Nicholas Matos is currently appearing alongside some of Broadway’s hottest names in one of the season’s biggest shows: SMASH — based on the TV show of the same name. Eight times a week, the young Mr. Matos portrays the offbeat character of Scott, a twenty-something, social media-head caught up in a zany musical comedy about putting on a musical comedy. An unlikely outcome for young Mr. Matos who not long ago was preparing for a career in science. We got this very busy actor to speak on his artistic trajectory, how biology is like acting and why aspiring actors should not wait until they feel they are “ready.”     

CRIS FRANCO:  First off, Nick, congratulations on your great success in SMASH. The show is terrific as is your very original characterization of the show’s newbie production assistant named Scott — how would you describe him?

NICHOLAS MATOS:  Clueless — at first. Scott’s an observer. But he constantly wants to learn more because he’s thrust into this world of hard-boiled Broadway veterans. And my character doesn’t know the basics about musicals. He doesn’t even know who Julie Andrews is, so —  

CRIS: He’s the ultimate Gen-Z-er. 

NICHOLAS: Right. In every scene, there’s something new happening around him, so Scott is constantly looking for how he can contribute to the conversation.

CRIS: Your Scott character is truly original and hilarious. He often delivers the “button” or the “blow” out of the scene — the zingers that move the plot on to the next story beat. Scott is also pivotal because his last minute insights provide the play’s climax. When it seems everyone’s efforts were for naught, once clueless Scott sings his epiphany as he puts it all together for us. 

NICHOLAS: Yes, his trajectory is so much fun to play with. My final number is the show’s only original song — all others debuted on the series SMASH. My song, titled “Broadway’s Calling You,” was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman — two composers that I’ve looked up to for years. So, just getting to sing it alone on stage is crazy. Our director (five-time Tony Award-winner) Susan Stroman and I frequently discussed my song’s function during rehearsals. She directed me to not start at one-hundred percent.  To keep the excitement growing and growing. So, I start it light and airy — and keep building from there. 

CRIS: And in one fell swoop, your song delivers the show’s message.  

NICHOLAS: Yes, so as the story evolved there were a lot of rewrites. The version I now perform is my character realizing that on Broadway, like in life, you keep moving forward even if you fail. So we worked a lot on my building the song’s intensity, because as the show’s climax, we have to get to a moment where the set literally explodes behind me into the big finale. 

CRIS: Well, you really got us there the night I saw the show. SMASH’s finale is jaw-dropping. But let’s talk about how you got here. You’re very young but already have some pretty strong performance credits. How did you get started? 

NICHOLAS:  I did my first theater when I was 12-years-old, in my school’s production of Hairspray.  Which is funny, because I’m now working with the composers of Hairspray. And my director told me about this program in the city called iTheatrics.  They develop the junior musicals like Hairspray Junior, and they try them out with kids over the summer.  I auditioned, got into that program and that really started everything. I began meeting people in the city from NTI (National Theater Institute). When I got to high school, I did Godspell in concert at the 54 Below cabaret night club. I was singing the role of Jesus — 

CRIS:  I checked it out online. You sing “God Save the People“.  

NICHOLAS: Yeah, that’s the one. I was about 15 at the time. And through that concert, I met my manager who introduced me to some agents, and then right after getting an agent, I booked the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. And that was like the first things that made me realize that maybe I could actually do this as like an actual job, or an actual career instead of just something that’s fun to do.

CRIS: Radio City is enormous!  What’s it like singing for 5900 people? 

CRIS: Tell me about how many Radio City shows do you do on some of the heavy days? Don’t you do sometimes do five shows?  

NICHOLAS: Yes, the Christmas Spectacular have some five-show days. But because I was under 18, we weren’t allowed to do that many. The most I could do in a day was three.

CRIS: How old were you then?

NICHOLAS:  I was 15. 

CRIS:  What is your background?   

NICHOLAS: I’m like 100% Dominican. Both of my parents are Dominican. 

CRIS: What was your childhood like growing up 100% Dominican?  

NICHOLAS: I grew up right outside the city in Secaucus, New Jersey. All of my extended family, my grandparents, my cousins, all live in Washington Heights in the Bronx. So I’d go to my grandparents’ house every other Sunday for dinner. I’m thinking of moving there probably soon. But I grew up in New Jersey, that’s my home home. I have two brothers. I live with both of my parents and nobody in my family has ever done theater. So this is a big surprise. When I first started, my parents would always say that they had no idea that I could do this. But honestly, neither did I. It kind of came out of nowhere.

CRIS: So your parents are not performers? 

NICHOLAS: No, my dad is a lawyer.  And my mom works for a telecommunications company — they’re business people. 

CRIS: Do they understand what how special it is to do what you do? 

NICHOLAS: I think they’re understanding more and more. They support me no matter what, but when I first started, they did not get it at all. They didn’t know anything about Broadway or musical theater, or what it took to get here. I really drove that process and I had to show them the ropes. But they’ve learned stuff throughout all the years and they kind of get it now.

CRIS: Which means you’ve really managed your career by yourself.  Wow. You realize you must have beat out thousands of actors for your role.  Because the part of Scott could have been played by a male or female of any ethnicity.  So, I’m sure the casting agents considered submissions by thousands of possible actors.   

NICHOLAS: Yeah, I think so. 

CRIS: Congratulations.

NICK: Thank you, thank you so much.

CRIS:  Being a show within a show, SMASH is about so many things.  How would you describe the plot?

NICHOLAS: SMASH is about the making of a musical.  The tagline is that it’s “a comedy about a musical,” and that’s really exactly what it is. It’s about this team of Broadway veteran creatives who are trying to make a huge hit musical “comedy” about Marilyn Monroe. 

CRIS: Which is already pretty outrageous, because Marilyn Monroe had a tragic life. 

