Giving a shout out to all the nominated productions this year, thirty-six in totaly, DeBose expressed the importance of live theater and that this evening belonged to all the nominees. And among the nominees, there were seven Latine who were either nominated for their work on stage and behind the state as well. 

Lindsay Mendez, who never saw herself as a lead in a Stephen Sondheim musical while growing up in Norwalk, California, was not only the lead in Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, but she received her second Tony Award nomination for her performance.  Her first Tony nomination and win was in 2018 for Carousel! 

“Like almost everything I’ve done, I didn’t see it, so I couldn’t have imagined it”, The Mexican American actress was raised in Norwalk, California and came to Broadway to pursue her dreams. “There just weren’t many people who looked like me doing this, other from Chita Rivera. And… they were essentially put in a Latino box. Therefore, it is a privilege for me to be able to play these kinds of characters”.

Noting that leaders in the theatrical business declared measures to make the profession more inclusive following the epidemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. Mendez said she has observed a change in this regard. “We’re still having this conversation, of course, but I think there’s a lot more awareness and effort to share other people’s stories and diversify a company and crew”.  She adds, 

“Even though there is a long way to go, I feel at least more attention has been raised and there are more initiatives, more efforts, to get more [diverse] voices out there,” she said.

Broadway is still predominately a white industry, despite the prominence of Latino performers like Rivera, DeBose, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and John Leguizamo. According to the Broadway League, the bulk of the audience is white, and Latinos make up only 3.5% of Actors Equity’s active membership, which represents theater artists.

Nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical  for Lempicka, Eden Espinosa, considers this nomination “one of those things that you hope for – dream about.

Being of Mexican American descent, Espinosa frequently works with youth and students, being open and honest with them about the realities of life in the theater industry. She recounts, “I tell them it’s okay if you get more no’s than yes’es; it doesn’t mean you’re not talented or successful.” Everybody has a unique set of gifts that help them stand out from the crowd and make them unique.”

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer also was up for a Tony Award in the same category as Mendez, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, for her work in Spamalot, Monty Python.

Renowned designer Emilio Sosa was nominated this year for Best Costume Design of a Play (Purlie Victorious), and David Israel Reynoso was nominated for Best Costume Design of a Musical (Water for Elephants). 

Kristoffer Diaz’s nomination was for Best Book of a Musical for his semi-autobiographical musical Hell’s Kitchen, written by Alicia Keys.

Although Diaz was raised in the Bronx, his mother frequently took him to the theater in Manhattan. He claimed that watching Leguizamo’s Spic-O-Rama in 1994 was a turning point. 

Diaz declared, “It altered my life.” It was the first time I had seen people on stage who resembled my family in appearance and voice, when Leguizamo played a variety of roles, all of them members of a Latino family.

“It allowed me to realize that, hey, I can put my people and myself on stage too,” Diaz remarked. “And that’s when it really took off what I wanted to do with my life.”

New York University associate arts professor Diaz is appreciative of the Latino artists who helped his generation thrive. Diaz would frequently approach a lobby picture of Raul Julia during Hell’s Kitchen performances at New York’s Public Theater downtown and, “just place my hand on the poster and sort of thank him.” Diaz recounts, “He was one of the spirits in our room, and he assisted me in identifying with the Nuyorican artistic legacy.”

Scenic designer Ricardo Hernández, Picked up his third Tony nomination.  This year he was nominated foBest Scenic of a Musical for Lempicka.  He also created the scenic design for the musical Suffs on Broadway. Born in Cuba and raised in Argentina, Hernández claimed that he was the “lonely Latin” in his family for a long time.

Horacio Quiroga of Uruguay, Ernesto Sábato of Argentina, and the late Jorge Luis Borges are among the writers who influenced Hernández’s aesthetic sensibility.
Hernández urges his Yale University pupils to discover their own voices while warning them that “the theater is tough.” Giving his students this advice: , “Don’t be someone else’s copy. If you’re scared to speak up for yourself, don’t try to be like other people. Continue on your journey of self-discovery while putting out your best creative and professional effort.”

Although all the nominees listed here did not take the award home, Mendez expressed her feelings and excitement on just being nominated for the Tony Awards, “This has been such a huge season, and I’ve been thrilled to be a part of it.” Noting that “I’m really proud of my work, win or lose,” she remarked. “I’m just proud of making it to the Tonys; it’s been a long, amazing run.”

There is a lot to be proud of when you are nominated for your work on Broadway, the ultimate stage in theater actress the country.  It is true getting nominated among all the actors and creatives on Broadway is already a win. 

