Inside The Show Tango Argentino

By Antón Gazenbeek

During the dark years of the military dictatorship, Tango had fallen into oblivion all over the world, most especially in Argentina. The “Tango Argentino” show was the show that led to the worldwide revival of interest in Tango. It debuted in Paris, then conquered Broadway and, later, the whole world.

Juan Carlos Copes, Miguel Ángel Zotto, and Milena Plebs, Gloria and Rodolfo Dinzel, Gloria and Eduardo, Virulazo, and Elvira are some of the artists who participated in this legendary show and are described in great detail in this book, now known as the definitive work on Tango Argentino.

Every serious tanguero should know the history of the revival of Tango and this book is for them.

Tango Argentino: What a book!

What a book! It enchants immediately, like the show, taking us to the beginnings of Tango, accompanying us in its history, gradually creating the irresistible desire of Tango in the reader.

In the book, we come face to face with the myths of the dancers, musicians, and singers. It tells us some gossip about the fights and jealousies behind the scenes and tells us also about the creation of the costumes, now iconic in the worlds of theater and fashion.

We also read that Lady Diana and the Japanese Emperor Hirohito were so enchanted by the Tango that they wanted to learn it.

It is finally confirmed: only by knowing the beginning of this new era, we can better understand its current global success.

Tango is a universal language!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Enrico Massetti
• Release date: May 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463911358

Antón Gazenbeek

Antón Gazenbeek es un joven y talentoso bailarín de tango, coreógrafo, profesor, investigador e historiador.  Antón estudió tango social y teatral con los mejores maestros argentinos y es un bailarín versátil, especializado en el estilo del maestro Antonio Todaro.

Book preview

Antón Gazenbeek

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Copyright © Antón Gazenbeek 2013

Published by Enrico Massetti

All Rights Reserved

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Acknowledgments

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This book is dedicated to Mr. Claudio Segovia, and his vision, the late Hector Orezzoli, and to all the artists who made Tango Argentino the success that it was. May their hard work, talent, and artistry be remembered … forever.

A very special thanks also to Sergio Segura for all his hard work, endless support of this project, his beautiful graphic design of this book, and the many hours shared interviewing, researching, and preparing this book. Gracias Chabon!

Disclaimer

This book is the result of over eight years of intense research conducted in Buenos Aires, and around the world. Personal interviews were conducted with each of the surviving members of the cast of the show, and countless documents, programs, newspapers, and magazine archives, films, videos, audio records, and photographs were consulted. This accumulated material constitutes the bulk of the source material for this book.

This book reflects how the events occurred to the best of my knowledge, and no personal opinions on my part were included. It is a non-biased study of the existing facts regarding the show. This book is intended to show great respect to each, and every member of the cast, both onstage, and off.

Anton Gazenbeek

Foreword

The tango always gives us surprises. That a young Dutch boy could be so attracted to the music, and dance of the Rio de la Plata, as has happened with him, seemed strange to me, and almost as if it was a fable, until one day I met him personally, and convincingly discovered that to have been born in Holland, with all respect, was a mistake, as the tango is present in his entire body, and mind, and that through study, sacrifice, and dedication which deserves full respect, and admiration as work which he has done from the heart, I hope the diffusion of this book will be a success, and hope it will be accepted, and understood in its true dimension. As I, Juan Carlos Copes do, I wish him the best of triumphs in all the facets of his tanguero career. Strength, a hug, and that his message continues conquering the land, and admirers all over the world.

All the best,

Juan Carlos Copes Buenos Aires October 2008

El Tango siempre nos depara una sorpresa. Que un joven holandés, se sienta atraído por la música y danza, del Rió de la Plata, como ha sucedido con él, me sonaba extraño y hasta casi una fábula, hasta que lo conocí personalmente y comprobar fehacientemente, que haber nacido en holanda, con todo respeto, fué un accidente, ya que en todo su cuerpo y mente, el tango esta presente, a base de estudio, sacrificio y una dedicación digna de todo respeto y admiración como trabajo, esta hecho con el corazón,espero que su difusión y éxito sea entendido y comprendido, en su verdadera dimensión; como hago yo, Juan Carlos Copes, que le desea el mayor de los triunfos, en todos sus ciclos tangueros. Fuerza, un abrazo y que su mensaje, siga conquistando plazas y admiradores en todo el mundo.

