SAN ANTONIO — It has been five years, almost to the day, since 23-year-old singer Selena Quintanilla Perez was shot dead by the president of her fan club. Seven posthumous albums, one feature film, at least two documentaries and a dozen books later, some say maybe it's time the entertainment world let her spirit go.
Not likely.
In fact, Selena is more popular now than ever. She's one of the top-selling Latin artists of the decade. Her "Todos Mis Exitos" was the No. 1 Mexican regional album of 1999 and is currently No. 23 on the Billboard Latin chart; the sequel, "Todos Mis Exitos Vol. 2," released three weeks ago, stands at No. 3 on the Latin album chart.
To top it off, an ambitious new stage musical, "Selena Forever," opened Thursday at the Municipal Auditorium here to a nearly sold-out, enthusiastic crowd of about 3,000. Preview shows Tuesday and Wednesday were equally full. The premiere was attended by Selena's parents and sister, and Jose Behar, president of EMI Latin, her label. Bobby Pulido and Jennifer Pena, the king and queen of tejano music, also were present.
With a $2-million budget, the show has the backing of several Broadway producers, including Tony Award-winning producer Jerry Frankel of "Death of a Salesman" and "Jekyll and Hyde" and theatrical booking agent Michel Vega.
"Selena Forever's" cast of 35 will tour 30 cities, including a stop at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles May 9-14. The producers are hoping for an eventual Broadway run.
To cynics--and there are many--who ask, "Why don't they let her go already?," there appears to be a simple answer: Millions of people still love Selena.
And it's not the first time a stage musical has been made to honor a music star killed in the prime of life and career. Such shows grew out of the deaths of Buddy Holly, Janis Joplin and Patsy Cline. To Selena fans, it all makes sense.
"I don't see why we should let it rest," says producer Tom Quinn, who came up with the idea for the Selena musical after being moved by the film. "Why not expand the horizons of what she set out to achieve? The story is amazing, her talent was amazing. She was an American icon."
Although Selena's parents have been accused by some of exploiting their daughter's memory, the singer's father says he is motivated by the fans, who still send box loads of mail each week.