NICHOLAS: Correct.  And throughout the process, things go wrong — and there’s so much drama and shenanigans.  Act One ends on a totally ridiculous, over-the-top, hilarious moment.   

CRIS: Yes, Act One does end on a doozy of a cliff hanger. It’s brilliant plot twist, because my party spent intermission each theorizing on how we thought the plot would resolve. It was fun — but let’s not give away the ending.  

NICHOLAS: No. Let’s just say that by play’s end, the show turns out to be a love letter to Broadway and creatives in any field.  The song that I sing honors the creative process  —  what it means to struggle and labor and care for a project. And although we all strive for success — that’s not the long term goal. The goal is to keep going and creating the next thing.  Which is an idea that really must speak to all people because our audiences are loving the message.  

CRIS:  And it was pleasant surprise when the character we least expect — yours — suddenly gets the message and so do we!  

NICHOLAS:  That’s what I love about playing Scott.  He represents the new blood and new generation of theater lovers coming in.  The veterans have all had their chances — Scott represents the next generation of theater creatives who are going to bring in the new ideas.  It’s how new work is created. 

CRIS: Yes, he’s being handed the baton.  And in doing so, it ends the story with so many fun possibilities. Your cast is full of top Broadway talent, including one of this year’s Tony nominees for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, Brooks Ashmanskas.    

NICHOLAS: He plays our director, Nigel. Brooks is such a talent. He blows my mind every time. 

CRIS: Just like his character in SMASH, Brooks is a true Broadway veteran. He’s appeared in well over a dozen Broadway shows. What’s it like working with a comedic genius like Brooks? 

NICHOLAS: He blows my mind every time. And I’ve learned something very important from him: to remain flexible.  

CRIS: Like don’t be afraid to vary your performance? 

NICHOLAS: Yes. Of course it’s the same script. But Brooks never does quite the same performance twice.  His choices are rooted in the same intentions and emotions, but how he plays Nigel is completely dependent on that night’s audience and how a line has been delivered to him. 

CRIS: That takes courage. 

NICHOLAS: Plus he (Brooks) always fully commits. To get to work so up-close with such a great actor is so cool. He just always goes for it. 

CRIS: What’s been the most surprising thing about this experience?  

NICHOLAS:  Well, during rehearsals there were so many rewrites and trying-out new things. One day I literally opened my mouth to start rehearsing my song when Mark Shaman threw new lyrics in front of my face. The piano kept playing so I grabbed the lyric sheet and just went with it. You have to be super on your toes and ready for whatever the creative team or your cast-mates throw at you. Also, since I’ve never done eight shows a week, I had to learn how to pace myself throughout the week, prepare for each performance and still try and have a life. 

CRIS: I’ve done eight shows a week and audiences have no idea how demanding that is of your time, your health, your energy —  

NICHOLAS: True. But even so, our director, Susan Stroman, wisely told us to never let the show’s energy slow down. Once this show starts, you’re on the ride, and you better hold on because you can’t let the ball drop. The timing has to be perfect. You have to jump on each other’s lines and constantly be pushing the energy.

CRIS:  SMASH has so many fast moving parts: scenery, costumes, lights, fast changes — not to mention the classic Broadway, Tony-nominated choreography by Joshua Bergasse. Have there been any technical snafus? 

NICHOLAS: Technical?  No. Thank goodness.  But, there have been times when Brooks will do something crazy and it’s genuinely impossible not to break — it’s so hard not to. But you have to somehow stay in character.

CRIS: Brooks broke me up almost every second he was on stage. And it takes years to develop and hone that type of hyper, but believable, comic persona. Among our readership are many aspiring young film and stage actors.  What advice do you have for those who want to make it to Broadway? 

NICHOLAS: You know, I’ve actually been thinking about this a lot because my friends studying theater in regular 4-year BFA or BA programs have been asking me how to get to Broadway.  So many of them think that you have to wait until you graduate to start auditioning and looking for agents and really going for it. But I truly believe that you don’t need anyone’s permission.  You won’t know if you’re ready until you do it.  And the best way to learn is on the job. So just start now. 

CRIS:  That is a powerful message. And it’s true, you won’t know if you’re ready to go professional until you do. 

NICHOLAS: I’ve had a really unconventional education. I was at Fordham University studying biology for two years before I transferred to the theater department.  After one semester of acting and movement I booked SMASH.  

CRIS: Which, in a way supports my theory that what’s so cool about acting is that it’s a profession to which you can bring your whole self — including your outside interests.  Some actors who are only interested in acting sometimes miss the point: you can’t bring any reality to your performance if you’re not living a real life, you know?

NICHOLAS:   I know that I still like studying biology and the mind — and math and science. They’re all still a part of me. And, honestly, I think my love for biology and my love for theater come from the same place.  And it’s my desire to understand what makes people the way they are. They’re totally different approaches to exploring that question, but that’s why I love neuroscience. But I also love inhabiting characters and figuring them out. Yeah, I like trying to figure out what makes people tick.

To see what make Nicholas Matos tick, see him in SMASH: https://smashbroadway.com

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Welcome to a world of romantic splendor and opulent excess.  A place where the underground can meet the elite in electrifying enchantment. Pour the champagne and prepare for the spectacular – you’ve arrived at Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 2001 Academy Award-winning film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa from November 9 to 27, 2022.

Set in hyper-romantic Paris at the turn-of-the-century, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a theatrical celebration of truth, beauty, freedom, love – and the power of art. The extremely gifted ensemble is headed by young songwriter Christian (dashing Conor Ryan) and his muse, the star of the deliciously decadent Moulin Rouge, Satine (irresistible Courtney Reed). Both romantic leads are alluring singer actors who thicken the slim “boy meets girl” plot with their deep emotions and spirited voices especially when turning Elton John’s “Your Song” into a timeless anthem for all lovers.  