Lo Mejor.

Juan Carlos Copes Buenos Aires Octubre 2008

Introduction

Thirty-three popular Argentine artists reunite in Paris to play, sing, and dance tango.

An orchestra of twelve musicians. Five singers.

Six dancing couples. An actor.

The dance floor: Bordello, European Cabaret, Buenos Aires Cabaret, Dance Salon, Neighborhood Club.

A black background.

The sky of Buenos Aires.

A selection of tangos that recounts the true history of tango.

Each artist has their own role.

Each artist is an authentic Porteño.

This was Tango Argentino.

What was Tango Argentino? Why was it so important? Who created it? Who starred in it? Why did it have such worldwide success? Why did it stop?

In the pages of this book, you will find the answers to all these questions and more. Inside Tango Argentino is an academic, almost scientific study of the world’s first, and most important international tango show, Tango Argentino.

Tango Argentino was the creation of two very talented theater directors, and designers, Claudio Segovia, and Héctor Orezzoli. It was the most magnificent show the world had ever seen in its time, and it spent ten years touring the world. It appeared in France, Italy, the United States, Canada, Broadway, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, over 52 North American cities, Venezuela, Holland, England, and in its homeland Argentina.

It had such unprecedented success everywhere that it appeared that a whole tangomanía or tango craze was set off. People began to go into the streets, and to the theater dressed in clothes that mimicked the dancers in the show. Men began to slick their hair back with shiny gel to style themselves after the men in the show. Women began to wear long, elegant, black dresses with high slits, modeling themselves after the women in the show. Fashion designers began to pick up on this and designed tango- inspired clothing lines. Vogue magazine photographed the cast of the show on more than three occasions. Famous celebrities from all fields became what one could call groupies of the show. Liza Minelli saw it on numerous occasions, Robert Duvall (who later, thanks to this show, became a tango fanatic, and continues to dance to this day), Anthony Quinn, andy Warhol, Princess Diana, and others were just some of those who fell under the show’s spell.

Apart from the fashion, and hairstyles, the most important part of all this craze was that Tango Argentino started a boom of interest in tango dancing. Thousands of people clamored at the stage door after every performance, begging the dancers to give them classes in authentic Argentine Tango. After holding back, and resisting for quite a long time, the dancers finally agreed, and a whole tango dance craze took off from Broadway to Paris to Tokyo, and back to Buenos Aires where the dance had originated but been forgotten, and suffered many years of neglect. Tango classes started up everywhere in dance studios, and dance halls. Tango professors came out of the woodwork claiming to teach authentic tango. Milongas (social tango dances) started up in many cities all over the world, and continue to this day.

As a result of all this interest in tango, a tremendous tango tourism business started in Buenos Aires. In the year 1986, there had been three Americans who went to Argentina specifically to study tango: Robert Duvall was the first, and next was a couple named Al, and Barbara Garvey, who later went on to become important tango teachers, and the founders of the San Francisco tango community. After 1986 a steady increase in tango tourism started that burgeoned into the thousands within two years. It seemed that every city where Tango Argentino went was inspired by what it saw in the show, and had an appetite to learn more.

And Tango Argentino, or more importantly its story, is inspiring. It is the story of the fight between two men. The fight to keep a dying art form alive, and present it to the world. This is the story of Tango Argentino.

