David Baida
Reviews
(Broadway Sacramento at Music Circus, In The Heights) -Davis Enterprise, August 23, 2019
(For solo cabaret show, Unexpected Surprise) -BistroAwards.com, April 18, 2017
"Likable and impressive performances abound: Andréa Burns is outstanding....Alma Cuervo is wily and charming as Abuela Consuelo. David Baida and Doreen Montalvo devastatingly play Emilio's grandfather and mother during a scene set in the Madrid airport, in which a young Emilio (Hernandez) has to say goodbye to his family before relocating to Miami: He's received a visa and they have not. It is the musical's most heart-wrenching scene." (Broadway's On Your Feet) -Theatremania, Nov. 5, 2015
David Baida shows loads of stage presence and a lovely tenor voice pushing a fruit-ice cart." (1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Hollywood Reporter, June 24, 2010
"There's fun from David Baida as the wandering Piragua Guy..."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Variety, October 28, 2009
"...David Baida stole the show with ‘Piragua’, as he should."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -BroadwayWorld.com (Chicago), Dec. 18, 2009
"Just like David Baida's beaming take on the Piragua Guy (the singing guy who sells shaved ice treats), the majority of the show should bring a smile to your face. Be glad that "In the Heights" has extra warmth to share with Chicago this holiday season."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Daily Herald (Chicago), Dec. 18, 2009
"David Baida also deserves mention as the comically threatening Inspector Kemp."
(Young Frankenstein) -Portland Press Herald (Portland, ME), Oct. 14, 2021
"As the Piragua Guy who sells shaved ice drinks from a push cart (and constantly competes with the Dairy Queen truck), David Baida is not only warmly funny but a wonderful singer, effortlessly sliding up and around a couple of rather grand high notes." (1st National Tour of In The Heights) -OnStage Boston, January 16, 2010
"A fine representation from David Baida who played ‘Piragua’. His lyric tenor reminded one of old-time broadway singers that truly understood the meaning of a line. Bravo." (1st National Tour of In The Heights) -The Last Verista (Buffalo, NY), Feb 2, 2010
"In the cameo role of the Piragua Guy, David Baida makes a memorable impression. His soaring voice, humor and slick choreography prove the old adage, 'There are no small parts, only small actors.' ” (1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Outs Theatre Review, Pittsburgh, Feb. 3, 2010
"Adding comic zest to the proceedings are Vanessa's gossip-loving co-workers, Carla (the hilarious Lillian Castillo) and Daniela (spicy Keely Vasquez); the "Piragua Guy" (a memorable turn by David Baida) who peddles ices from his cart..."
(In The Heights, Paramount Theatre) -Chicago Sun Times, Sept. 15, 2013
"The performances here really are first rate.....Even the Piragua Guy, played by David Baida, arrives with a bleeding heart as he creams his rival, Mister Softee....There really is something exceptional about this cast, and it won over its audience in a notably instense way. Everybody around me was skeptical at first, but the sense of communal warmth only grew."
(In The Heights, Paramount Theatre) -Chicago Tribune, Sept. 16, 2013
"A special nod to David Baida, as Piragua Guy (the man who pushes a cart of shaved ice), whose soaring tenor voice and warm humor make a memorable impression."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -The Woodinville Weekly (WA), Oct. 4, 2010
"And David Baida’s Piragua Guy is just a joy, both for his simple pleasure of owning his own piragua pushcart, and his ultimate triumph over Mr. Softee."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -HoustonArtsWeek, April 7, 2010
"David Baida was highly entertaining as the struggling, but persistent Piragua Guy..."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Examiner (Columbus, Ohio), Nov. 29, 2009
"Rather than exploring heated life-or-death conflicts, the authors are more concerned about presenting vibrant characters (like David Baida as the "Piragua Guy") and everyday slice-of-life struggles."
