-saving offers in the coming months.
Twelve months on since its refurbishment, Ate O’Clock has expanded its offering with new dishes on its a la carte and set menus, including steaks, burgers, and traditional dishes, all locally sourced. Cocktails are served up in Ate O’Clock’s new Social8 Lounge.
Emily Crampton, left, Laura McMillan, Siva Kaneswaran and Pasha Kovalev at Ate O’Clock
Laura McMillan, Grand Opera House theatre director, says: “We want to deliver memorable experiences for our guests, and by working with Ate O’Clock we are able to combine the best food in York with the best live entertainment in the city.”
Emily Crampton, Ate O’Clock and Social8 Lounge restaurant manager, says: “As theatre lovers ourselves, and given that we are only a stone’s throw away, partnering with the Grand Opera House is a great opportunity and one that we are so excited about.
“We cannot wait to do our bit in creating a fun and memorable evening out for all theatregoers, whether that be a pre-theatre meal or post-theatre drinks.”
Laura adds: “Whether you’re planning festive celebrations, a catch-up with your friends or a night out with your partner, we have you covered, giving you the chance to enjoy great food and fantastic shows. We have a packed programme of shows that you can attend after your exquisite pre-theatre dinner from Calendar Girls to Pretty Woman.”
Pasha Kovalev, as Ricardo, in a scene from the new musical La Bamba!, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Pamela Raith
NOT to be confused with the 1987 film of the same name or Richie Valens’ teenage hit from 1958, La Bamba! is a new musical fiesta of passion, pride and Latin pop anthems.
On tour at the Grand Opera House, York, from tonight to Saturday, it stars 2014 Strictly Come Dancingchampion Pasha Kovalev as Ricardo, rising star Inês Fernandez as Sofia and The Wanted’s Siva Kaneswaran as her best friend Mateo,performing to choreography by Strictly’s Graziano Di Prima and Erica Da Silva.
Written and produced by Paul Morrisey and directed by Ray Roderick, La Bamba! invites this week’s audiences to follow Fernandez’s young Los Angeles dreamer Sofia as she takes her first steps toward stardom and witnesses the power of music to unite communities.
That music will be such Latin favourites as Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca; Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie, Marc Anthony’s Vivir Mi Vida, Becky G’s Fulanito, Camilla Cabello’s Havana andJ-Lo’s Let’s Get Loud.
“La Bamba! is a musical about Latin and Mexican culture, and there’s a lot of Latin dancing in the show,” says Pasha Kovalev. “That’s my speciality, so the invitation to do the show was logical – but it’s the first musical I’ve done.
“I’ve done lots of dance productions in the past, but no musicals, and that’s why it’s very exciting to have this chance to shine. It was the perfect match because it’s a musical based around Latin dance and that’s been my passion since I was a little boy growing up in Siberia.”
Pasha, 43, will be playing Ricardo, an immigrant in Los Angeles. “He’s of Mexican descent and he has a daughter, Sofia, who the show is about,” he says. “She loves music, getting that passion from her father, and essentially, it’s a coming-of-age story, where you see how she grows and matures on her way to stardom.
“La Bamba! is two hours of entertainment that takes the audience to a completely different world,” says Pasha Kovalev
“Even though La Bamba is a famous song, and there’s the movie too, there’s no connection to that. It’s more that it’s inspired by Richie Valens, loosely based on his spirit, his passion, his art, but not his story.
“It’s basically a jukebox musical, full of fun songs picked for being songs the audience will have heard thousands of times and will make them want to jump out of their seats. There’s a lot of partying going on on stage, and the best thing about the show is hearing them leaving the theatre smiling and singing and dancing.
“La Bamba! is two hours of entertainment that takes the audience to a completely different world, recharging them with a different energy and positivity.”
Pasha is delighted that Strictly’s Italian stallion, Graziano Di Prima, has brought his moves to the choreography. “He’s always been a choreographer as well as a dancer, and it’s the perfect match as his speciality is Latin dancing,” he says.