1 - THE CREATORS:

CLAUDIO SEGOVIA, and HECTOR OREZZOLI

The story of Tango Argentino really starts with the story of its creators Claudio Segovia, and Héctor Orezzoli. Both were porteños, or natives of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and both grew up with close contact to the tango. Segovia came from a highly artistic family, and since his childhood had a great interest in the theater, music, dance, song, and all forms of art. He grew up next door to an, Andalusian flamenco peña. Many years later this inspired him to create together with Héctor Orezzoli the spectacular show Flamenco Puro which, like Tango Argentino, had great international success, and triumphed all over the world.

At the age of 20, Claudio Segovia graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, where he studied theater design, set design, costume design, and other arts. He also graduated from the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes. In 1965 he started his work as a theater designer, and already showing an extraordinary talent for his craft, he designed the sets, and costumes for works by Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, and Ibsen, among others.

However Segovia always had a strong interest in popular art forms, and this led him to create in 1966 the spectacular show Baguala with Mercedes Sosa, with whom he traveled throughout Europe, the United States, and the then Soviet Union. Segovia quickly converted himself into one of the greatest music-hall directors in Argentina at the time and had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest Argentine artists of his time, such as Astor Piazzolla, Ernesto Sabato, Antonio Gasalla, Nélida Lobato, and Eduardo Falu.

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With the collaboration of his long-time associate, and friend Jorge Lavelli, Segovia worked for many years on important opera production in theaters across Brazil, Argentina, and France.

In spite of all his work in the finer arts, Segovia never forgot that little flamenco peña near his childhood home. In the year 1980 after many years of hard work, and investigation, Segovia, together with his longtime partner, and collaborator Héctor Orezzoli, presented the show Flamenco Puro in Seville, Spain. Flamenco Puro brought together the most authentic gypsy flamenco artists in Spain and presented the music, song, and dance on stage in its most authentic form. The finest clothes, costumes, and makeup were used, all without losing the authentic, earthy roots of the genre. This was the basis of all the work that Segovia and Orezzoli did together: Bring a popular, dying, forgotten art form to the stage with its most authentic, and true singers, dancers, and musicians, present a high-quality show with unparalleled costumes, exquisite lighting design, and spectacular hair, and makeup, and share the heart, and soul of the art form, and the artists with the world. Segovia did this on more than one occasion. After Flamenco Puro debuted in Seville, it later continued on to the Festival D’Automne in Paris, a tour of Europe, and over 50 North American cities, including Broadway.

Segovia continued the idea of shows like Flamenco Puro, and went on to design, direct, and produce four other great mega-shows: Tango Argentino, Black, and Blue, Noche Tropical, and Brasil Brasileiro. All of these shows always conserved Segovia’s striving, and determination to present authenticity in all his work. In today’s world, where authenticity is scarce, and almost impossible to find, that is a very admirable trait.

Héctor Orezzoli

We must not forget that Tango Argentino was not the creation of Claudio Segovia alone. It was also the creation of Segovia’s longtime partner, Héctor Orezzoli. Orezzoli was born, and raised in Buenos Aires. Orezzoli was quite a different child from Segovia and had a different way of viewing the world. Although extremely artistic, he had a more business-like way of seeing things. He was, in short, what every great artist lacks, and needs the business side of the art, the organizational side, the brains. Orezzoli studied literature, psychology, and theater at the University of Buenos Aires, where he graduated in the early 1970s.

Orezzoli always worked in the theater. In 1974 he created the costumes, and sets for the show Honeymoon of Sonia Delaunay. He went on to design other prominent, and important shows as well.

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In the early 1970s as if by destiny, the paths of Claudio Segovia, and Héctor Orezzoli crossed. It was the meeting of two great men, two great artists, and two great lovers, who together would change the world’s view of theater. Together Segovia and Orezzoli worked on many theater productions and won many prestigious awards for their work. They won the grand prize at the Biennale de Sao Paulo, the Prix Moliere, and the premier prize from the Fond National des Arts. In 1974 Orezzoli, and Segovia presented the show Carnaval de Venise at the Festival Aix-en-Provence, with the scene, and costume design by the two, and direction by Jorge Lavelli. In 1975 they toured Europe, and Latin America with some of the great shows they created. In 1980 came the debut of Flamenco Puro after many years of hard work, and deep investigation into the roots of the flamenco art form.

