Actress and Emmy Award-winning host Fernanda Kelly, will finally get to play one of the women she most admires, the iconic artist/feminist and advocate, Frida Kahlo, in the worldwide premiere of the English interpretation of I Am Frida Kahlo. This play, which has been previously performed only in Spanish, will be presented in English for the first time in Los Angeles beginning Saturday, October 29 with additional performances on Sunday, October 30; Friday, November 4; and Saturday November 5. This will be the first public theatrical performance at the newly inaugurated Cerritos College Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility featuring a 400-seat theater. 

Fernanda Kelly has an accomplished career in theatre of nearly 20 years. Some of her credits include Are You Bringing Something From Mexico? with Off The Tracks Theatre Company and AmorEs and Ramera, with the prestigious Nirvana Theater Company. Her most recent television credits include the Peacock drama-series Bel Air executive produced by Will Smith; the FOX action-thriller drama 9-1-1; Amazon’s original crime drama Too Old To Die Young; and Hulu’s sitcom Black Jesus. Kelly also has a successful 20-year career as a television host and journalist in the US Hispanic market earning two Emmy Awards and three Telly Awards for her work as the host of the hit national morning show LAnzate on Univision network.

“Having the opportunity to do I Am Frida Kahlo is a dream come true for me as an actress. I have been yearning for a role like this my entire career and now that I finally have the opportunity to give life to such an iconic Mexican idol, I feel extremely humbled, Fernanda Kelly shared. “I feel an immense sense of responsibility to do justice to a woman who has inspired so many Latina/es like me, to live life unapologetically and with purpose.”

I Am Frida Kahlo is an original play written and directed by Cerritos College Spanish Professor Froylán Cabuto, who recounts Frida Kahlo’s story as never seen before. The surrealist performance has Frida Kahlo telling her own story as she sees it. It will delve into the artist’s tumultuous life through eight extraordinary monologues performed by Kelly. The storytelling is enhance through expressionist dance, used help visualize Frida’s memories, taking the audience on a journey between the world of the living and the dead. The live orchestra and digital media elements will help immerse the audience in her beautiful journey.

Kahlo was fragile in stature and “broken”, as she often self identified, but the strength with which she lived her life is explored as well as the creative process through which she developed some of her most outstanding works of art while giving light to current social and political issues.

I Am Frida Kahlo is choreographed by Beatriz Eugenia Vásquez, with original music and musical arrangements by Otto Cifuentes.

For tickets to this highly anticipated new show CLICK HERE.

Fernanda is currently one of the co-hosts of Univision radio’s Levantate con Ysaac Alvarez, a syndicated morning show on Uforia’s K-LOVE 107.5 PM in Los Angeles. She is also an entrepreneur in the fashion industry as CEO of the female clothing line NYTAQ and founder of The Medical Gown Project. As a passionate activist Kelly has dedicated her time to uplifting and giving a voice to the voiceless within the Latino community and fighting for immigrant rights nationwide. 

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Blanca Blanco knew she was an actress at the age of nine.  After graduating from Eastern Washington University, she knew it was time to go pro and moved to Los Angeles. She trained with some of Hollywood’s award-winning directors Gordon Hunt, Academy Award nominees Sally Kirkland, and veteran character actor Bruce Glover, now she is in the running for an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Lola in the TUBI TV series, Tale of Tails.

Blanco was born and raised in Watsonville, California, along with two sisters and two brothers, by Mexican immigrant parents who worked multiple jobs to support them.  She knew early on that she wanted to break the mold and pursue higher education and make a career for herself in Hollywood.  

Her first major role was in the 2008 feature film Dark Reel opposite Edward Furlong. Notable screen credits include starring opposite Danny Trejo, ION’s Defending Santa; the Syfy Channel’s Bermuda Tentacles are some of her TV credits. Among her film credits is Teen Star Academy opposite John Savage, the comedy 6 Children & 1 Grandfather, and the comedy adventure Mission Possible each premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2016, 2017, and 2018 respectively. Recently released films include Fake News, the Western Eye for Eye, and the thriller Torch which also stars Savage and Rita Moreno. 

In 2018, Blanco was awarded the Best Supporting Actress at International Independent Film Festival for her villain role in Betrayed, distributed by Sony Entertainment. Blanca just recently won Best Actress for her role in the western film Eye For Eye which can be seen via TUBI on Amazon Prime. 

Latin Heat had a chance to speak with Ms. Blanco about her role in Tale of Tails and her pending Emmy Award nomination.

LATIN HEAT:  Tell us about your TV series Tale of Tails.  What is the series about?  

Blanca Blanco:  Tale of Tales is a crime, action, thriller, TV series on Tubi. Tails is a borderline-legal nightclub. The owner keeps Tails afloat by taking advantage of the desperate women, and desperate men, who pay for female attention. When a dead body shows up in the bathroom, things begin to unravel quickly. 

LH:  How would you describe Lola, your character?

BB:  Lola is a single mother struggling to pay her bills. With no education or resources, she finds herself working at Tails to support her family. Lola strives for a better life, but she simply gets pulled back into the world with the financial gain it offers her. Little does she know how vital she will be in the disappearance of a fellow dancer. It is Lola’s involvement that holds the key to the crime. 

LH:  She is not a cheery person, why does she seem so tough?

BB:  My character Lola has not had an easy life. She has struggled to make a living and has made some regrettable decisions. She acts tough to protect herself from being taken advantage of. She doesn’t trust many people. Lola has always had to fend for herself. 

LH: What do you like most about playing Lola?

BB: I liked being able to bring justice to Lola’s character. She is a good person who has had a difficult life and I enjoyed being able to bring dignity to her character. Playing Lola allowed me to explore her emotional depth and range. I wanted people to relate to her emotions and struggles in life. 

LH:  Why is it important to you to be considered for an Emmy®  nomination?

BB:  I have worked hard for many years as an actress. It’s an honor to be considered for that level of standard. It feels great to be recognized by the Television Academy and to be eligible for an Emmy® nomination.

Being a Latina, it is important for me to do work that is meaningful and has a positive impact on others. In recent years, I’ve seen more diversity in films and television but I believe that Latinos are still underrepresented in Hollywood, and there is still room for growth. For example, we need more Latino leads in films and equal pay. I want to represent Latinas and be a role model in my community. I want to inspire them about what is possible if you have a vision and you work hard for it.  

LH:  You are also an author, tell us a bit about your book “Breaking the Mold“

BB:  I wrote the book, Breaking the Mold, during the Covid pandemic. It won an award for best inspirational book in 2022 and is now in the process of being developed for a television series. I share my personal life story about surviving abuse, poverty and discrimination.  My parents were Mexican immigrants and my 5 siblings, and I lived in a garage without hot water or heat growing up. Despite having little support and no resources I got an education and made a better life for myself.  I write about the tools I used to break free of challenging circumstances and change my trajectory in life. 

LH:  Where can people buy your book?

BB:  You can buy my book, Breaking the Mold, at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

LH:  People can see Tale of Tails on the streaming channel Tubi.  But where can people find out more about you and your upcoming films and projects? Where can people follow you?

BB: Follow me on Instagram @blancablancoactress, on both Facebook and Twitter @Blanca Blanco

Good Luck on your Emmy nomination!

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