Joining them on their star-crossed journey is the eccentric painter Toulouse-Lautrec (sparkling André Ward), flamboyant club emcee Harold Zidler (salacious Austin Durant), jealous club patron the Duke of Monroth (commanding David Harris) and the dancing gigolo Santiago (super-macho Gabe Martínez). With a jubilant juke-box score incorporating pop and rock hits from Sting, Beyoncé, Madonna, Rihanna, Katy Perry and many more, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a non-stop all-singing, all-dancing Mardi Gras that leaves your toes tapping and heart racing. It’s thrilling.  

The show features rich production design replete with exquisite, gracefully moving sets – including a 3-D Paris skyline complete with gliding Eiffel Tower! — (Derek McLane), retina-popping lighting (Justin Townsend), seductive choreography (Sonya Tayeh) and titillating gender-bending costumes (Catherine Zuber).  But what really makes this Moulin Rouge! The Musical tick is the clever way book writer John Logan and musical supervisor and lyricist Justin Levine weave 19^th Century melodrama with contemporary pop/rock classics. This reviewer counted some 78 hit tunes masterfully incorporated into the plot. The result is lush entertainment at its best, making Moulin Rouge! perhaps the greatest juke-box musical of all time. 

From the ravishing “Lady Marmalade” can-can opening to the Bohemian’s “Burning Down the House” entrance to Satine’s character defining manifesto “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” to Santiago’s Apache dance to “Roxanne” to the lovers’ heartbreaking “Your Song” farewell – this story evolves both dramatically and musically and surprisingly always stays on course. The final message: to be fully human you must experience love. And I did. I loved every second of Moulin Rouge! The Musical. And so will you. 

For all show info:  Home | Segerstrom Center for the Arts (scfta.org)

Featured Photo: (L-R. Front Row) Gabe Martinez,  Austin Durant and David Harris (Photo. by Matthew Murphy)

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By Cris Franco

For one night only, on Sunday, September 11^th, 2022 Ric Salinas (of Culture Clash fame) will revive his much-;auded solo performance in Cris Franco’s acclaimed comedy ’57 Chevy. This uproarious look at the playwright’s immigrant family’s misadventures will be performed as part of A Place Called Home’s El Centro del Sur’s Latinx Theater Festival.

We caught Salinas between rehearsals as he prepared to once again take on the daunting task of delivering the 10,000-word, joke-packed monologue where he portrays some 32 different characters in this 72-minute hit that the Los Angeles Times called, “A hilarious trek!” Here’s what Salinas had to say.

LATINHEAT (LH):

Your work in ’57 Chevy earned you glowing reviews like “comic genius,” “tour de force,” and “magnetic!”  How would you describe your performance?

RICK SALINAS (RS):

It’s a wish come true for a clown like me. Since grade school I have always been the “class clown” – my poor teachers. I would not stop talking! I grew up watching reruns of the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Abbot & Costello, Lewis & Martin and Lucille Ball in I love Lucy. I wanted to be all of them. I studied these comic geniuses and got lucky when I joined LatinX Theater/Teatro’s premier comedy troupe: Culture Clash. We employ all comedic styles in our work and my performance in ‘57 Chevy allows me to perform all the genres I love doing:  physical comedy, stand-up, impressions, character work, clowning. So, to answer your question, I’d describe my performance as someone doing something that they’ve been preparing for all their life. I just adore doing it!

LH: 

And audiences adore watching you. What’s so very thrilling is seeing you morph into the various characters: the narrator “Junior” as a child, pre-teen, and adult – and also all his family (male and female), friends, neighbors and extended relatives both in the U.S. and his native Mexico. How does an actor prepare for something as demanding as ’57 Chevy? 

RS:

Okay. My process is this: on a show day, as soon as I wake up, I begin focusing on the show. I start the day going over my lines, knowing that I have to perform. In a sense, I Zen out and avoid talking to anybody. I’m in my own vibe. My own orbit. That’s how I  get into to it. And when the show starts, I see a green light in my head. Time to go. I feel as though I’m at the foot of the Himalayas preparing to scale my way to the top. So how tall are they – like 30,000 feet or whatever?  I take it step-by-step. First I hit this mark, then the next until I see the top of the mountain and then I sprint all the way up to the zenith. That’s how I do it.

LH:

You make it sound so simple. But performers know it’s a titanic effort. What’s the best thing about performing in a one-man show?

RS:

The best thing about performing a one man show is that if I’m upset at the cast I only have to look in the mirror! A solo artist can only depend on themselves. I am in charge of hitting all the show’s elements: blocking, acting, differentiating character and voices – simply put I’m in charge of all the “playing.” Acting is pretending. In ’57 Chevy I pretend I’m a border guard, a nun, a chola, a cantinero, a boy, his Old-World Mexican dad and everyone in their world. That’s the best thing about being a in ’57 Chevy, it’s a play where I get to play. And if I get mad at the cast it’s getting mad at myself!

LH:

What’s the worst thing about performing in a one-man show?

RS:

It does get a bit lonely backstage. Before the show, I’m in the dressing room all alone. Just me and my reflection in the dressing room mirrors. I arrive at the venue with my suitcase, my wardrobe, my make-up, my script all by my lonesome. I don’t have any other cast members to share my excitement or nerves or pump me up for the performance. I have to do that all by myself.  So, it’s a very intense, personal experience. Sort of an artistic gauntlet every solo performer goes through before you get to share yourself with your audience.  Until I hit the stage, it’s like that old 70s hit – I’m “Alone Again Naturally.”

LH:

You said that what attracted to you ’57 Chevy was the honest depiction of the immigrant experience.