“He’s come up with amazing choreography to match the storyline and showcase the Latin flavour of the show. When we had rehearsals over an extensive period in June and July, it was a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun too, creating dance routines that are energetic and fun.”
Summing up the show, Pasha says: “Besides being an educational piece, looking inside Latin American culture and the immigrant experience inside that culture, the strength of La Bamba! is that it’s a fun show that takes you out of your everyday life and gives you a reason to think about things you might not have thought about in relation to your own life. It will leave you feeling fully charged with beautiful emotions.”
As for the singing, Pasha says: Sofia and Mateo, and her mum Elena, are played by amazing singers, Ines and Siva and Stefani Ariza. Every day I can’t get enough of their voices. If you like fun dancing, and enjoy great singing, this is the show for you.”
Father and daughter in La Bamba!: Pasha Kovalev’s Ricardo with Inês Fernandez’s Sofia. Picture: Pamela Raith
Pasha, meanwhile, is enjoying dancing as much ever. “In the place where I grew up, in the far east of Siberia, dancing was very popular. My mum admired the dance world and would take me to dance competitions in the town,” he says. “I decided I wanted to be part of that world.
“It was cold, snow everywhere, in the middle of February, but once you go inside, on the dance floor it’s beautiful and light with all these beautiful couples doing the cha cha cha.
“I said to my mum, ‘take me to the place where all the beautiful girls are’, and I became the only boy to join the dancing lessons. That was the start for me, to go on to train and work in the world of dance.”
Pasha’s Strictly Come Dancing years ensued, chalking up 93 perfect tens, reaching four finals and lifting the glitter ball with the late Caroline Flack in 2014 before leaving the BBC dancefloor after eight years following the 2018 series.
“It’s time for me to find a new challenge,” he said, when announcing his decision in 2019. La Bamba! is the latest of those challenges, bringing him back to York, a city he loves.
“It’s always a lot of fun performing there,” says Pasha. “York audiences are very receptive, and in my business, we love that!”
La Bamba!, Grand Opera House, York, tonight (7/11/2023) to Saturday, 7.30pm; Wednesday and Saturday, 2.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york
Siva Kaneswaran: Theatreical debut in La Bamba! – A Musical. Picture: Twisty
THE Wanted’s Siva Kaneswaran will make his theatrical debut in the 2023 tour of new musical La Bamba!, appearing at the Grand Opera House, York, from November 7 to 11.
Dublin-born boyband singer and songwriter and Dancing On Ice contestant Kaneswaran, 34, will play Mateo alongside Strictly Come Dancing champion Pasha Kovalev and rising star Inês Fernandez in the lead role of Sofia.
La Bamba! – A Musical tells the story of how the power of music can transform a generation and celebrate a community.
Sofia, 17, from Los Angeles, has music in her blood. From the moment her father handed her a guitar, her dream was to become a superstar. Inspired by her musical heroes and with the help of her family, Sofia discovers that even the longest journey begins with a single step.
As she mixes the music from her roots with the music in her heart, Sofia dreams of bringing together a community that has never felt more divided.
La Bamba! combines Latin, R&B and timeless rock and pop to tell “the ultimate feel-good story of a young girl with a big voice, big dreams, and an even bigger heart”.
The full company will include Bethan Mitchell, Stefani Ariza, Julia Ruiz Fernandez, Nicolle Matheu, Gabriella Rose-Marchant, Alex Sturman, Tristan Ghostkeeper and Luke Jarvis.
La Bamba! is directed by multi-award-winning American director Ray Roderick and features choreography by Graziano Di Prima, Erica Da Silva and associate choreography by Giada Lini.
The soundtrack will span the Latin genre from traditional folk songs to chart-topping pop anthems, all arranged by award-winning Alfonso Casado-Trigo for “a fiesta of a lifetime”.
Tickets for the 7.30pm evening shows and 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees in York are on sale at atgtickets.com.york.
