Latino Theater Company presents the Los Angeles premiere of a big-hearted comedy with live music and a crucial message.
It’s the 1970s and women can’t be mariachis…or can they?
Written by José Cruz González, directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela and featuring an on-stage mariachi band (original arrangements by music director Cynthia Reifler Flores), American Mariachi opens May 11 at The Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown Los Angeles. Performances continue through June 9, with six low-priced previews taking place May 2 through May 10.
“The play is about a group of women who adopt mariachi during a time when that wasn’t permitted,” explains González. “Mariachi was always male-dominated; for women to enter that world was a challenge on many fronts. The characters in the play come together because of their love of the music, but also because Lucha discovers that her mother, who is living with dementia, suddenly comes alive whenever she hears one certain song. That begins the journey for this young woman — to see if she can bring the music back to her mother.”
“American Mariachi speaks loudly to Latino Theater Company’s core audience, but also to women everywhere,” says Valenzuela.
“Women today are still struggling for equal rights and men continue to take their voices away. The live music and comedy guarantee that American Mariachi remains highly entertaining — but there’s a tough story underneath the surface. We want our production to bring that out and give it true meaning.”
The Latino Theater Company is dedicated to providing a world-class arts center for those pursuing artistic excellence; a laboratory where both tradition and innovation are honored and honed; and a place where the convergence of people, cultures and ideas contribute to the future. Now in its 39th year, LTC has operated The Los Angeles Theatre Center, a landmark building in Downtown’s Historic Core, since 2006. Earlier this month, the company was honored with six Stage Raw awards for four different plays produced in 2023.
American Mariachi opens on Saturday, May 11 at 8 p.m., with performances thereafter on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. through June 9.
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. www.latinotheaterco.org.
