10 September 7-13, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | Culture | Night+Day | News | Letters | coNteNts | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Yas Queen! Tower Theater exhibit celebrates Celia Cruz, La Reina de Salsa. BY CAROLINA DEL BUSTO A montage of images featuring a toothy Celia Cruz greets guests as they walk into the Tower Theater on Calle Ocho. Once a beacon for indie films — and local film festivals — the theater has been, not without controversy, transformed into a mini museum after Commissioner Joe Carollo led the charge to boot Miami Dade College as the venue’s steward, effectively shuttering one of the few remaining art- house cinemas in the city. Its current programming includes an exhi- bition dedicated to the Queen of Salsa herself. Aptly titled “Celia Cruz: Por Siempre,” it was curated by Omer Pardillo-Cid, former man- ager and executor of Celia Cruz’s estate. In partnership with the City of Miami, the trib- ute to the beloved songstress will remain on view until summer 2024. On an unassuming Wednesday afternoon, two tourists from New York stumble into the Tower Theater and immediately start snap- ping pictures of every item on display. Raquel and Gabriel, an Ecuadorian couple, are on va- cation and heard about the exhibit. Raquel kept her sunglasses on as she walked around, mouth agape and getting up close to every item she could. Her husband dutifully took pictures. The pair walked in at the perfect time and were treated to an exclusive tour by Pardillo-Cid, featuring guest appearances by Tico Torres and Alexis Rodri- guez-Duarte, the duo that styled and photographed Cruz for many years. Torres walks over to a large display case that houses a lime green dress once worn by Cruz. In the background is a famous photo of the Cuban with her arms stretched out wide and a contagious grin. Torres fondly remembers styling the singer and explains how his husband, Rodriguez-Duarte, took the photograph. “Not many people know this,” says Torres, leaning in as if divulging a tasty secret, “but right before the picture was taken, Celia just broke out into song. It looks like she’s smiling, but she’s actually singing. She’s singing a cappella.” Among the areas featured on the first floor of the exhibition is a space dedicated to the singer’s iconic wigs and heels. Pardillo-Cid points out a pair of shoes on display. “Her shoes were very unique,” he says. Cruz had about 50 pairs of shoes designed by Miguel Nieto and made in Mexico. Get closer, and you’ll notice the wear on the fabric and what appears to be another color underneath the primary shade. She would redo one shoe like eight or ten times and change the color of the fabric or paint them.” The rest of the first floor features a wall of the singer’s famous friends, a case with spe- cial awards and distinctions, and plenty of dazzling outfits. A 20-minute documentary about the singer’s life plays on a loop in the intimate theater. The pièce de résistance of the exhibit is on the second floor. Cruz’s former manager and executor of her estate, Pardillo-Cid, stands in front of the replica of the late singer’s dressing room. He looks off and smiles proudly at the display. Pardillo-Cid first met Cruz when he was 14-years-old liv- ing in New York City. Years later, he started working with her at RMM Records. Eventu- ally, the singer gave Pardillo-Cid the opportu- nity of a lifetime and asked him to manage her. “When I was 23, she asked me to manage her, and I went, ‘Celia, there are two paths here: Either I do great for you, or I will mess up your career.’ Gracias a Dios, it worked beautifully,” he remembers. The dressing room resembles the exact setup the “Azúcar” singer had while on tour. As he points to different parts of the display, Pardillo-Cid gets excited when his eyes land on a rack of clothes tucked away in a corner. “Mira, esto primero que ves aquí y piensas que es un vestido. It’s not, es una bata de casa,” he says, excitedly. The singer was so outra- geous that even her loung- ing outfit was full of sparkles and feathers. Pardillo-Cid points to a corner where a collection of El Corte Inglés shopping bags are piled up with mis- cellaneous items stuffed in- side. “A lot of people ask me why we have those Corte Inglés bags. Celia would roll them up and have them in her purse. If we were some- where and she needed to put something away, she’d take out a Corte Inglés bag. I used to joke with her and say, ‘Tu le hace promoción de gratis,’ (‘You are giving them free promotion.’)” says Pardillo- Cid with a laugh. Pardillo-Cid takes a moment to observe the dressing room. His face softens, and he dons a prideful grin as he says, “Celia was a friend. Celia was a friend for everybody. If she was your friend, anything you needed at any time, she was there. Loyalty was very key to her.” “Celia Cruz: Por Siempre.” On view through summer 2024, at Tower Theater, 1508 SW Eighth St., Miami. Tickets cost $10 to $15. Daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. [email protected] ▼ Culture Celia Cruz’s famous lime green Cuba dress is on display at the Tower Theater. “Por Siempre” displays personal objects and ephemera relating to Cruz. Omer Pardillo-Cid photo Omer Pardillo-Cid photo “CELIA WAS A FRIEND FOR EVERYBODY. LOYALTY WAS VERY KEY TO HER.”