RS:

Yes, although I’m a Salvadorian I could totally relate to Cris’ family’s adventures in immigration and acculturation.  Audiences howl with laughter because they, too, can relate to parents who covered their living room furniture in plastic, a strict Dad not letting their teenage girls go to American “piyama parties,” everyone’s Mom’s hybrid Spanglish (saying “baby-city” for “baby-sitter”) and squeezing lots of children into a tiny tract house all under the watchful stare of ‘Stalker Gringo Jesus’ – that picture of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus with the eyes that follow you around.  That’s what ’57 Chevy is about – that shared Mexican-Salvadorian-Honduran-Cuban-Chicano-Puerto-Rican-Domominican-immigrant experience.

LH:

Speaking of our pan-LatinX communities. How do you feel about performing at A Place Called Home?

RS:

A Place Called Home is a non-profit that is investing in its youth and especially in the arts, media, visual, theater, sound, video, all the things that as a young person of color sometimes doesn’t get that opportunity to delve into these important creative outlets. I never had this opportunity as a youth, so that is why I feel so good about working with them and demonstrating it by doing my performance of ‘57 Chevy in this fantastic LatinX theater festival.

LH:

It’s a whole weekend of plays. You’ve said that although you’ve done decades of political teatro with Culture Clash – you feel that ’57 Chevy might be your most political work to date. Why?

RS:

Because this play is focused on a father, a son, their family and their car. And as seemingly light and unassuming as ‘57 Chevy is, it’s powerful because it normalizes we Latinos. It sets us squarely into the heartland of American folklore: the U.S. in the mid-century.  A time when the U.S.A. was at its mightiest and the concept of the typical American household was being defined via film and television.  This is a sacred era held dearly by the American psyche. ’57 Chevy places Mexicans into that homespun setting which, until now, has been reserved for the waspiest of wasps; in effect saying that being LatinX in America is as normal as mom’s tamale pie.

And a delicious slice of tamale pie at that!  To enjoy Salinas’ spellbinding performance, attend A Place Called Home’s El Centro del Sur’s Latinx Theater Festival which is presenting three different plays on three nights: Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Piñata Woman and Other Superhero Girls, Like Me (Fri. 9/9 @ 8pm)presented by LAMusArt; Lolo presented by Company of Angels (Sat., 9/10 @ 8pm); ’57 Chevy(Sun. 9/11 @ 6pm). All productions are family-friendly, FREE and are followed by a Q&A. For tickets, you must reserve at: www.apch.org/elcentrodelsur

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This all-day event to be held at the world-famous Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. It will feature presentations, panels and breakout sessions to support increased distribution, awareness and viewership for OTT businesses that are owned and operated by minorities and underrepresented groups. 

This unique conference will focus on the ever-growing production of streaming content. Formerly EMA, OTT.X was established in April 2006 through the merger of the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) and the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA). Its far-reaching discussion topics will include: AVOD (Advertising-Based Video on Demand),  FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) and Subscription Matching the Right Model With the Right Content and Audiences; Gaining Meaningful Distribution for Indie Content Creators; Making Money with ad Supported Video; Producing Content for Underrepresented Groups and Reaching a Diverse Audience.

The confab will create a dynamic forum where like-minded members of the various streaming content industries can network and grow their businesses. When asked why he thinks a summit focused on diversity is important, OTT.X EVP, Eric Hanson replied, “While OTT streaming holds the promise of leveling the playing field for all people to create, produce and distribute content, the industry continues to be dominated by businesses that are owned and run by a strikingly homogenous demographic. The OTT.X Diversity Summit brings together content creators, distributors, platforms and services across the breadth of human experience to share, learn and connect; advancing their businesses and amplifying their voices.”

Because the event is more focused on distribution rather than creative production, it would most benefit filmmakers seeking distribution and emerging channels looking to grow viewership. The panel of industry experts will discuss: how small independent creators and distributors can thrive amongst media megaliths; the challenges and strategies for succeeding in financing, licensing, and staffing; the risks of over-focusing on a target audience and how to reach a wider demographic; business models that develop and retain viewers and monetize content; and how to create an ad-supported business model. If it sounds like a hefty curriculum chock-full o’ vital info — it is. 

For anyone dreaming of streaming, this is where you can find all the answers to your question.  Make reservations for the OTT.X Diversity Summit. For all info: https://www.ottx.org/events-and-programs/diversitysummit/

Your career and creative soul will thank you.

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Richard Salinas and Herbert Siguenza, members of the comedy group Culture Clash, are back with 57 Chevy at the San Diego Repertory Theatre. The play will be available for streaming July 26 through Aug. 15. 

The one-man memory play stars Salinas and is co-directed by Siguenza, two co-founders of the famous funny troupe from San Francisco, California. Also co-directing is Sam Woodhouse, San Diego Repertory artistic director. 

The play is by multiple Los Angeles Emmy Award-winning writer Cris Franco (My Family, East Los High), who now returns with another political work.

57 Chevy is a baby-boomer comedy entailing the humorous exploration of “double immigrants” who first moved from their homelands in Mexico City into the barrios of the United States and later into the suburbs in search of opportunity, color TV, and the middle-class American Dream. The play is 75-minute long and explores the bicultural-bilingual childhood within a Latino household produces nostalgia for some. For others, it is a work that demonstrates the courage and perseverance of the Latino community to pursue and want better for themselves and their family.

Pay-what-you-can tickets are available here with a suggested price of $35. 

Featured Photo: Richard Salinas in ’57 Chevy’ (Credit: San Diego Rep)

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By Elia Esparza 

The hit baby-boomer comedy, 57 CHEVY, about an immigrant family’s misadventures in the mid-century suburbs of the San Fernando Valley, has played to standing ovations in San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, Houston and East, and West L.A.  This summer of 2019, 57 CHEVY continues its comedic quest by cruising to Beverly Hills’ pastoral TreePeople Park on the weekend of August 23^rd and 24^th. One week later, it will be the featured showcase production of San Diego Repertory’s New Latinx Play Festival on the evening of (Saturday) August 31st.  