(In The Heights, Paramount Theatre) -Daily Herald (Chicago), Sep. 19, 2013
"One other character I thoroughly enjoyed was the ever present ‘Piragua Guy’ played masterfully by David Baida."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Examiner (LA), June 24, 2010
"Purposefully stealing the show intermittently is a street vendor, selling piragua (flavored shaved ice) from a pushcart. ‘Piragua Guy’ sings and glides through the scene, but leaves toes tapping in his wake- a reminder that life can be simple if we make it so." (1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Appleton Post-Crescent (WI), Dec. 9, 2009
"...and even David Baida's genial Piragua Guy gets to shine with a solo as sweet as the ices he peddles from his cart."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Houston Chronicle, April 8, 2010
"Shout-outs go to show-stopping David Baida who authentically reminded us of the guy who sold us shaved ice in San Juan..."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -The Resident (Hartford, CT), Jan 20, 2010
"...and David Baida's joy is infectious as he peddles piragua (a Puerto Rican shaved ice treat.)" (1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Queen Anne News, (Seattle), Oct. 6, 2010
"While the piragua salesman (the delightful David Baida) hawks his flavored ices, Nina's parents, Kevin and Camila, appear in danger of losing their taxi service."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov. 6, 2009
"No matter our origins, we can feel the burn of tears in the back of the throat as an old man says what he knows will likely be his final goodbye to his young grandson -- a flashback to when Emilio is forced to flee Castro's revolution and Cuba."
(1st National Tour of On Your Feet) -The Plain Dealer (Cleveland), Feb. 11, 2010
"In addition, the production includes plenty of good humor, including from David Baida, who originated the role of Piragua Guy on the first national tour of ‘In The Heights,’ and Luis Herrera, as the character Sonny."
(In The Heights, Paramount Theatre) -PlanItKane.com (IL), Sept. 19, 2013
"Even David Baida as the Piragua Guy wandering in and out selling soft drinks from his push cart has a couple of beautiful solos."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Sacramento Press, November 5, 2010
"As Amiens, tenor David Baida is notable for his affecting rendition of several Shakespearean songs..."
As You Like It, Fine Arts Village Theatre -LA Times, Nov. 15, 1994
"There are also wonderfully vibrant performances from Shaun Taylor-Corbett as Sonny, Rogelio Douglas Jr. as Benny and David Baida as the comical Piragua Guy, who sells ice treats in a heat wave."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Sarasota Herald Tribune, October 28th, 2009
"David Baida has a minor part as the soda cart operator who is always lamenting the fact that his business is being taken away by the Mr. Softee truck, but he plays it with such zeal, you gotta love him."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -CreativeLoafing.com (Tampa), October 30, 2009
"A very talented supporting cast includes: Isabel Santiago as the gossipy owner of the local beauty salon, Daniela; Genny Lis Padilla as Carla, a daffy girl who applies the idea of "what would Jesus do" to every situation; David Baida as the Piragua Guy; and Jose-Luis Lopez as Graffiti Pete."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -BroadwayWorld.com (St. Louis), Nov. 11, 2009
"Also enjoyable are the upbeat song vignettes by David Baida, who sells piraguas (snow cones) on the street with the optimism and ethnic pride of an immigrant dreaming of a bright future."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -North County Times (San Diego), July 30, 2010
"...it does serve to string together the show’s rich musical moments and abundance of characters, from the gossipy salon girls to the ambitious ‘Piragua Guy’ (sweet-voiced David Baida)-the frozen-treat peddler who takes the temperature of the neighborhood."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -San Diego Union Tribune, July 29, 2010
"Completing the dozen principals in smaller yet significant roles are the terrific duo of Baida as the golden voiced Piragua Guy and Lopez as the street smart Graffiti Pete."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -StageSceneLA, August 3, 2010
"Vocal cameos by David Baida as the Piragua Guy are also a sweet treat."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Arts a' la Mode (Charlotte, NC), Feb. 15, 2011
"Special recognition (to) April Ortiz...and David Baida, as the Piragua Guy, a street vendor with a powerful voice."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Bitter Hack (Sacramento, CA), Nov. 7, 2010
"It’s seasoned with a graffiti artist and an adorable piragua vendor..."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -NewsReview.com (Sacramento, CA), Nov. 11, 2010
"Another character making the audience smile is the cart-pushing vendor, the "Piragua Guy" (David Baida), who is at war with the Mister Softee truck."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Belleville News Democrat (IL), Nov. 17, 2009
"Three of my favorite characters play smaller, but vital parts in the story. Jose-Luis Lopez, as Graffiti Pete, is sinister and sexy, David Baida, as Piragua Guy, is full of fun, and Ana Nogueira’s Carla is full of ditzy humor."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Broadwayworld.com (Raleigh, NC), Feb. 23, 2011
"To a one, the cast members are appealing, from the four leads (Kyle Beltran, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Arielle Jacobs, and Rogelio Douglas Jr.) to the sassy supporting characters, especially Isabel Santiago as the salon owner, David Baida as the piragua guy, and Shaun Taylor-Corbett as a young clerk with designs on something greater—free sodas, at least."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Twin Cities Daily Planet (MN), Dec. 2, 2009
"Even the secondary roles are memorable in this show that celebrates an entire neighborhood- David Baida as the Piragua Guy."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Artvoice (Buffalo, NY), Jan. 28, 2010
"Some standout moments were the delightful dance sequence with Usnavi and Sonny, when he’s finally gotten a date with Vanessa....the joyous ‘Piragua’ number (Piragua Guy played by David Baida), and especially the number ‘96,000’.”
