CMU Alum Shaping Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway

Why It Matters

Garcia’s story shows that integrated education and intentional networking can fast‑track emerging talent to high‑profile Broadway roles, highlighting a replicable model for aspiring artists.

Key Takeaways

• Moses Garcia balances freelance directing with Public Theater staff role.
• He pursued Carnegie Mellon’s 4+1 program, completing undergrad and grad simultaneously.
• Joined Buena Vista Social Club after early email invitation during fifth year.
• The Broadway production delivers two‑and‑a‑half hours of uninterrupted joy.
• He credits relationship investment as the “secret sauce” for success.

Summary

The video profiles Moses Garcia, a Carnegie Mellon University alum who now serves as associate director for the Broadway musical Buena Vista Social Club while also working on the artistic staff of New York’s Public Theater. Garcia explains how his dual‑track 4+1 program—finishing his undergraduate degree and first year of graduate study concurrently—prepared him for the demanding, multitasking nature of contemporary theater production. He recounts receiving an unexpected email from the show’s creator during his fifth academic year, inviting him to join what he initially thought would be a modest workshop. The project quickly escalated into a full‑scale Broadway run, offering New York audiences two and a half hours of uninterrupted musical joy. Garcia emphasizes that the program’s rigorous schedule mirrored his current professional rhythm, reinforcing the value of intensive, interdisciplinary training. Garcia repeatedly stresses the importance of human connection, noting, “Invest in the humans that you work with,” and describing this relational focus as the “secret sauce” that lands him in coveted creative rooms. He credits colleagues who have nurtured his growth, underscoring that genuine curiosity and sustained support are as critical as talent. For aspiring theater professionals, Garcia’s journey illustrates how strategic academic pathways, openness to unexpected opportunities, and deliberate relationship‑building can accelerate a career from campus to Broadway, shaping the next generation of creative leadership.

Original Description

Carnegie Mellon University alum Moses Garcia (CFA 2022; HNZ 2023) is being recognized in Tartans on the Rise. As associate director of the Tony and Grammy winning Buena Vista Social Club, he has helped bring a groundbreaking Spanish language musical with a live Afro Cuban band to Broadway, shaping the production from early development through its continued success.