Jose Iglesias is nothing if not versatile. While still playing professional baseball, the Cuban-born shortstop began moonlighting as a pop musician under his nickname, Candelita. Now, the former MLB All-Star has made his way from the diamond to Broadway, starring in Buena Vista Social Club.
“It goes way beyond a dream come true for myself,” Iglesias says of landing on Broadway. “I have this beautiful experience that I get to live on a daily basis, to have fun and represent Cuban music, connecting with the fans, with the musicians, meeting people, growing as a person. It's a unique opportunity that life has presented to me.”
Iglesias is currently starring as The Narrator in Buena Vista Social Club, with his initial six-week run having been extended through November 15. Inspired by true events in Havana, Buena Vista Social Club tells the story of how the acclaimed Cuban musical group reunited to record their eponymous, Grammy-winning 1997 album. Iglesias contributes to the award-winning musical “from the beginning to the end of the show,” he says, with a few speaking lines and dances with the live band sprinkled throughout.
“I'm literally the first one to talk on stage,” he says. “I'm also singing in the show as well. It's a big responsibility.”
So, how does a baseball player wind up on Broadway? For Iglesias, it came from a single, viral track. After signing with the New York Mets in 2024, Iglesias began walking out to his then-unreleased song “OMG.” His teammate J.D. Martinez encouraged Iglesias to play the full song for the team, and the Mets soon began blasting it in the clubhouse as they went on a hot streak. Players started singing along to the chorus whenever a teammate hit a home run, and before long, “OMG” was echoing around Citi Field as the team’s home-run celebration. The Mets even added an “OMG” sign to the dugout, with players holding it up to celebrate each home run. It had become an unofficial club anthem.
“I would say definitely ‘OMG,’ and being involved with music is something that they were looking into and [said], ‘You know what? I think he can do this,’” says Iglesias of getting the call to star in the production. “They reached out and I couldn't believe it at first. Literally, I was in shock. All I had done was baseball and music.”
“I'm extremely happy to be part of such a great musical,” he adds. “This show is magnificent; it's magical. The energy in the theater every single night is unique, and I'm just so happy to be part of it.”
Buena Vista Social Club has given Iglesias a chance to reconnect with the Mets fans who took him to heart. After becoming a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, he signed with the San Diego Padres, abruptly ending his joyful stint with the Mets. The team had fallen just short of a World Series berth, and Iglesias never got the chance to properly say goodbye. Now, Broadway has given him a way to return — and say thank you.
"It's a way to reconnect with all those Mets fans,” he explains. “Unfortunately, after 2024, I wasn't able to return to New York to see the fans or my ex-teammates.”
Now in the twilight of his baseball career, with 13 seasons under his belt, Iglesias says he is learning to become a rookie all over again in the theater landscape. “Actors work so hard to get an opportunity like this one,” he says. “And for myself, who has been a baseball player and a musician, I'm able to act now on Broadway and learn from all of them; that's what I do on a daily basis. I just ask a lot of questions.”
Part of the learning curve, he explains, has been knowing how to care for his body and voice as he trades in his baseball cleats and uniform for a microphone and costume. “They both have discipline, but it is different,” he says. “In my personal case, it's just making sure my aura, my energy and my delivery is where it needs to be. It's easy to connect with the guy that's sitting in the front row because they're so close to you, you just have an intimate conversation with them, but you should also be able to deliver all the way up [to the balcony].”
“I always ask questions about how can I improve my body language? How can I improve my script in this situation?” Iglesias says. “And I'm always asking questions because I have a fun role and then I want to continue to represent Buena Vista Social Club the right way.
“They’re such a great actors and musicians and such great human beings that make my process a lot easier than what I expect,” he says of his castmates.
“But the energy every single night, it feels like game seven in the playoffs.”
As for his future, Iglesias says it’s all “God’s plan.” It could be music, Broadway, or baseball — he is currently a free agent, after all. For now, it’s safe to say Iglesias is enjoying his rookie season on Broadway.