The one-man comedic tour-de-force garnered rave reviews for both its star, Culture Clash’s Ric Salinas:

“Magnetic” and “Hilarious”

— Los Angeles Times and L.A. WEEKLY

Emmy Award-winning writer Franco attributes his play’s staying power to its timeless subject matter.

“Everyone can relate to feeling like you don’t belong. In 1964, our famiia packed up our Chevy and moved from our diverse, old, South Central neighborhood to a brand new housing tract where the streets, kids, and houses all looked the same. We moved to the San Fernando Valley.”  

What follows is 75 uproarious minutes exploring the playwright’s bicultural-bilingual childhood. “Our living room furniture was covered in clear plastic to keep it looking ‘beautiful’.

My Old World dad forbade my teenage sisters from going ‘piyama parties’. My mom spoke a hybrid-Spanglish (saying “baby-city” for “babysitter”). We five kids were squeezed into a tiny tract house in Mission Hills all under the watchful stare of ‘Gringo Stalker Jesus’ – that picture of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus with the eyes that follow you around.”

Chockfull of retro-references — at one point the young narrator imagines he’s astronaut John Glenn orbiting over his relatives in Mexico City — it’s much more than a joyously nostalgic valentine to a more welcoming era. In these days when immigrant families are being maligned, the piece has taken on a weighty new relevance. Veteran agitprop actor/writer Salinas puts it this way,

I’ve been performing political theater for 30-plus years, and as light and entertaining as 57 CHEVY appears on the outside, it may be my most political work so far.” 

–Ric Salinas

Both audiences and critics praise the subtly powerful and far-reaching message. Tony Garcia, avant-garde Chicano director of Denver’s historic Su Teatro Cultural Arts Center christened it, “An evocative and poignant coming-of-age masterpiece.”  And, journalist Dale Reynolds of Stage & Cinema applauded the show’s wholesome take as “Daring to be optimistic.”

The show’s newest fan is renowned television writer/producer Tommy Lynch, who has recently optioned the property for adaption into a family sitcom. Why?

“Because I love this show,” says the kid’s TV hitmaker. “From the moment I first read it, I was taken by the story’s big heart and bigger laughs!” Franco reflected saying, “I’m hoping these true-life anecdotes recounting the lighter side of our family’s assimilation will bring some healing laughter at this challenging time. I think they will.” 

To join in the healing laughter of 57 CHEVY at TreePeople Park Amphitheater on (Friday) August 23^rd and (Saturday) August 24^th @ 8 PM log onto www.treepeople.org/canyonnights. To see 57 CHEVY on Saturday, August 31^st @ 7 PM at San Diego Repertory’s Latinx New Play Festival log onto https://securesite.sdrep.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=13170

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Newyorican singer/songwriter Storm Marrero currently plays the outrageous title character in the Company XIV’s adults-only production of Queen of Hearts. Inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, it’s dripping with sex and gives new meaning to the term falling “down the rabbit hole.” We were excited to get the dynamic Ms. Marrero for an interview – all rise for the Queen!

Cris Franco: Queen of Hearts incorporates circus, opera, magic, baroque dance, S&M and amazing visuals. It’s been described as a “decadent dream world replete with exotic curiosities and sensual strip-tease to delight, amaze and titillate all audiences.” How would you describe Company XIV’s Queen of Hearts?

Storm Marrero: Simply put, it’s a beautiful mind f*ck; a retelling of the original story by Lewis Carroll, viewed through the eyes of Louis XIV if he dropped acid.

CF: If any French monarch ever dropped acid it was definitely King Louis XIV. How do you describe your role in Queen of Hearts?

SM: I see ‘The Queen’ as a very soft being, with deadly thorns. She wants to be wanted and admired, and she wants to welcome Alice and guide her through this journey.  That’s why I love singing “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.”  It’s such a vivid description of what The Queen truly is.  Yet do not cross her; her wrath is real, and she is unforgiving.

CF: And playing her has brought you lots of critical praise and attention. How has your Puerto Rican background influenced your music and/or creativity?

SM: My heritage has influenced me immensely. I was born in New York City, so that “hustle & grind” mentally was instilled in me at a very early age.  My mom moved to NYC from Puerto Rico in the late 1940’s/early 1950’s, so she taught me to appreciate all types of music throughout the years. Once I moved to Puerto Rico as a preteen and began studying music at the University of Puerto Rico, this gave me a broader understanding of the importance of music on a cultural level.  From Bomba Puertorriqueña to Salsa and Boleros, to the stuff I grew up listening to in NYC, like Funk and R&B, Hip Hop and Soul. These genres fused within me, and it really dictates how I perform, especially my delivery and interpretation.  

CF: Your vocal stylings have been called “gritty yet classic” and your belting of Beyonce’s “Bow Down, Bitches” is the show’s pièce de résistance. Whatsvolcalists’ influenced you? 

SM: There are a couple of singers that I’ve grown up listening to that really left a mark, but Billie Holiday is my all-time favorite singer.  Hands down, she has to be one of the most important and influential singers of the 20th century.  At least top five in my book.  Other singers that have left an impression on me are Mary J. Blige, La Lupe, Marvin Gaye, Jill Scott, Lucecita Benitez, among others.

CF: I admire that you’ve mentioned old school talents like cubana La Lupe and Marvin Gaye – both were true originals who communicated their life and times through their art. What advice do you have for aspiring singers?

SM: It’s very simple yet so complex. If you really want it, go out and get it.  And I mean it. But also, be ready for when the opportunity lands. That means enroll take all the classes you can; everything from dance to acting, to vocal coaching.  Study the art form you really want to work in.  If you are looking into working in theater, study the ins and outs of the theater world.  Intern if you can.  Absorb everything you possibly can, that way you know what to do when you land that gig.  Do the open mics if and when you can, it helps build stage presence, helps to shake off the fear of performing.  Trust me, it’s harder to sing in front of 10 people than a thousand.  This helps break that fear a bit.  But again, if you really want it, then go for it.  Just be ready.

