LUIS SALGADO RETURNS TO BROADWAY WITH "ROCKY", THE NEW MUSICAL BASED ON THE OSCAR-WINNING FILM

Actor, dancer, director and choreographer returns to his boxing roots 

for the most talked about Broadway show this season

Luis Salgado. Photo by Evelyn Merino

(New York, NY)  Actor, director, dancer and choreographer Luis Salgado, best known for his work in Broadway musicals, In The Heights and Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, returns to Broadway this season with a feature ensemble role in Rocky, the new musical based on the popular film by Sylvester Stallone.

Salgado, who himself was an amateur boxer and was born into a family of boxers, will play "Kid Rizzo", a boxer who trains alongside "Rocky Balboa". He also plays Rocky's "Cutman", in the show's "big fight".

 

"I am very proud to return to Broadway with

Rocky, a story of triumph and perseverance that has inspired so many people", Salgado says. "For me the show is like a dream come true, because it allows me to combine two of my greatest passions: dance and boxing".

Born in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, Salgado trained as an amateur boxer from age 15 to 17, inspired by the legacy of his father's family, where a number of relatives were also boxers.  Salgado discovered his passion for dancing at age 9, but his love for boxing was so strong that he even participated in various amateur boxing matches on the island.

Luis Salgado and his wife Denisse Ambert, pose with Sylvester Stallone following the first preview performance of "Rocky on Broadway", on February 13th, 2014.

"At that time I was training simultaneously as a dancer and a boxer", remembers Salgado. "One day, while working as a backup dancer for Merengue music star Jailene Cintrón, I showed up to work with a black eye, so she told me:

'you have to choose. You either dance or you box'.  I chose dancing, but I have never grown completely apart from the sport".

Salgado is currently at a strong professional and personal moment in his life.  After successfully directing and choreographing the dance musical Candela Fuerza y Pasión, and the "50th Anniversary" concert of Peruvian singer Cecilia Bracamonte, in Lima, Peru; he choreographed The Latin Quarter Show, an acclaimed dance review that ran for three months at the Revel Casino and Resort in Atlantic City.  His company Salgado Productions continues to focus on creating "art with a purpose", with successful projects such as the development and world premiere of Amigo Duende, The Musical (My Friend The Elf), a new musical based on the classic Puerto Rican children's play.

Simultaneously, Salgado has remained busy as an educator, teaching master classes and professional development workshops for artists in the United States, Spain and throughout Latin America.  He has also worked as production and choreography consultant/advisor for international projects, including the Brazilian production of In The Heights.

Salgado is also committed to his social work with R.Evolución Latina, an organization that he founded in 2008, with the goal to support and empower the Hispanic community through the arts.  The organization currently has six programs that provide training and access to the arts for children, families and artists in New York and other cities around the world.

"Our work is rooted in the motto Dare to Go Beyond", says Salgado, who in 2014 will become a father for the first time.  "Through what we call The Circle Effect, we create a positive change in people's lives, so that they in return, are inspired and can create a positive change in the lives of others.  I feel blessed.  I am enjoying this new stage in my life to the fullest".

Rocky - with book by Sylvester Stallone and Thomas Meehan; music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, directed by Alex Timbers, plays Monday through Saturday at the Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway at 50^th Street.  Previews began on February 13^th.  Opening: March 13^th, 2014.  Starting March 18^th, performances will run Tuesday through Sunday.  For the entire performance schedule and tickets, visit www.rockybroadway.com.

For interviews with Luis Salgado, contact Javier E. Gómez, 917-533-1247, Javier@highpitchpr.com.  For additional information and photos, visit www.luissalgado.com or www.salgadoproductions.com.