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(Photo by Ana Maria Carrano)
Ruben Rabasa, beloved Cuban-American actor and comedian, makes his return to the stage to star in a highly theatrical, true story — his own! The world premiere of Rubengology: The Making of an American Legend, a collaboration between GableStage, the longstanding theater company located in Coral Gables’ historic Biltmore Hotel and Abre Camino Collective, continues thrugh July 31.
In 2019, Rabasa became a national sensation for his work on the Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave, turning him into one of the top memes of the year at 82. Now, in Rubenology: The Making of an American Legend, Rabasa takes audiences on the wild ride of his life.
After six decades in show business and after years of exile, waiting tables, taking bit-parts and side-kicking, Ruben Rabasa finally has the spotlight. Will he play it safe or will he finally free himself of the chains that made it so hard to “make it” in the first place? Now he has the microphone, he wants to say: God Bless America!
Rubenology: the Making of an American Legend is written by Vanessa Garcia and Rabasa. It is directed by Victoria Collado. Garcia and Collado make up Abre Camino Collective, the storytelling studio known for its extraordinary power to tell transformative narratives. In 2019, Garcia and Collado created Miami’s The Amparo Experience, which told the story of the Arechabala family who created Havana Club Rum and from whom the company was nationalized. The Amparo Experience was extended by popular demand six times.
During the pandemic Garcia and Collado created Rubenology, a popular digital series celebrating Rabasa’s unique outlook on life.
“At this point in my life I only work on things I really care about and I really care about Ruben because he’s a phenomenal, trailblazing human being and one of the funniest people I know, and the warmest. He’s a star. And everybody needs to know it,” Garcia said.
“There is no way to avoid loving Ruben. I know that when the audience peeks into Ruben’s story, not only will they fall in love with him, but they’ll walk around with an extra little pep in their step,” Collado added.
Ruben Rabasa, who Andy Garcia calls “La Gloria de Cuba,” has been a fixture in Spanish television in Miami and a regular on shows like Sabado Gigante with Don Francisco. He is known for his roles in Amigos (1985), Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988), The Lost City (2005) and the Netflix comedy, I Think You Should Leave (2019), as Focus Group Man. He is currently starring in the Father of the Bride reboot alongside Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan and Adria Arjona.
Born and raised in Cuba, he migrated to the U.S. living in New York City; Los Angeles, and the Magic City of so many Cuban exiles, Miami.
Rubenology: The Making of an American Legend runs Thursdays-Sundays through July 31.
Showtimes are Thursday, 7 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday 8 p.m., and Sunday, 2 p.m.
Ticket prices range from $40 to $45. Because Ruben has a robust following of young people, all patrons under the age of 35 are able to access tickets starting at $20.
The production features sets and lighting design by Frank J. Oliva, costumes by Nobarte, lighting projection design by Joel Zishuk, and sound design by Brandye Bias-Lemont.
For tickets and more information on Rubenonogy: The Making of An American Legend, visit gablestage.org, call the box office at 305-445-1119 or email at boxoffice@gablestage.org.
The GableStage Theatre is located on the east side of the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables at 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables, FL 33134.
