“La Bamba! The Song of Veracruz” promises vibrant, global theatre experience in SL

• The five-member international cast shares insights to creative process, inspiration behind their roles, and their initial experiences of Sri Lanka

 By Dilrukshi Fernando

After months of anticipation, “La Bamba! The Song of Veracruz” is set to dazzle Sri Lankan audiences at City of Dreams, Sri Lanka, from 24 to 27 April 2026, with five performances across four days, including a matinee show.

Hosted at The Forum, Cinnamon Life, Colombo, this West End-licensed production is presented by the City of Dreams in collaboration with the John Keells Foundation and directed by London-based theatre producer Paul Morrissey.

 Rooted in rich Mexican heritage, the production explores themes of family, community, identity, and change, set against vibrant Latin rhythms, storytelling, and high-energy choreography. Featuring performers from the UK, Europe, and North America alongside Sri Lankan talent, it delivers a truly global theatre experience.

 For the versatile, five-member international cast who arrived in Sri Lanka earlier in the week, this production is their collaborative global debut. In the lead-up to opening night, the cast sat down with the Daily FT to share their experiences with the production and impressions of Sri Lanka.

 

Q: If you had to describe La Bamba! The Song of Vera Cruz, in just three words, to a Sri Lankan audience, what would they be?

Joseph Hewlett (Mateo): It’s a party, vibrant, and explosive.

Charlotte Dos Santos Chabi (Sofia): I was going to say party as well, also sentimental, and family.

Madalena Alberto (Elena): Heartwarming. Connection. Tradition.

Mychele LeBrun (Lupe / Miss Pena): Connection. A sense of home, and vibrant.

Eduardo Enrikez (Ricardo): Passionate. Colourful. Community. I had time to think, so mine is the best one!

Q: Many of you mentioned themes such as family, community and connection. Can you explain the significance?

Eduardo: I am originally from Mexico City, and I live in Los Angeles (LA), a lot of the time. The story of La Bamba centres on a Mexican-American family, which takes place in the valley in a place called Pacoima, on the outskirts of LA. These are my people. The only difference for me is I'm 100% Mexican, and they're Mexican American, so they're probably first or second-generation Americans. But traditionally and fundamentally, they'll consider themselves Mexican by heart, by culture, and American by country. Sometimes they don't fit in in the U.S. because they are part of Mexican culture. If they go to Mexico, they don't fit in there because that's not their real country either, and people think that they left. So they're in a very tricky position. That's why they uphold good traditions, good values. Community is important; everybody helps each other out and looks after each other.

 Madalena: Even though it is rooted in this scenario, it's very universal. This is why all of us can connect to their stories through this community, but it can be connected to any community. It's a lot about family, about roots, about tradition.

 Mychele: And about finding your way and figuring out who you want to be within your community.

 Charlotte: My character, Sofia, deals with a lot of these themes. It’s an honour to be performing a show about tradition in a country like Sri Lanka, where it is very close to their heart.

 

Q: What’s been your favourite off-stage moment in Sri Lanka so far? Or what are you most excited to experience while you’re here?

Joseph: For me, it was meeting the Sri Lankan cast. It was really quite emotional. I got emotional. Even though we haven't opened the show yet, this will be a really special job for all of us.

Eduardo: Being in Sri Lanka is something I never thought I'd get to experience. So very grateful for that opportunity. Riding in the tuk-tuks, going to Pettah market, meeting the local people. Everybody is so warm and welcoming. It's very heartwarming, and I feel so much at home here. It reminds me a lot of Mexico.

 Madalena: Our arrival here was so welcoming. I was moved when we arrived, and we were welcomed that way. From there onwards, it's just been a beautiful experience. That's one of the reasons why it feels like the story of La Bamba! makes a lot of sense here, even though the actual story takes place in a completely different part of the world.

 Mychele: I love to travel. So after the shows end, I want to take a few days and stay on to see more of the country. Colombo's very cool as a city, but the Sri Lankan cast members have been showing me so many beautiful places. I really want to go on a safari. I've got my heart set on that.

 

Q: Madalena, you’re a theatre veteran, and you’ve taken on some of the most iconic roles in musical theatre: Fantine (Les Misérables), Evita (Evita), and Grizabella (Cats). What drew you to Elena in La Bamba!, and how does she challenge you differently?