CF: And you were totally ready for Queen of Hearts.  What can those who go to see this brazen new musical experience expect to see?

SM: I never get tired of saying it; expect beautiful debauchery! Their senses will be heightened from the moment they walk in through those doors until the very last song.  They’re in for a truly amazing ride!

Thanks, Storm!

To take a ride with the divine diva, Storm Marrero starring in Queen of Hearts at Théâtre XIV (383 Troutman Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn) now extended until August 18, log onto: www.companyxiv.com  

(Queen of Hearts photos by Mark Shelby Perry)

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“Rules are made to be broken” could be this year’s Broadway motto as exemplified by a trio of successful rogue productions. Unconventional in style and content, one is a teen angst musical that parodies teen angst musicals, the next is an album-turned-stage-show and the last is a play that began as a speech. All the productions have taken an untraditional road to The Great White Way and have a vast cult following. Come join the cult!  

Hadestown is the new stage adaptation of the 2010 folk-rock album by Anais Mitchell. It tells of Hades (elegantly macabre Best Actor Musical Tony nominee Patrick Page) who is feeling his underworld threatened. So he holds a rally where he sings to his enslaved factory workers that he’s building a wall, “… to keep us free, keep out the enemy, poverty — because we have and they have not. That’s why we build the wall!”

This song is just one of the many prescient messages contained in this emotionally-charged masterwork which combines two Greek tragedies: the newfound lovers Orpheus (Reeve Carney) and the deceased Eurydice (Tony nominee for Best Actress in a Musical, Eva Noblezada) – and the Lord of the Underworld, King Hades and his often absent wife, Persephone (Best Featured Actress in a Musical Tony nominee Amber Gray). Mitchell’s tale has Orpheus descending into Hell to rescue his fiancée from the jealous Hades. Orpheus’s secret weapon is a love song so powerful that it can conquer death itself.

The result is the most celebrated musical of the season with 14 Tony nominations, including Best Musical.  

With a Tony-nominated Sound Design (Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz) it’s a sung-through piece told through 32 mesmeric songs. The score is a musical gumbo of Cajun, blue-grass, rockabilly, soul — you name it. Hadestown is an immersive experience that captures you from the moment you enter to see the French Quarter set and the diverse ensemble of street performers (featuring Yvette Gonzales-Nacer and Kay Trinidad as the bewitching Fates). All party as they prepare to guide Orpheus (and us) to Hadestown. 

Celebrating the circle of life and death, audiences will recognize the many cultural correlations to Día de los Muertos. And because death is part of our humanity, death itself is human – capable of humor, revenge, and compassion. Hadestown is a haunting and hopeful theatrical journey that will forever capture your imagination – and soul. (Hadestown photos by Matthew Marcus). www.hadestown.com

Be More Chill asks, “What if popularity came in a pill? Would you take it, no questions asked?”

Uber-geek Jeremy Heere (played with sublime loserhood by Will Roland) takes that step in hopes of achieving the elusive “perfect life” now that it’s possible thanks to some mysterious new pharmaceutical. But it comes at a cost that’s not as easy to swallow. His enthralling predicament sets the teen angst story on its ear by blending Little Shop of Horrors with Dear Evan Hansen into a contemporary thriller-meets-retro-sci-fi pop musical.

It’s an exciting, comically subversive, and deeply felt new work that addresses the competing voices in the teenage mind. And ultimately proves, there’s never been a better time to be yourself-especially if you’re a loser or geek — or both.

Before arriving in New York, Be More Chill, had already amassed an unprecedented online following with millions of “Chill-Heads” worldwide sharing fan art, streaming the album (over 170 million streams to date), and chatting about the show. In 2017, Tumblr ranked Be More Chill as the second most talked-about musical on its platform, following Hamilton. The attention is well-deserved with a Tony nomination for Best Score, composer Joe Iconis has delivered the perfect blend of the pop-meets-Broadway score.

This is a good trick as most rock/pop scores lack clarity of lyrics and scene development. Iconis demonstrates a deep understanding of the musical structure, yet never lets theatrical convention get in the way of a fresh take on a familiar theme such as the song, “Michael in the Bathroom.” It’s a teen anthem about locking yourself in the bathroom at a party after losing your best friend to the chill pill as sung by Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, George Salazar who plays Michael. The score to Be More Chill is my favorite of the year, chock full of energetic and surprising songs. I can’t be chill about how much I loved Be More Chill. (Be More Chill photos by Maria Baranova).      www.bemorechillmusical.com

What The Constitution Means To Me is by far this season’s most relevant and dare I say, most important play as many parallels can be drawn between the narrative and our current administration’s stance toward immigrants, people of color and most of all – women.  

Based on the real-life of writer-performer Heidi Schreck, the action starts decades ago in a wood-paneled, mid-century American Legion Hall. The high walls of the windowless room are completely covered with stern portraits of white military men all looking down at then 15-year-old Heidi. These men and the evening’s proctor, another uniformed male, will watch and judge Heidi’s discourse making sure she sticks to the topic, doesn’t overstep her boundaries and doesn’t go over her allotted time as she delivers her award-winning speech on “What the Constitution Means to Me.” 

It begins innocently enough – but over the next 100 intermissionless minutes, Schreck becomes increasingly more impassioned as age brings wisdom and she moves forward in time recounting four generations of female oppression within her own family – and how the founding document controlled their rights and citizenship. She tells of her great-grandmother, a European mail-order bride who suffered spousal abuse, only to give birth to another generation of females destined to experience gender inequality. 