Mendez claims that her 2018 Tony Award was stored on a shelf in her house near to her daughter’s medal for completing a two-year-old sports class. She laughed and replied, “In my house, all the trophies go together.” “I am aware that the Tony Award exists, but I don’t often look at it. Additionally, I always let people hold it if they come over and want to see it

The post From Sondheim to ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Latinos On Broadway Shine at the Tony awards! first appeared on .

“Each year we strive to expand our programming slate to expose stories, themes and characters that have been underrepresented in our world. This year is no exception,” said Gabrielle Glore, Festival Director & Head of Programming, Urbanworld Film Festival. “What is most exciting to see is the continued elevation of quality manifested across our content creators’ work, as we celebrate their creativity and craft.”

Latinx focused films of the festival include:

The East Coast Premiere of Vandal (USA), directed by Jose Daniel Freixas (Friday, September 20^th at 8:15 PM). “Nick, better known as “Damage” in the streets of Miami, is the young leader of an infamous graffiti crew that leaves its mark wherever it goes. As they grow larger in fame and number, problems start arising–Nick’s personal life goes on a downward spiral; the illegal nature of his passion is bound to get him in trouble with the authorities, and, on top of that, he has to learn to fend off the local rival crew.” 

The World Premiere of Release (USA), directed by Adel L. Morales (Thursday, September 19^th at 8:45 PM). “Maverick” comes home to the Bronx, after twenty-one years. Suffering from the traumas of abuse and neglect that go hand-in-hand with our American prison systems, he’s become a loner, hardened over his lengthy sentence. Layers of frustration and fear, lie underneath his heavy penetrating stare. He’s a changed man figuring out his place in a family he barely remembers while dealing with the pressures of a changing world and a twenty-one-year-old daughter he doesn’t know.” 

The East Coast Premiere of By The Name of Tania (Peru), directed by Bénédicte Liénard & Mary Jiménez (Friday, September 20^th at 5:00 PM). “The Amazon flows lazily through the goldmine-gashed landscape of northern Peru. Using real eyewitness accounts, directors Bénédicte Liénard and Mary Jiménez tell the story of a young woman who winds up forced into prostitution when her initially hopeful attempt to escape the stifling limitations of village life goes wrong. Step by step, she is robbed of her moral and physical integrity. The film reconstitutes a space of dignity and returns voice and identity to that which has been formally rendered name¬less. With its powerful imagery, the girl’s traumatic odyssey embodies the horrific devastation visited upon the natural world by contemporary industrial society.” 

The New York Premiere of Bakoso: AfroBeats of Cuba (Cuba), directed by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi (Saturday, September 21^st at 9:30 PM). “What does “Está Rico” by Marc Anthony, Will Smith & Bad Bunny have in common with “Made For Now” by Janet Jackson x Daddy Yankee? They both high-jacked AfroBeats and did not give the genre’s origin props. Bakosó is a film that does the opposite, following DJ Jigüe to his hometown of Santiago de Cuba to find inspiration from the new sounds. He finds Afrobeats has helped create a new genre called Bakosó, which itself is beautiful proof that the exchange between Cuba and Africa did not end with the Transatlantic slave trade.” Jacobs-Fantauzzi will also participate on the ‘A League of Their Own: Creating Beyond The White Gaze’ panel at this year’s Urbanworld Digital on Thursday, September 19th. Urbanworld’s Closing Night Party will feature a set by DJ Jigüe on Saturday, September 21st. 

Short films include: Maria (Zoe Salicrup Junco), Message Erased (Alain Alfaro), Wonder (Javier Molina), Ruda (Maria Victoria Ponce), What Bitch? (Julian Acosta), The Night, Unsheltered (Iñaki Velásquez ). 

The Music Video category includes: Who Are We Now? By Synacure (Vagabond) and Convencete by Princesa Alba (Marialy Rivas). Princesa Alba will also perform at Urbanworld Live Music Showcase on Thursday, September 19th. 

Founding partner HBO is joined by key supporters including BET Networks as prestige partner and NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia, Warner Bros. and Screen Gems as premiere partners. Industry partners include ARRAY, MPAA, ABC Studios, UMC: Urban Movie Channel, Directors Guild of America, Producers Guild of America and Writers Guild of America East. The Root, Essence, WNYC and Power 105 are media partners. 

For more info: www.urbanworld.org

The post Urbanworld Announces 2019 Slate Highlighting Latino Filmmakers first appeared on .