Luis Salgado (born August 30, 1980 in

Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón (, ) is a Bayamón barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain, it is bounded by Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Guaynabo to the east, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, Toa A ...

) is a Puerto Rican performer, director, choreographer, and producer. His career has led him to Broadway, film, television, and stages around the world. He served as associate director and choreographer of

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; ) is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Jun ...

's ''Paramour'' that opened April 16, 2019 at the

Neue Flora Neue Flora ''(Stage Theater Neue Flora)'' is a musical theatre in Hamburg, owned and operated by Stage Entertainment. History In 1987 Stella Entertainment was looking for a new musical theatre in Hamburg, after their success with ''Cats'' in t ...

theatre in Hamburg, Germany. He has worked with directors, choreographers and performers such as

Andy Blankenbuehler Andy Blankenbuehler (born March 7, 1970) is an American dancer, choreographer and director primarily for stage and concerts. He has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Choreography five times, and has won three times: for '' In the Heights ...

Jerry Mitchell Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer. Early life and education Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, Mitchell later moved to St. Louis where he pursued his acting, dancing and directing career in theatre. Although he did not ...

Sergio Trujillo Sergio Trujillo is a Colombian-American theater director, choreographer, dancer, and actor. Born in Colombia and raised in Toronto, Canada, he is an American citizen and resides in New York City. Trujillo was nominated for the 2016 Tony Award fo ...

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker, rapper, and librettist. He created the Broadway musicals '' In the Heights'' and ''Hamilton'', and the soundtracks for the animated films '' Moana' ...

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer. After starting her professional career with The Acting Company in 1972, she soon gained acclaim for her leading performances on the Broadway and West End stage. Known f ...

Laura Benanti Laura Ilene Benanti (née Vidnovic; born July 15, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Benanti made her Broadway debut as an ensemble member and later as Maria von Trapp in the 1998 revival of '' The Sound of Music''. Benanti went on to ...

Patrick Dempsey Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and racing driver best known for playing neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–15; 2020–21). He is also known for his leading man romantic film roles, such ...

and

Diego Luna Diego Dionisio Luna Alexander (; born 29 December 1979) is a Mexican actor, director, and producer, best known for his portrayal of Cassian Andor in ''Rogue One, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (2016) and the Disney+ series ''Andor (TV series), ...

Personal life

Salgado was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and raised in a nearby Vega Alta, Puerto Rico. He studied theatre in 1998 at the

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...

. He moved to New York City in 2002, and currently resides in Manhattan with his wife and child.

Career

Salgado made his

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

debut in 2003 with the musical '' Fame'' as a replacement for Enrico Rodriguez and understudy for the role of Joe Vegas. In 2004 he worked on the film '' Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights'' as the dance double for the role of Javier played by

. In 2005 Salgado originated the role of Frankie Suarez in the musical ''

The Mambo Kings ''The Mambo Kings'' is a 1992 musical film, musical Drama (film and television), drama film based on the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ''The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love'' by Oscar Hijuelos. The film was direc ...

'' In 2006 he starred as Bobby in the musical ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...

'' in his return to

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

as a special guest artist. The musical featured local legends such as Braulio Castillo Jr., Angel Viera,

Daniela Droz Daniela Droz (born August 16, 1977) is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, and television host. Early years Daniela esenia Droz Serranostarted her acting career during childhood. Her stage debut took place in 1987, at age 10, in the San Juan produ ...

and Nashalí Enchautegui among others. Later in the production Salgado replaced Angel Viera as Paul at the

Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center The Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center (Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré in Spanish) is a multi-use performance centre located in the barrio of Santurce in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It features three main concert and theater halls for play ...

. On February 8, 2007 Salgado opened his second

show with the musical ''

In the Heights ''In the Heights'' is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is a romance as well as a celebration of community, culture, and aspirations. It is set over the course of thr ...