Yet, the evening does not get maudlin as Ms. Shreck’s history is replete with poignant punchlines that underscore the multitude of ironies womenkind has endured. Still, though Ms. Schreck is charming and her discourse is filled with jocularity, her play is an angry protest, a catastrophe told via a comedy. Her message is clear: even in this day and age, if you are not a wealthy, white, male landowner like the framers of the Constitution – you are its likely victim. All our social advances, new rights, and freedoms are potentially threatened by a murky document that is left to the interpretation by a panel appointed by the powerful. If this seems dark – it is. But Ms. Schreck expresses hope for our complex document as is demonstrated by the night’s closing scene: an actual debate between herself and a girl teenager, who, like she once did, has won a similar “What the Constitution Means to Me” speech-writing contest.

Watching a young mind apply our 232-year-old list of commandments to their contemporary life is thrilling. You realize that perhaps the document’s lack of definition might be its most enduring asset: in the right hands, it can, indeed, be that great equalizer — that living breathing document so vital for a living breathing America. (What The Constitution Means photos by Joan Marcus). constitutionbroadway.com

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Three new shows are glittering examples of evolving genres within the American musical: the adventure musical fueled by advances in real-time robotics; the concert/bio-musical; and the film-to-stage adaptation. 

King, Kong, the iconic cinematic allegory on how “beauty killed the beast,” is being brought to roaring life on Broadway through a spellbinding mix of robotics, puppetry, music, and stagecraft. Winner of a Special Tony Honor for puppet design by Sonny Tilders, this 35-million dollar monster hit stars a 20-foot-high, 2,000-pound silverback gorilla whose lifelike face can express a terrifying and heartbreaking range of emotion. 

Following the original plot of the 1933 film, we meet the fearless young Ann Darrow (the perfect Christiani Pitts), an actress desperate for a break. She’s convinced by a mad-genius director that she’ll become his new action star by hopping onto a boat and sailing with him to uncharted Skull Island where they discover the magnificent King Kong. To her surprise, Ann finds an unexpected kindred spirit in this regal, untamable creature. 

Ultimately, Darrow’s charm and beauty lure Kong away from his mysterious island kingdom to another island — Manhattan. But Kong violently escapes his captors and climbs the Empire State Building where he bids farewell to Ann (and life) as, despite her cries to spare him, the mighty King Kong is shot by airplanes and falls to his death. All the action I’ve described, including a fierce and bloody battle between Kong and a giant python snake on Skull Island, is masterfully executed before your very eyes.

Succinctly put: King Kong is Broadway’s first action musical. A thrill ride of a spectacle that heralds a new kind of storytelling. Kong’s voice, facial gestures and body motion are all created live from his control both in the theater, so, like the actors, he is interacting at the moment. Locations and action are created via an enormous LCD screen that seamlessly transports the fast moving scenes from the gritty streets of Depression Era New York, to Kong’s secret lair, to the top of the Empire State building. The music, by  Marius de Vries (La La Land) and Eddie Perfect (Beetlejuice The Musical), is smartly incorporated into the plot as Ann is a singer-actor whose sweet singing voice helps tame Kong during their most desperate moments. King Kong is the perfect blend of technology and allegory – rife with possibilities. It’s suitable for young audiences with a profound message about conquest, man’s inhumanity to nature and the power of love. (King Kong photos by Joan Marcus & Matthew Murphy)  kingkongbroadway.com

The Cher Show is a thrilling bio-musical/rock concert that recounts the unabashed life and times of the title’s enduring diva. So enduring is this rock goddess’s bombastic career that it takes no less than three very talented women (led by Tony-nominee for Best Actress in a Musical, Stephanie J. Block) to portray Cher through her various phases. She is the little girl teased for her ethnic looks who vows to become famous, Sonny Bono’s  subordinate (teen-age!) hippy-wife who turns phenom and crashes by twenty, theglam TV star who quits at the top, the would-be actress with an Oscar, the rock goddess with a hundred million records sold, the legend who’s done it all, still scared to walk on stage and the cult phenomenon looking for love. She is the ultimate survivor, chasing her dream dressed to kill in Bob Mackie‘s Tony-nominated costumes all wrapped in a very unconventional musical entertainment. For just like Cher herself, the show bearing her name also defies categorization. 

This thrilling Vegas meets Broadway song-and-dance spectacular explores defining moments in Cher’s adventurous life, via a dazzling light show (by Tony-nominated Kevin Adams) and choreography by Christopher Gattelli. These are set to the singer’s chart-topping hits, including “If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Believe,” “I Got You Babe,” “Strong Enough,” “Half-Breed,” “I Found Someone,” “A Different Kind of Love Song,” “Take Me Home,” and “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.” And behind all the flash is a deeply moving narrative of an extraordinary and sensitive artist who, just by staying true to herself, pioneered a unique and powerful female presence in the recording, TV and film industries. 

The Cher Show is a joyous theatrical event that celebrates anyone who’s ever had a dream or dared to be different. (The Cher Show photos by Joan Marcus)  thechershowbroadway.com

Pretty Woman is part of the new genre of romcom-musicals based on films soon headed to Broadway, which include:  Mrs. Doubtfire, The Devil Wears Prada, Moulin Rouge, Beaches, The Bodyguard, Bull Durham and Some Like It Hot. Let’s hope they’re all as romantic and entertaining as Pretty Woman. This gritty and hopeful tuner, based on the iconic 1990 film, follows the original screenplay (directed by the late Gary Marshall), but with a contemporary feminist agenda. This is a miracle in itself. I mean, who would believe that Cinderella worked Hollywood Boulevard as a conscientious hooker with aspirations of finding her prince and leaving behind her life of ill repute? After all, she insists she sells her body, not her soul and she doesn’t kiss on the lips. Stands to reason, no?

