Latidos del Barrio seeks talent for the musical about Roberto Duran

Panama September 19, 2026. The auditions began at the Metropolitan Cultural Center, attending to inhabitants of Calidonia, San Felipe, Santa Ana and El Chorrillo as part of a process that will also offer comprehensive artistic training.

The Latidos del Barrio program began on Saturday September 19 with an auditions to select the cast of the musical "Latidos de una champ: La vida de manos de Piedra," a theatrical production inspired by the life of Panamanian fighter Roberto "manos de Piedra" Duran.

The process will continue this Sunday September 20 at Ascanio Villalaz School in San Joaquín and next September 27 at the Ciudad de Esperanza School with new sessions scheduled for October to expand opportunities for participation.

According to Juan Carlos Adames, a Panamanian producer with responsibility for the direction of the musical, the proposal aims to not only discover talent but to give the participants tools for their artistic development. The select will receive singing, dance and performance clinics, character and script analysis and writing, among other disciplines. "It's transcend, that's to give them that opportunity and to give them that didactic part," said Adames, who highlighted the support of Latidos del Barrio and the Ministry of Culture to bring these opportunities closer to people who have perhaps been unable to get an audition or training for a musical..

The production will have a cast of about 90 people at the stage, including 12 leading characters and a chorus of 20 children that will play songs by Panamanian composer Omar Alfanno.

Most characters will be directly selected from community auditions while Robin Duran Iglesias, son of Roberto Duran, will play his father's character.

Adames noted that the search will be focused on finding authenticity and expressivity among the participants, considering that the story of Duran is closely linked with the neighborhood. "What we are looking for is authenticity, and if something has the neighborhood is that, that's that sincerity, that love, that giving the emotions," she stated..

The selected participants will get their training at no cost, as well as their communities and their way to the essays that will be held at the City of the Arts. The preparatory process will start at the end of this year and 3 presentations are scheduled at the beginning of 2027.

"Latids of a champion: The Life of Piedra's Hands" becomes a platform for new talents from communities to gain access to artistic training and to be part of a theatrical production inspired by one of the most representative figures of Panamanian sports.