Ceci (Legna Cedillo, left) and Tony (Sean Ewing) declare their love for each other in the new musical ¡Americano!
If Antonio (Tony) Valdivinos, the hero of the new musical ¡Americano!, had been born before the millennium, and especially before World War II, the chances his true story would reaching a wide audience would have been slim to none—and even less likely echoed in an Off-Broadway musical with the momentum of a Broadway hit. But ¡Americano! is a vehicle that delivers the messages behind Tony’s story and those of other “dreamers” and serves as a catalyst for activism. Under the direction of Michael Barnard, the production reflects the uncertainty and frustrations facing dreamers, particularly those desiring to serve their new homeland as true Americans.
With a book by Barnard, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Fernanda Santos, and a score by Carrie Rodriguez, the show, a lively, colorful work of agitprop, highlights the closeness and interdependence of an immigrant community where people, documented and undocumented, look out for one another.
Martin (Alex Paez, right), Tony’s father and foreman, runs the construction site. Photographs by Maria Baranova.
Tony (Sean Ewing), 17 and obsessed with becoming a Marine, teases his nerdy brother Fro (Ryan Reyes) about his first date with studious Jessica Bazán (Carolina Miranda), which brings love at first book. By contrast, Tony and his childhood friend Ceci (Legna Cedillo) bond over the Marines, and lifelong friendship transitions from a platonic one to love when Ceci “resets” the relationship as romantic and marriage-bound. Their duets, beginning with “We’re Finally Dancing,” are mellifluous.
Meanwhile, Tony’s friend Javi Garcia (Pablo Torres), bullied into crime by his brother Dante (Alessandro J. Lopez), a gang leader, tries to escape that life, but is forced by Dante to plant narcotics in Tony’s bag. Yet Tony forgives him and continues to care about him throughout and after Javi’s imprisonment. Fellow construction worker Manny Sandoval (Joseph Paul Cavasos) says he would not have had a job if it were not for Tony’s family, yet he fears for his friend Celso Bazam (Juan Luis Espinal) and Celso’s pregnant wife: “This whole undocumented thing is getting scary,” Manny says. “He could be deported.”
The gamut of emotions ranges from humor to anguish, both in Rodriguez’s lyrics and in terms of the narrative. Comic sibling rivalry and barbs pass between brothers Tony and Fro (Ryan Reyes), who work for their father, Martin (Alex Paez), on a construction site where he is the foreman. They deeply respect each other and their parents, papa Martin and mama Felicitas (Johanna Carlisle-Zepeda).
“The production is eager to show that dreamers can become activists for legislation to make their lives better.”
Tony’s saga of disappointment and renewed hope begins on a work site in Arizona. As Tony’s dream of the Marines collapses, his relationship with his parents, whom he believed deceived him about being a citizen, is compromised. Dance instructor Joaquin Flores (Lucas Coatney) provides shelter and advice for Tony when he storms out, longing for Ceci, who has enlisted and is deployed overseas with the Marines.
The musically intense story is supported by excellent visuals. Set designer (Robert Andrew Kovach) provides a variety of locales: a skeletal wooden framework reveals demolition activity, while another set serves for an updated West Side Story–like gang twist and musical courtship. Other settings are a barrio-like neighborhood, a high school prom, a political campaign and victory rally site, and a Marine recruiting center, where Tony’s dreams are dashed by the recruiter. Sergio Mejia has created breathtaking choreography for the dancers, and Jamie Roderick supplies dramatic lighting.
A jubilant Tony (Ewing) and Carlos Ledesma (Justin Figueroa) sing about their hopes for change.
The production is inspired by the uncertainty and frustrations facing dreamers, particularly those desiring to serve their new homeland as true Americans. Curiously, though, the book’s almost exclusive focus on obstacles that immigrants face doesn’t address the way that, apart from dreamers, military service has historically served as a conduit to educational opportunities and upward mobility for minorities. This motivation to serve in the Armed Forces, which might have been a strong reason for Tony and Ceci to enlist, goes unmentioned.
Tony has no conflicting loyalties and wants to enlist in the Marines from a sense of patriotism. Nevertheless, he and his compadres recognize that they are integrally linked to their families back home. In the opening number, “We Pave the Way,” they sing:
For loved ones south of the border,
We’re their lifeline, their supporters…
Work as hard as we’re able
So your sons, our daughters
All can reach their dreams.
Joachin’s encouragement awakens Tony from his anger over his rejection from the Marines. He attends a political rally, where he meets charismatic former Marine Carlos Ledesma (Justin Figueroa), a candidate for political office, and the course of his life changes. The production is eager to show that dreamers can become activists for legislation to make their lives, and those of their communities, better. Out of sorrow and a closed chapter in his life, Tony has opened a new door and has let those of his community demonstrate that they do have a voice. This is the show’s message: Get involved. Let your voice be heard.
¡Americano! is playing at New World Stages (340 W. 50th St.) through June 19. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and at 8 p.m. on Saturday; matinees are at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call (212) 239-6200 or visit americanothemusical.com.