Actually, it does, at least to this reviewer, and in no small part because of Samantha Barks (Vivian) and Andy Karl (Edward) who make us believe in their unlikely romance. Bolstering the cast is the delightfully sarcastic Orfeh as Kit and the mighty morphing Brian Cali as both a smarmy street-hustler and stuffy hotel manager. A hilarious Tommy Bracco, the bellhop Guilio, provides physical comedy and shows off some fancy footwork. Supporting cast members Nico De Jesus, Renee Marino, Ellyn Marie Marsh and Jennifer Sanchez play everything from streetwalkers to snooty sales associates.  

Jerry Mitchel (Kinky Boots) provides slick direction and the energetic Latin, jazz and ballroom choreography. A bouncy 80’s pop-rock score gives us upbeat ensemble numbers (“Welcome to Hollywood”) and insightful solos (“I Can’t Go Back”) that define the character and briskly move along the plot. Faithful to the screenplay, all your favorite scenes are here: the couples’ flirtatious meeting, the fashion make-over and the highlight of the musical, their night at the opera. Costume designer Gregg Barnes dutifully delivers that gorgeous red gown that fans will remember. In this scene, Pretty Woman The Musical outperforms the film. Underscored by a dreamlike aria from La Traviata, the moment when two souls realize they’re a couple is beautifully portrayed.    

In this day and age of the “#MeToo” movement, you might think that Pretty Woman would hit a feminist nerve now and then. However, Vivian has the upper hand this time around. It is clearly her show. She’s the savior of this misguided, emotionally-troubled, corporate-raiding prince. She’s the catalyst that brings to life both their dreams. Yes, he saves her, but she saves him “right back.” Standing center stage, this Pretty Woman didn’t leave me missing Roy Orbison’s hit song one bit. (Pretty Woman photos by Matthew Murphy)

• prettywomanthemusical.com

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By Cris Franco

Two remarkable revivals are now running on Broadway. Both are startling new takes on familiar properties; productions so daring and different they are better described as magnificent re-imaginings. 

Oklahoma!, Tony-nominated for Best Musical Revival, has recreated Rogers and Hammerstein’s folksy chestnut about young love on the open plains of 1900. Now set in a timeless American landscape, a small country western band on a bare thrust-stage accompanies the 12-person ethnically diverse cast in this shockingly-contemporary and completely “woke” production. Scores of ominous gunracks are mounted throughout the theater, some scenes are played in complete darkness, and huge “night vision” video projections punctuate the antagonist’s mental breakdown. This brazen approach has garnered both praise and condemnation by R&H purists who question the artistic liberties taken by Tony-nominated for Director Daniel Fish, in his bold new Oklahoma! 

But it’s these jarring devices lead us to go beyond the tuneful tale and get under the skin of the determined (and violent) nature behind the dogged pioneers who trailblazed the Oklahoma Territory in America’s quest to stretch from “sea to shining sea!” An extraordinary complement of players takes us on this uncharted journey, but of special note is Best Supporting Musical Actress Tony-nominee Ali Stroker, in the role of the flirtatious Ado Annie. Although in a wheelchair, she delivers a humorous, vocally-rich and sensual performance. 

All your favorite songs are here, but from the opening number Curly’s moody rendition of “Beautiful Mornin’” seems to welcome us to a wilder time and place where unbridled desire and ambition rule. Later, the womenfolk advocate resisting settling down to the tune of “Many a New Day” as they aggressively husk, break and, in essence castrating ears of fresh corn. But the most notable artistic stroke is the emotionally-raw solo dream ballet by African-American dancer (the mesmerizing, shaved-head Gabrielle Hamilton in a spangled t-shirt reading only, “Dream baby dream.” Everything is infused with a dark rich subtext that makes you wonder if you ever really saw Oklahoma! before. So evocative is this interpretation that it will color every Oklahoma! you’ll ever see again. This production gets this reviewer’s highest recommendation.  oklahomabroadway.com

Fiddler on the Roof is one of the most-often produced theatrical properties since its Broadway debut in 1964. The tale of Tevye the milkman has been presented on amateur and professional stages in numerous languages worldwide. (In Latin America it’s known as El Violinista en el Tejado). A story of love and loss, tradition and change, adversity and faith, community and exile, filled with wondrous songs that have entered the lexicon of the American musical. Director Joel Grey found how to reinvent this perfect classic. In Yiddish! Who knew? 

Based on a translation by Shraga Friedman, this powerful production by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene beams with a renewed strength, taking us back to that Russian shtetl in a language both new to the audience and of a very distant past. All dialogue and lyrics are projected in English on either side of the simple set. You’d think seeing a play in a foreign tongue would alienate the non-Yiddish speaking viewer – but the effect is quite the opposite. Because we all know the story so well, the Yiddish rhythms create the most authentic and intimate Fiddler this reviewer has ever seen.   

The characters, the jokes, and the songs are reborn in this ancient tongue. “Traditsye” (“Tradition”), that sets the story and introduces the characters. “Ven Ikh Bin a Rothshild” (“If I Were a Rich Man”) giving Tevye a chance to dream of escaping his poverty. The melancholy “Tog-ayn, Tog-oys” (“Sunrise, Sunset”) left not a dry eye in the house. The spiritually uplifting ballad “Shabes Brokhe” (“Sabbath Prayer”) and the exuberant celebration of life “Lakhayim” (“To Life”) in Yiddish brought these scenes to life in a revelatory manner.  

Heading the cast of talented bilingual actors is the brooding yet charming Steven Skybell, as Tevye who brings a heartfelt truth to lines like, “God, I know we are the chosen people, but once in a while can’t You choose somebody else?” Skybell (this year’s Lortel Award-winner for Outstanding Actor in a Musical) lovingly guides the story until the crushing culmination when the Russian pogrom expels the townsfolk from Anatevka. Though defeated, we see in this devastating tragedy the concept come full circle as a tribe packs and transports their traditions and language across the Atlantic. It’s an inspiring realization. This Fiddler on the Roof is not to be missed.      https://nytf.org/fiddler-on-the-roof/

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