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[title]Diego Kolankowsky built an unlikely bridge: from Ramos Mejía to Broadway, from the Buenos Aires suburbs to the world’s most influential stages. And he did it with an explosive mix of instinct, stubbornness, and a sharp sensitivity for spotting stories that not only entertain but become unforgettable. This week, that journey reached a new milestone when he was recognized as a Cultural Ambassador by the Buenos Aires City Legislature in a ceremony that felt more like a celebration than a formal act.
A tribute filled with music, emotion, and theatrical micromoments
For a moment, the Golden Hall turned into a small, porteño-style Broadway. Lito Vitale led an ensemble that delivered a mini-show packed with high-voltage moments: Michel Hersch sang “Sunset Blvd.”, Lucila Gandolfo—star of Una película sin Julie—shone with “As If We Never Said Goodbye”, and Flor Otero and Germán “Tripa” Tripel performed a Maybe Happy Ending medley that had everyone on their feet.
The room was full of personality: Gabriel “Puma” Goity shared a reflection mixing humor and pride—“We don’t come from the bottom, we come from way up,” he joked—while Mauricio Dayub celebrated the fact that Diego “played in the big leagues wearing the jersey of his neighborhood.” The atmosphere was intimate, joyful, and at times moving, especially when Kolankowsky couldn’t hold back tears.
Who is Diego Kolankowsky: the man who turned an unlikely dream into a historic career
To understand the significance of this recognition, you have to go back to his story. In an interview with Time Out, he summed it up simply: “I come from a very humble family in La Matanza, and I fulfilled dreams I never even dreamed.”
That spirit—a cocktail of wonder, ambition, and gratitude—led him to conquer Broadway with Maybe Happy Ending, the musical that took seven years to come to life and ended up sweeping nine Tony Awards. It also fueled his revival of Sunset Blvd., a staging so powerful that it became a phenomenon once again.
But his relationship with musical theater began long before that. “Rock of Ages was the trigger that made me say, ‘This is what I want to do,’” he said. He saw it twenty times from the very same seat. He kept buying tickets just to feel that sensation again and again until, literally, he ended up working with its star. A fan turned creator.
“I decided some time ago that I didn’t want life to surprise me—I wanted to surprise life,” he said. “And the crazy thing is that she surprised me again.”
“I decided some time ago that I didn’t want life to surprise me—I wanted to surprise life”
A recognition that also speaks to Buenos Aires
Beyond the political presence the occasion called for, the event carried something more meaningful: a tacit declaration that Buenos Aires’ culture also plays on a global stage. Kolankowsky embodies that perfectly. His career is proof that the road between Buenos Aires and New York can go both ways when there is sensitivity, conviction, and a powerful story behind it.
And perhaps that’s why this tribute went far beyond a certificate. It became a celebration of his path, his productions, and the identity he never left behind. As Dayub said, “He was able to play in the big leagues wearing his neighborhood’s jersey.”
What’s next
Kolankowsky already has new projects on the horizon: the return of Beetlejuice, a film directed by Pablo Trapero starring Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton, and possibly the chance for one of his productions to reach Argentine soil. But for now, it’s a moment of celebration. The party belonged to him, but also to everyone who gets emotional over a great story. And Diego still has many more to tell.