''. He appeared in the film ''

Across the Universe "Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the 1969 various artists' charity compilation album ''No One's Gonna Change Our W ...

directed by

Julie Taymor Julie Taymor (born December 15, 1952) is an American director and writer of theater, opera, and film. Her stage adaptation of ''The Lion King (musical), The Lion King'' debuted in 1997 and received eleven Tony Awards, Tony Award nominations, with ...

and '' American Gangster. Also in the same year served as assistant to associate choreographer: Central Park scene for the film '' Enchanted''. In 2008 Salgado transferred to Broadway as Jose, as well as Latin Assistant Choreographer in the Tony Award-winning musical ''In The Heights'', directed by

Thomas Kail Thomas Kail (born January 20, 1977) is an American theatre director, television director and producer, known for directing the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musicals '' In the Heights'' and ''Hamilton'', garneri ...

, choreographed by

, with music and Lyrics by

; book by

Quiara Alegría Hudes Quiara Alegría Hudes (born January 1, 1977) is an American playwright, producer, lyricist and essayist. She is best known for writing the book for the musical '' In the Heights'' (2007), and screenplay for its film adaptation. Hudes' first pla ...

. For ''In the Heights'', the entire cast won a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

, and Salgado and the ensemble won an ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus from

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American trade union, labor union representing those who work in Theatre, live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions w ...

. This same year he played the role of Alejandro in the film '' Step Up 2: The Streets''. Salgado also collaborated with Jamal Sims as Latin Assistant choreographer for the film. In 2010 Salgado debuted at

The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...

in a free outdoor concert staging of

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

's ''

The Capeman ''The Capeman'' is a musical play with music by Paul Simon and book and lyrics by Simon and Derek Walcott based on the life of convicted murderer Salvador Agrón. The play opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1998 to poor reviews and ran for 68 p ...

'' at the

Delacorte Theater The Delacorte Theater is a 1,800-seat open-air theater in Central Park, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is home to the Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park productions. As of September 2023, it has been closed for renov ...

directed by

Diane Paulus Diane Marie Paulus (born 1966) is an American theater and opera director who is currently the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.Colleen Walsh"Paulus reaches beyond boards" ''Harvar ...

and choreographed by

. He also played the role of "Malik" on Broadway in the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

musical adaptation of

Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and author. His films are distinguished by Melodrama (film genre), melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular c ...

's ''

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown ''Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'' () is a 1988 Spanish black comedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas and Julieta Serrano. The plot follows actress Pepa, who, after her lover Ivá ...

'' with

Sherie Rene Scott Sherie Rene Scott (born February 8, 1967)Some sources give 1969, but Scott herself, at thOfficial Sherie Rene Scott Myspace Pageand at Lovece, Frank"Sherie Rene Scott is caught up in the 'Rapture'", ''Newsday'', May 6, 2010, gives 1967 is an Ame ...

Brian Stokes Mitchell Brian Stokes Mitchell (born October 31, 1957) is an American actor and singer. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theater since the 1990s. He has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a ...

and,

. The production was directed by

Bartlett Sher Bartlett B. Sher (born March 27, 1959) is an American theatre director. ''The New York Times'' has described him as "one of the most original and exciting directors, not only in the American theater but also in the international world of opera". ...

and choreographed by

Christopher Gattelli Christopher Gattelli is an American choreographer, performer and theatre director. Early life and career Gattelli grew up in Bristol, Pennsylvania. He started dancing at the age of 8 and is a "Star Search" grand champion.

. Salgado produced the "Dare to Go Beyond: The Album" for R.Evolución Latina featuring Broadway stars

Corbin Bleu Corbin Bleu Reivers ( ; born February 21, 1989) is an American actor and singer. He began acting professionally in the late 1990s before rising to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Chad Danforth in the ''High School Musica ...