Around 1976 Segovia began toying with the idea of putting together a large scale tango show that placed all the best dancers, singers, and musicians on the same stage at the same time. This had never been done before, and he thought it an interesting idea. He talked with a few people in the show business industry and was met with one unanimous answer: impossible. They all thought it would be impossible to convince so many artists, all of whom had an ego the size of the Moon, to appear on the same stage at the same time. Segovia, however, being as persistent as he is, did not give up.

At the time the great Juan Carlos Copes, and his partner Maria Nieves, and their tango ballet were performing in the nightclub Sans Souci on Corrientes, and 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires. Segovia approached Copes after the show, explained his idea to him, the two men exchanged cards, and parted. Copes said to Maria, What a stupid idea. This man is crazy. He will never do it.

But no amount of discouragement was enough to kill the idea in Segovia’s head. He continued to develop it in his imagination, tweak it, perfect it. He continued with other projects in the meantime, but it was always in the back of his mind.

We must not forget that Tango Argentino (and therefore other shows like Flamenco Puro, and Black, and Blue) did not only have these two great creators. There were whole teams of extremely talented artists, each one a master in his or her field, who contributed to the magic, the excellence, the success of Tango Argentino.

Hilda Curletto

Hilda Curletto was born, and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She showed signs of extreme talent from a very young age. Hilda is a very special, very generous woman. Very quiet, observant, extremely intelligent, and wildly creative. She is a woman who knows how to take an idea and makes it a reality. She listens, and then she creates. Hilda was the costume maker, and restorer for Tango Argentino, as well as Black, and Blue, Noche Tropical, and Brasil Brasileira. She is best known for her extraordinary work in the field of vintage costume restoration, repair, and recreation. She has the ability to take a 200-year-old piece of clothing, and restore it into its original form until it looks as spectacular as it did the first day it was worn. This was her talent in Tango Argentino.

She also aided Segovia in the design of many of the costumes and added her expertise helping Claudio select the right fabrics, colors, and textures for what was needed.

Jean-Luc Don Vito

Jean-Luc Don Vito was a talented young, French makeup artist, and hairdresser who already had a great experience as one of the top stylists for the photoshoots of the major French, and European fashion magazines. He was in great demand to make up the important models of the time and seldom found himself without work. Through a relationship with the Argentine theater director Alfredo Arias, who for many years resided in Paris, Jean-Luc found his way to Tango Argentino. Arias, a close friend of Segovia, recommended him as a good choice to be the makeup artist and hairdresser for the show. Segovia saw his work, liked it very much, and plans were underway to discuss the look Segovia, and Orezzoli wanted for their show.

2 - The Preparation

Claudio Segovia spent years scouring Argentina looking for the best dancers, singers, and musicians to be part of his show. He went night after night to all the tourist show houses, such as Casa Blanca, Michelangelo, El Viejo Almacén, and Rugantino, looking for the best dancers he could find. With his strict eye for talent and his knowledge of what he wanted for his show, after years of careful scouting Segovia found what, and who he wanted.

The first dancers with whom Segovia spoke in the early part of 1983 were Juan Carlos Copes and María Nieves. Copes, and Nieves, who were already well known, and respected dancers, choreographers, and artists, were at the time working in Sans Souci, a popular tango show house in

Buenos Aires. In 1976 Segovia went to see the show and afterward went backstage to the dressing room to speak with them. Copes listened to what Segovia had to say, said, We'll keep in touch,, and said to Nieves when Segovia left, This guy is crazy. His idea is stupid, and he will never ever be able to do a project like that. It will never happen.

Well, 7 years later Segovia went back to see Copes, told him that his project was a reality, and that it was going to happen, and that he wanted Juan Carlos, and María to