Teatro Musical y Paralelismo con El Mago de Oz que no proclama mentira, pero aún raya en el estereotipo.
Most of the time, productions with Latin American stories and themes bear me a certain imaginary weight and responsibility, being the only Mexican critic at the SDTCC. I feel like El Pípila. Still, I take responsibility seriously, and with that, I have to offer objective criticism, which, in these cases, is a tad more complicated for me, and I believe that is what has earned me this “Juez de hierro” reputation. It is what it is, so let us dive in…
Brian Quijada is a young playwright from Chicago, and the musical Somewhere Over the Border is based on his mother, Reina’s, story of coming to the US from El Salvador, leaving his older brother, Fernando, behind. Set in 1978 in Chanmico, El Salvador, Reina (Vanessa Orozco), who is 17, is pregnant and working nonstop trying to make ends meet with her mom, Julia (Crissy Guerrero), and her brother, Adán (Luis Sherlinee). Reina sells coffee and beans, but it is not enough. Once her son Fernando is born, one of her clients mentions coming back from Los Angeles while visiting her daughter. Reina decides to go to the United States via Guatemala, then Mexico through Tapachula, Guadalajara, and finally Tijuana, where “El Gran Coyote de Tijuana” (Fernando Vega) (hence, the Wizard of Oz) will take her to the United States and aim for a green card, Emerald City, right?. Reina travels via bus to Guatemala and meets Cruz (also played by Luis Sherlinee), they travel together to their first Mexican stop, Tapachula, where they meet Silvano (Edward Padilla) who has his family in the US and decides to join the duo towards Guadalajara where they meet Leona (Luzma Ortiz), a nun who wants to be a rockstar and make it in Cleveland. The four head to Tijuana, and the pilgrimage to the US begins. The first act, more than being Magic Realism, has a Fantasy element, with songs like “In the USA”, “Somewhere Over the Border”, and “El Gran Coyote de Tijuana”. The songs have a Lin-Manuel Miranda/In The Heights sound, with different rhythms such as Salsa, Cumbia, Hip-Hop, and Rap, among others. For me, there is a pinnacle moment in the first act when Ryan Fallis’s lighting, Jordan Gray’s sound, and Blake McCarty’s projections come together during the song “Leona,” performed powerfully by Luzma Ortiz. All of it is fitting and makes sense, creating a great theatrical moment.
I have to say, the sound quality at this new space is so nice and crisp. There is a live band in the back, with Lyndon Pugeda on musical direction/keyboard, and, as always, having live music adds immensely to the experience. The band is made up of Danny Chavarin: Percussion, Martin Martiarena: Bass, Nikko Nobleza: Guitar, and Michael Reyes: Guitar.
The second act contains a twist and touches on reality and the harsh truth (the song “Life in America“). The cast is powerful. Vanessa Orozco carries most of the vocal weight in the musical, and her performance is flawless, with a great voice and interpretation. As I mentioned, Luzma Ortiz is powerful, has amazing vocals, and great sass. Luis Sherlinee, in both his characters, is sweet with a great voice as well. Edward Padilla, in both his characters, is funny with good rhythm and moving portrayals. Crissy Guerrero starts as a harsh, castrating mother with Reina, delivering a strong Julia who has an important moment with her daughter and grandson. Her singing is potent, and I loved her makeup by Peter Herman. Fernando Vega is the narrator and plays multiple roles throughout the musical, adopting different accents, demonstrating histrionic variety and training.
Carlos Mendoza both directed and choreographed the piece, having a straightforward flow with the musical moving at a decent pace.
Tanya Orellana’s set with soft yellows, oranges, and dashes of pink, with floating doors and windows, gives a nod to the Wizard of Oz, but also, in my eyes, to Monsters INC.
Janet Pitcher’s costumes not only showed the late 70s, but also a little bit of each country with guayabera shirts, long cotton skirts, and bell-bottom pants.
Now, I have questions…
-Why does everything that has to do with the border, and Mexico in general, have to include a cactus as the main feature? I just cannot.
-Why does the first Mexican character in the musical, Silvano, have a drinking problem?
-The projections of each city they go to. Where are they really from? As everything is greatly downplayed, including short run-down buildings. Tapachula is a beautiful city, and Guadalajara has majestic landmarks like the cathedral and the Hospicio Cabañas. Like, really, who decided on those? And do not get me started with Tijuana. As everything has to be dusty and scary in order to play out the stereotype. My grandmother is from Tapachula, my mother from Guadalajara, and I am from Tijuana. Imagine, dear reader…
As the musical states, this is one of many stories. This is the story of the playwright’s mom, and I also understand the juxtaposition Quijada makes between the US propaganda and the reality, especially for non-white people.
There is also a moment between Reina and little Fernando (Dhani Solorio) that is truly touching and full of emotion, where it is more about a mother’s love and the bond between them than anything else.
I strongly believe in the power of those angles.
The director’s note in the program is in English and in Spanish. I invite Cygnet to this for all its productions. We are in a city that borders Mexico and the US.
Somewhere Over the Border is currently playing until March 15.
Heather M. Brose is the stage manager for this production, and Alyssa Hayden is the assistant stage manager.