 Madalena: Luckily, Elena is still a very strong character. All three of the characters you mentioned are very distinct, but they are all in difficult and extreme circumstances. In this case, I think the character would hopefully be a character that people can relate to.

 I don't want to give away the story, but I will say that she is a very strong woman who's trying to keep everything together and trying to do the best for everyone around her. She is struggling with the relationship with her teenage daughter. She's struggling with keeping the community, the traditions, and has been passed on to her, alive. Elena’s circumstances are not as extreme as some of the characters you mentioned, but they are very real, very grounded, very relatable circumstances.

 

Q: Joseph, you’ve performed across such a wide range of productions, from Madagascar: The Musical to CATS. What’s something La Bamba! lets you do on stage that you haven’t explored before?

 Joseph: (laughs) I get to play a human role for a change, and I am bringing my height to it! I tend to do quite a lot of comedy roles, which I love, but with this role of Mateo, you get to tell an individual story that is quite moving.

 Often, as actors, we're just told what to do. But with La Bamba! We have the opportunity to be directly involved in the creative process, with the writers, the choreographer, the musical supervisor, and the director, who are still open to ideas, where we have the opportunity to have discussions to create our characters.

 

Q: Eduardo, with your experience across the US, UK, and Europe, how does La Bamba! stand out for you as a storytelling experience, especially playing a character like Ricardo?

 Eduardo: Joe (Joseph) said he brought his height to this production. I'm bringing my moustache, which I've never really got to do! My character, Ricardo, is a family man who upholds values and traditions. Like the story of La Bamba! one of the things that obviously attracted me to the part is that I'm very close to the culture. It is a gift to be able to share our story with the world, which then, as Madalena says, becomes a universal story.

 You should never forget where you come from because people paved the way, suffered, were immigrants at some point, faced difficulties, so that people can have the life that they lead today. In this story, you have a little bit of that, and it's not forgetting where you come from, which I think is important to enrich your life for the rest of your life. The very things that you sometimes run away from are actually the things that you will later call home.

 

Q: Charlotte, this is your professional debut on a major production. What has been the biggest learning curve so far working alongside such an experienced international cast?

Charlotte: To trust the process and be kind to yourself. I'm very self-critical and I want things to be perfect straight away. But I've learned that it is a process, and you are never a finished product. Especially when I'm working with people who have done this before, I've seen the importance of understanding your character, understanding the lines you're saying. If you don't like how you delivered a line the first time, you can always change it up the next time. You need to be kind to yourself, because you're always learning, always growing.

 

Q: Mychele, you’ve worked across theatre, concerts, and even Disney productions. How does switching between two roles in La Bamba! compare to the versatility you’ve needed in your past work?

 Mychele: I play Lupe, Elena's younger sister, and I'm considering myself the fun aunt of the show! The other character I play is Miss Pena, Sophia's teacher, who encourages her to do something that kind of propels the plot. The way I'm differentiating them in my mind is through the dynamic and the way they would speak with the other characters.

 As Lupe, the relationship with Elena is more informal. I say things much quicker, with a bit more wit. But just with a sense of ease and familiarity. Whereas Miss Pena, the teacher, even though they're sharing similar characteristics of support and growth, the interaction is detached and more professional.

Q: The physicality of the production is immense, and every main cast member has to perform big dance numbers. How do you adjust yourself to that?

Joseph: I had a teacher who once said, you are an artistic athlete. All of us, even when we're not at work, constantly keep ourselves active, always prepared for an opportunity. It's become part of our day-to-day life, our routines.

 Madalena: I do have to say that the Sri Lankan cast has the bulk of the dancing. I think we've approached this a little differently from a previous iteration of the show, where it was very dance-based. Here, we want it to be story-based. But of course, we dance, of course, there are. dance numbers. You have beautiful dancers in Sri Lanka, and I'm glad that this production will show that.

La Bamba! The Song of Veracruz is presented by City of Dreams and John Keells Foundation, in association with Nations Trust Bank, powered by John Keells Properties, along with Official Indulgence Partner Imorich, Official Chocolate Partner Revello, Official Coffee Partner Barista Sri Lanka, Official Cinema Partner Scope Cinemas, Official Outdoor Digital Media Partner Emerging Media, Official Hair and Makeup Partner Aweera, Official Mobility Partner Denza, Official Radio Partner E FM, Exclusive Print Media Partners Daily FT, The Sunday Times, Daily Mirror, and Digital Media Partners Daily Mirror Online, Hi Online, The Sun.lk.