Andréa Burns Andréa Burns is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of the hairdresser Daniela in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical ''In the Heights'', as Carmen in Douglas Carter Beane's '' The Nance'', and as Mrs. Spamboni in ''The Elect ...

and

Joshua Henry Joshua Anthony Charlton Henry (born September 2, 1984) is a Canadian-American actor and singer of stage and screen. He is best known for starring as Billy Bigelow in the third Broadway revival of ''Carousel'' and as Haywood Patterson in Kand ...

among others. The CD was released on December 13, 2010. In 2014 Salgado gave life to the role of Kid Rizzo in the musical

Rocky the Musical ''Rocky the Musical'' (originally ''Rocky: Das Musical'') is a 2012 musical with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Thomas Meehan and Sylvester Stallone, based on the 1976 film of the same name written by Stallone. ...

at the

Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Originally designed by architect William Albert Swasey, it opened in 1911. The Winter Garden's current des ...

. directed by

Alex Timbers Alex Timbers (born August 7, 1978) is an American writer and director best known for his work on stage and television. He has received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Drama Desk Award, as well as nominations ...

; choreographed by

Steven Hoggett Steven Hoggett (born 30 November 1971) is a British choreographer and movement director. He has won an Olivier Award as well as an Obie Award, has been nominated four times for a Drama Desk Award and three times for a Tony Award. Early life ...

and Kelly Devine. In 2015 Salgado portrayed film director/choreographer

Kenny Ortega Kenneth John Ortega (born April 18, 1950) is an American director, producer, choreographer, and concert creator. He is best known for his work with Disney Channel, notably the '' High School Musical'' film trilogy, cult classics such as '' Newsi ...

On Your Feet! ''On Your Feet!'' is a jukebox musical that played on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre. Based on the lives and music of 26-time Grammy Award-winning husband-and-wife team Gloria and Emilio Estefan, the musical has a book written by Alexander Di ...

a musical about the lives of Gloria and Emilio Estefan both in the pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago and the Broadway production that began previews on November 5, 2015. directed by

and choreographed by

. In 2017 Salgado returned to

as associate director in Utrecht, Netherlands. Salgado has also directed, choreographed and developed new shows including ''Song of Solomon'' (Best Director), ''Zuccotti Park'' (Best Director), and ''Zapata The Musical'' at the

New York Musical Theatre Festival The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual event held each summer from 2004 to 2019 in New York City's midtown theater district. It mounted more than 30 new musicals each year, more than half selected through an open-submission, double- ...

, ''DC-7 The Roberto Clemente Story,'' ''Shafrika The White Girl'', ''I'll Be Damned'' (Tina Award nominee for Best Choreography), ''Drop Outs'' and ''Serenade'' (HOLA Award, Best Choreography). On film and television he has choreographed the animated film Dora's Explorer Girls, and music videos for Wonka and McDonald's Latinos Are One – LR1 single Maña y Corazón. In 2017 Salgado directed and choreographed the U.S. premiere of

at GALA Hispanic Theatre in Washington, D.C (Helen Hayes, Best Direction and Best Choreography). In the same year he co-choreographed the (

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

) remake of ''

Dirty Dancing ''Dirty Dancing'' is a 1987 American romance film, romantic drama film, drama Dance in film, dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tel ...

'' starring ''

Abigail Breslin Abigail Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress. Following a string of film parts as a young child, she rose to prominence at age 10 after playing Olive Hoover in ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), for which Breslin received a nomin ...

''. In 2018 Salgado directed and choreographed ''

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...

'' at the Axelrod Performing Arts Cente

in Deal New Jersey. Salgado returns from Germany to direct and choreograph a new bilingual version of '' Fame (musical), Fame - The Musical'' it opened at

Gala Hispanic Theatre GALA (Grupo de Artistas LatinoAmericanos) Hispanic Theatre is a theater located at 3333 14th St NW in Washington, D.C. It hosts plays in Spanish and English, as well as dance, music, poetry, spoken word, art and films. History The GALA Hispan ...

on May 9, 2019. In June, the same year he directs the musical ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 De ...

