The muscial Basura, meaning ‘rubbish’ in Spanish, had its world premiere at the Alliance Theatre’s Coca-Cola Stage in Atlanta, Georgia. The show is based on the true story of the Cateura Recycled Instruments Orchestra in Paraguay’s capital, Asunción. Its members play instruments built entirely from discarded materials. Members of the orchestra travelled to Atlanta to attend the opening.
The production runs until 12 July 2026, with official opening night, and a gala celebration, scheduled for 12 June 2026. Performances take place Wednesday through Sunday, with between 35 and 40 shows planned in total. Tickets start at US$25.
The Cateura story behind Basura: A New Musical
As reported previously by The Asunción Times, the Cateura Recycled Instruments Orchestra was founded by Favio Chávez, an environmental technician and musician who began teaching music to children at the landfill in 2006. When instruments ran short, craftsman Nicolás ‘Cola’ Gómez began building them from waste. Oil cans became cellos, bottle caps became violin parts, and wooden scraps became guitars.
The orchestra eventually performed alongside Stevie Wonder, Metallica, and Megadeth, and at the United Nations and for Pope Francis. Their story reached global audiences through the 2015 documentary Landfill Harmonic, which won the Audience Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival.
Basura carries that story onto the theatrical stage. The musical incorporates lyrics in Guaraní, Paraguay’s co-official indigenous language, alongside English and Spanish, and features recycled instruments built specifically for the production by the orchestra itself.
A Paraguayan story on the world stage
Gloria Estefan has spoken publicly about the personal significance of the project. “This is a story that has been close to my heart for several years since I first encountered the determination and ingenuity of the young people of Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra,” she said. “We could not be more excited for Basura to begin its theatrical life in a city as influential and diverse as Atlanta with a theatre as consequential as the Alliance.”
The story of the Cateura orchestra has already inspired similar projects in Brazil, Burundi, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Spain. Whether Basura advances to Broadway after its Atlanta engagement has not yet been officially confirmed, but the production has been widely anticipated as a step in that direction.
A high-profile creative team
The production has assembled an award-laden team from the top tier of American musical theatre.
Music and lyrics are by eleven-time Grammy winner Gloria Estefan and her daughter Emily Estefan. Emily is a singer-songwriter and Grammy nominee. The book is written by Karen Zacarías, winner of the National Latino Playwriting Award. Her previous work includes Native Gardens and Destiny of Desire. Michael Greif, a five-time Tony Award nominee whose Broadway credits include Rent and Dear Evan Hansen, directs.
Alex Lacamoire, the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award winner behind Hamilton and In the Heights, serves as musical supervisor, orchestrator, and arranger. Choreography is by Tony Award winner Patricia Delgado, known for Buena Vista Social Club. Ken Cerniglia, dramaturg on Hadestown and Newsies, serves in the same role here.
The design team includes four-time Tony nominee David Korins on scenic design. Tony winner Dede Ayite, known for Hell’s Kitchen and Slave Play, handles costumes. Five-time Tony nominee Ben Stanton leads lighting. Tony winner Peter Hylenski, honoured for Moulin Rouge, oversees sound. The Musical, on sound.
“From the very beginning we set out to surround this uplifting musical with the most passionate and talented creatives in our industry,” the producers said in a statement.
A newcomer leads a strong cast
The production introduces Jaci Calderon, a Mexican-American actress making her major theatrical debut, in the leading role of Nambí. The producers singled out director Michael Greif’s history of nurturing new talent as a key factor in the casting.
The cast includes Dario Alvarez as José, Zack Calderon as Nunu and Nathan Diaz as Dani. Zack Calderon is known for the Amazon Prime Video series The Wilds. Isabel Gonzalez plays Blanca and Michelle Zink-Muñoz plays Sofía. Emmy winner and Tony nominee Kevin Del Aguila, known for Some Like It Hot and Frozen, plays Mario. Drama Desk winner Mandy Gonzalez, who originated Nina in In the Heights and starred in Hamilton, plays Mónica.
“With Mandy Gonzalez originating her most significant role in a new musical since her career-defining turn as Nina in In the Heights, Kevin Del Aguila bringing his usual award-winning brilliance and charm, and a company of exceptional artists, we have a powerhouse cast bringing this inspiring true story to life,” the producers said.
A standing ovation
Tickets and further information are available at the Alliance Theatre website. For a generation of young Paraguayan musicians who began by learning to play instruments made from rubbish, the standing ovation in Atlanta marks one more stage in a journey that has already crossed continents.