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Gold Country Times (Sacramento, CA), November 2010
"David Baida, en su papel del piraguero, se ganó también fuertes aplausos de un público -en una ciudad en la que más del 60% de la población es afroamericana- que era abrumadoramente blanco no hispano."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -El Nuevo Dia (Baltimore, MD), Feb. 28, 2010
"The heart and soul of the barrio derive from several things: the ubiquitous presence of the Piragua Guy; the movement/dance/sound that infuses the piece; Anna Louizos' immense set with its tenements...”
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -SDTheatreScene.com (San Diego), July 19, 2010
"While the show’s themes can transcend its cultural roots—the language sometimes doesn’t. So brush up on your Spanish so you won’t be left out of the Piragua Guy’s (David Baida) sunshine-y songs."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Orange County Business Journal (CA), Aug. 8, 2010
"Among the others making memorable impressions in the cast are Rogelio Douglas Jr. as Benny, the African American who ignites some ethnic tension (there has to be a little, even in a feel-good musical); and David Baida as the piragua man."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD), Feb. 26, 2010
"David Baida, who sold piragua on the street, was a humorous transition between scenes and slight prop changes. While the rest of "In The Heights" was serious and full of dreaming, Baida prompted laughter with his good nature."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -The Sun Chronicle (Providence, RI), Jan. 12, 2011
"Other fine work is turned in by Chris Chatman as the goofy Sonny, Ginny Lis Padilla as Carla, and in a scene-stealing minor role, David Baida as the Piragua Guy. "
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -TalkinBroadway.com (Seattle), Oct. 6, 2010
"In fact, the supporting roles provide the plot with much of its impact. For example, the ‘Piragua Man‘, played here by David Baida, at first seems like he’s simply popping in and out of the background; that is, until he belts out his hymn to this flavorful, frozen treat from Puerto Rico! The tune is a danceable little hummer that will energize your brain for days after!"
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Buck-ing Trends Blog (LA), July 28, 2010
"Add to this ensemble other likable characters, such as the Piragua Guy, Graffiti Pete and, as in other great urban musicals like ’West Side Story’ and ‘Rent,’ New York City itself, and you have a barrio of personalities you won't soon forget."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Center Stage (Chicago), Dec. 15, 2009
"Somehow, though, it’s the backdrop of lesser characters who give In the Heights its flavor...the guy who sells shaved-ice piraguas (the sunny David Baida, who pays Kevin at some performances). " (1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Elizabeth Maupin on Theater (Orlando, FL), March 10, 2010
"Song highlights include the gossipy humor of ‘No Me Diga’ (literally, ‘Don’t tell me that’), the powerful ‘Pacienca y Fe’ (where Abuela Claudia pines for the stars over Cuba) and the lighthearted ‘Piragua’ (with ‘Piragua Guy’ David Baida singing about ‘scraping by’ as he serves the Puerto Rican shaved-ice treat)."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -News-Press.com (Ft. Myers, FL), March 30, 2010
"Other characters flesh out the tale of big dreams and bigger bills...including Vanessa’s salon co-workers and a scene-stealing piragua (think: sno-cone) peddler.”
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Just Out Newspaper (Portland), Oct. 20, 2010
"Song highlights include: ...and one super hilarious duet with David Baida (Piragua Guy from In the Heights) playing Meat Loaf in a mockup audition Toro had for his tour with ‘Paradise By the Dashboard Light’." (The Broken Road, Natalie Toro's cabaret show) -BroadwayWorld.com (Hollywood, CA), July 12, 2010
"The Piragua Guy with his cart full of tortillas is sung by David Baida with clarity and intensity." (1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Curtain Up Los Angeles, June 24, 2010
"And what neighborhood could be without some comic relief in the form of the Piragua (snow cone) vendor, played by David Baida?"