'' by

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

and

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English songwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ''Jesus C ...

at Axelrod Performing Arts Center starring

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

's,

Ace Young Brett "Ace" Young (born November 15, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He gained national recognition while appearing on the fifth season of ''American Idol''. Young is married to ''American Idol'' season-three runner-up Dian ...

. In 2011, he founded Salgado Productions, a production company committed to developing new works and creating "Art with a Purpose". The company's projects include ''Amigo Duende, The Musical'' (a musical adaptation of the classic Puerto Rican children's play), ''Candela Fuerza y Pasión'' (A New Musical Spectacular in Lima, Perú), as well as the 50th anniversary concert of Peruvian singer Cecilia Bracamonte. Salgado is the founder and CEO of R.Evolución Latina, an organization that seeks to empower the Hispanic community through educational programming and partnerships. The organization's best-known initiatives are the Dare to Go Beyond Children's Performing Arts Camp, D2GB School Arts program and the Beyond Workshops Series, a 2-week annual professional development program for adult performers. Salgado is a guest teacher at

Broadway Dance Center Broadway Dance Center is a dance school located at 322 West 45th Street west of Times Square in New York City. It was founded in 1984 as one of the first "drop-in" dance training schools in the world, offering classes in jazz, tap, ballet, conte ...

and Steps on Broadway and a faculty member at

Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Cent ...

. Salgado released a five-volume instructional Latin Dance DVD series for Tezoro Productions, which covers the basics of salsa, Mambo, Carnival, Merengue and Plena music. In 2019 Salgado directed a new bilingual (LatinX) production of ''Fame The Musical'' at the GALA Theatre in Washington, D.C., which opened to rave reviews from the ''Washington Post'', on May 9, 2019. This production won two 2020 Helen hayes awards for Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Production in a Musical. In 2022 Salgado directed and choreographed the world premiere of ''ON YOUR FEET! La historia de Emilio y Gloria Estefan ¡EN ESPAÑOL!'' at GALA Hispanic Theatre in Washington, D.C. The production led the 2023 Helen Hayes Awards field with fifteen (15) Helen Hayes award nominations and nine (9) wins including Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction, and Outstanding Choreography in a Musical. Also in 2022, Luis directed and choreographed ''In The Heights'' at STAGES St. Louis in Missouri. The production was recognized by the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards with field-leading eleven (11) nominations and took home six (6) wins including Outstanding Production, Outstanding Ensemble, and Outstanding Choreographer in a Musical. In total, Salgado staged eight (8) productions in 2022 including three (3) productions of ''In The Heights'', and three (3) productions of ''On Your Feet!'' including the world premiere of the Spanish language production in Washington, D.C and in his home of Puerto Rico. He conceived, directed and choreographed ''Let’s Dance'', a piece for Transcendence Theatre Company in California and choreographed the award-winning 2022 upfronts for Telemundo. In 2023, Salgado is the director/choreographer of the current National Tour of ''On Your Feet! The Musical – The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan'' and is currently working on the upcoming production of ''AIDA'' at STAGES St. Louis.

Awards and nominations

Salgado has received multiple recognitions, including the BroadwayWorld.com Gypsy of the Month Award, Grand Marshall of NY Dance Parade (2009), and the recognition El Award "Hombres Destacados" by el Diario La Prensa in 2010. On Sunday, June 11, 2023, Luis will be an Ambassador for the 66th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.National Puerto Rican Day Parade Inc. https://www.nprdpinc.org/post/giselle-blondet-justina-machado-judy-torres-ismael-cruz-córdova-to-lead-66th-annual-pr-parade

References

External links

Luis Salgado's official website
*
Lortel Archives Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Salgado, Luis 1980 births Living people American choreographers Drama Desk Award winners Puerto Rican dancers People from Bayamón, Puerto Rico