As Production Assistant, Alumna Saw Clear Emotional Connection to ‘Buena Vista Social Club’

On “Buena Vista Social Club,” Carnegie Mellon alumna Sidney Rubinowicz would tear up during rehearsal, recognizing how special it was to be working on the first show sung fully in Spanish as her first Broadway production.

Of Argentine descent, Rubinowicz, who graduated in 2023 with a bachelor of fine arts in stage and production management, grew up in South Florida with parents and grandparents who speak Spanish.

“Growing up, my grandparents would say, ‘I want to come see your show, but I won’t understand it,’” she said. “Lately, they’ve been able to see my shows because they feel like we’re represented. And I know there are so many other people who feel the same way.”

While the story of “Buena Vista Social Club” is set in Cuba, Rubinowicz worked with Latin Americans of many backgrounds on the cast and crew, and bonded with one of the band members who is Argintinean.

“I don’t take that for granted,” she said. “I didn’t really think that part of my life would overlap with theater as much as it has. It’s an amazing step that Broadway has taken.”

As a production assistant for “Buena Vista Social Club,” she would update the script, distribute the changes and maintain a log, and was proud to see her contributions to the production facilitating communication from the director and playwright.

Rubinowicz worked for two months as part of a five-person team on the show from the first rehearsal to opening night, as is common with entry-level production assistants.

“It’s bittersweet because I know they’re all there and the show is doing so well and I’m happy for them,” she said.

Among the show’s 11 nominations, Carnegie Mellon alumna Natalie Venetia Belcon is vying for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her performance as Omara Portuondo.

Rubinowicz said, after attending a middle school and a high school focused on the arts, she came to CMU seeking a drama program that emphasized collaboration.

“Now that I’ve graduated, I have fellow classmates working as designers and technicians in the same field, so I have that community with me,” she said.

She will be working as a production assistant on the 2025 Tony Awards(opens in new window) broadcast after serving in that role in 2024.

“I’m working on the network side, but it’s the biggest theater event so the content is close to home,” Rubinowicz said.

Looking back, she credits the guidance of mentors such as her adviser Tina Shackleford(opens in new window), teaching professor of stage management, and fellow Miami native Javi Galarza-Garcia, who graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in production and design management in 2019.

“What Carnegie Mellon gives you is a lot of tools and ideas, not necessarily the exact answer, which is helpful because there’s rarely a clear right or wrong answer,” she said.

Discussions in production management seminar class with David Holcomb(opens in new window), associate head and director of production, provided not only solutions to challenges experienced by her classmates, but also the soft skills like confidence-building, Rubinowicz said.

“I take so many of those things with me every day,” she said.

Rubinowicz said she knew from the beginning that the Carnegie Mellon community would mean a great deal to her career.

“Your classmates become your professional peers and that was really important to me,” she said.

As a board member of NYDAC(opens in new window), compiling and sending newsletters featuring alumni and upcoming work, she has seen firsthand how CMU alumni support each other.

“I reach out to so many people to be a part of NYDAC events, and everyone is excited,” she said. “That’s a really good reflection on the community, and I feel connected to so many people that way.”