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Stagehappenings.com (LA), July 2010
"...and David Baida darn near steals the show as the lovable Piragua Guy." (1st National Tour of In The Heights) -WorldOfStage.com (Orange County, CA) August 2010
"Expertly sung and danced (choreographer: Andy Blankenbuehler) this National Tour features the talents of Lin-Manuel Miranda who reprises the starring role of ‘Usnavi’- a bodega-owning, Dominican who serves up cafe con hope to his local comunidad: a paletero (David Baida)..."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -Latin Heat (LA), June 26, 2010
"And there are a host of other, supporting roles, filled by David Baida (as the sweet-singing shaved-ice seller)..."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -The Plain Dealer (Cleveland), Feb. 11, 2010
"Scraping together money and scraping by are themes that linger throughout the play. They're underscored with subtle sweetness in the song of the piragua vendor, the old man who sells shaved ice with fruit syrup from his push cart. "Piragua, Piragua" he sings as he scrapes his block of ice and worries about Mr. Softee."
(1st National Tour of In The Heights) -KQED (San Francisco), May 17, 2010
"The bug-eyed David Baida is equally comical as the nosebleed-prone Jinx. He hits the high notes with a captivating tenor and as a milquetoast he quickly butters up the audience during ‘Cry’ when he goes almost Elvis on us."
(Forever Plaid, Riverside Theatre) -Press Journal (Vero Beach, FL), 1997
"A special mention must go to David Baida who not only plays brother Simeon, but also turns in a deliciously comic performance as the Pharoah's butler." (Joseph...And The Amazing, Carousel Dinner Theatre) -Tribune Chronicle (Warren, OH), 1998
"It would be a disservice not to mention the brilliant tenor David Baida, who leads the waiters at the Kit Kat Club with a stunning acapella version of 'Tommorow Belongs To Me', one of the highlights of the show."
(Cabaret, Surflight Theatre) -The Beachcomber (Long Beach, NJ), 1997
"David Baida and Robert Tunstall pretty much steal the show as the Wizard and Don
Wand." (National Tour of Beauty & The Beast) -The Californian (Salinas, CA), 1996
"The Wizard, played by David Baida, and Don Wand, played by Rob Tunstall, are a dynamic duo on every level. Their comedy has impeccable timing, their duets are vocally well-balanced and they nearly steal the show."
(National Tour of Beauty & The Beast) -The News Gazette (Champaign, Illinois), 1996
"Baida and Tunstall rate extra mention for their performances in 'Luxury Castle' and 'The Way We Used To Woo'. These two are simply an extraordinary pair."
(National Tour of Beauty & The Beast) -The News Gazette (Champaign, Illinois), 1996
"One of the most pleasant surprises was the comedic team of the Wizard, played by David Baida and his sidekick played by Robert Tunstall."
(National Tour of Beauty & The Beast) -The Gazette (Billings, Montana), 1996
"In this and other sequences, such as the second act's hilarious "The Way We Used To Woo", Baida and Tunstall were a vaudeville show by themselves."
(National Tour of Beauty & The Beast) -The Times (El Paso, Texas), 1996
"...and purple-suited David Baida left nothing to be desired in his antic, music hall rendition of King Herod's song." (Jesus Christ Superstar, Gallery Players) -Brooklyn Arts & Entertainment Journal (New York), 1997
"David Baida confidently presided over the evening's events as the Narrator and also gave an amusingly touching portrayal as the Mysterious Man. "
(Into The Woods, Gallery Players) -Off-Off Broadway Review (New York), 1999
"...Narrator David Baida (who also doubles up- literally- as the Mysterious Man) walks in and out of the play with great grace and humor..."
(Into The Woods, Gallery Players) -Brooklyn Heights Paper (New York), 1999
"Baida does a wonderful job with his number 'A Fireside, A Pipe and A Pet'...Baida is also fun to watch in singing 'Edna Jones, the Elephant Girl'..."
(Radio Gals, Depot Theatre) -Press Republican (Plattsburgh, NY), 1998
"David Baida, who should share top billing with O'leary and Wheeler, plays Moonface, the central comedy figure in Anything Goes. Without him and his humor, the liner would sink. His rendition of 'Be Like The Bluebird' is another Act 2 highlight."
(Anything Goes, Surflight Theatre) -The Beachcomber (Long Beach, NJ), 1997
"There's also humor aplenty in Crazy For You, provided by almost all of the cast members but especially by the Deadrock Trio, featuring Moose(C. Arthur Smith), Mingo(David Baida) and Sam (Sean Lough). These guys are funny from the first moment, and when the show hits Deadrock, most of the laughter begins."
(Crazy For You, Surflight Theatre) -The Beachcomber (Long Beach, NJ), 1997