“A SHOW FOR ALL AGES THAT WILL MAKE YOU GET UP AND DANCE!”:
DIRECTOR PAUL MORRISSEY ON LA BAMBA! - THE SONG OF VERACRUZ IN COLOMBO THIS APRIL

By Panchali Illankoon 

In early February, City of Dreams and the John Keells Foundation announced the staging of the West End-licensed musical “La Bamba! The Song of Veracruz” at the Forum at City of Dreams from 24-28 April 2026 in partnership with London-based theatre company Paul Morrissey Ltd.   

La Bamba! in Sri Lanka is not only a fantastic opportunity to witness West End theatre in the comfort of the homeland, but it also marks a significant milestone for the local stage. The musical will include local cast, musicians and backstage crew, providing homegrown talent the chance to be a part of an international production. The show’s writer and executive director, Paul Morrisey, is overseeing the production’s vision, working closely with two veterans in the Sri Lankan theatre and music industry, Kalakeerthi Jerome De Silva, serving as local associate director, and Soundarie David Rodrigo, as local associate music director, to make this collaboration come to light. 

Having recently arrived in Sri Lanka for the final audition selections, Paul Morrisey sits down with us to offer a glimpse into the magical rhythms of La Bamba! The Song of Veracruz debuts this April in Colombo. 

We are excited to catch La Bamba this April!  La Bamba! had its world premiere in 2023, and La Bamba – the Song of Veracruz is a new 2026 version premiering at City of Dreams, Colombo. What sets the two apart? 
La Bamba originally opened in the UK in 2023, but it was actually a production in Mexico that followed it, which changed the course of the show and gave birth to this new production, which will play in Sri Lanka. When we were in Mexico, we had the unbelievable opportunity of working with Latin American artists and digging into the culture and story we were telling. This is a new, exciting version of it that takes into account all of the learning we’ve done since 2023.

What made Colombo an attractive destination and City of Dreams the ideal venue to premiere this new production? 
Playing in Sri Lanka is a dream. It’s a beautiful country, and it’s really exciting for us to be doing the show here.  The roots of the show are Mexican Latin, but it is also an international production with universal themes, and we learned how the show really crosses all sorts of cultural and political boundaries. We felt that it was something that could equally play well and resonate in Sri Lanka as it did in Mexico.

In terms of City of Dreams as a venue, it’s a phenomenal location, and the hotel itself is absolutely beautiful. Whilst the show has typically only ever been played in theatrical venues such as West End theatres, this is a really exciting opportunity for us to get rid of the existing parameters of traditional theatres and to create our own. We have specifically designed how the show is going to fit the venue at the Forum, and that’s an opportunity we don’t get ofte,n which we are really excited about because we get to set the parameters and play with a completely new vision and new look for the show. 

You are here now for the final local cast selections – what are you looking for in selecting the ideal cast for this musical? 
It’s hard to know what you are looking for until you see it. This is a musical; it’s an art form unlike anything else in the world, and we need them to sing, dance and act and be a strong triple threat. What we are looking for is unbelievable talent; someone with that X factor or spark they bring to the room where they make you sit up, take notice and engage with them. A successful audition is where they feel like it’s their moment in the room, and it’s a privilege as the director to be in that room with them and not the other way around. 

What’s the story or premise of La Bamba – the Song of Veracruz, without giving too much away? 
In many ways, it’s about the song La Bamba, which everyone in the world knows. What most people don’t know is that it’s originally a folk song that’s traditionally sung at weddings in Latin American culture. When Richie Valens, a popstar in the 60’s, did his magic on the song, he turned the folk song into a global hit that set fire to the Latin American music around the world. Even musicians like Carlo Santana and Bob Dylan have spoken about how influential Richie was in turning that song into a pop song. Our show is about that legacy – what that song represents and the fusion of folk and pop, and how artists like Marc Anthony, Shakira, and JLO have done similar things like that. It’s a show about those voices, about the heritage where you come from and how to carry that forward. 

What aspects of the musical do you think will resonate strongly with the Sri Lankan people?
I think La Bamba appeals to everyone.  It’s about a girl with a dream, and I think everyone has a dream. It’s a story about how the community comes together to help her, and in that process, she discovers her community. You don’t have to be an aficionado of musicals to come see La Bamba; it’s a story that will resonate with you and make you get up and dance. When we did the show in the UK, we had an array of people who came to see the show. Young people who were excited by all the colours and the sounds, people from all sorts of cultures who can see themselves and their stories on stage, and the older generation who actually remember Richie Valens and his music. It’s a show for all ages, and you really will have a great time because the music, that rhythm and that beat will just resonate. We have a live orchestra we are compiling, a mix of musicians from the UK and Sri Lanka and with that live music – it’ll really get you.

As a jukebox musical, it has a lot of popular songs from popular singers. What kind of music can we expect to hear? 
Everybody loves Latin music; it’s got a rhythm and beat to it that just makes you smile. We’ve selected our favourites that tell the story of a 17-year-old girl who wants to go out into the world and become a superstar, and the musical has voices who have influenced her and us. We have songs like Livin' La Vida Loca and Whenever, Wherever and feature songs from some incredible artists like Marc Anthony, JLO and Shakira, but also folk songs like La Bamba and other songs you already know because they just exist in the world.