Eighteen months later, as the world makes its way toward a new normal, American Mariachi opened in Chicago to a wildly enthusiastic crowd, who cheered as the pre-show announcement was made in both English and Spanish. With the help of Lucha’s godfather Mino (Bobby Plasencia), mysteriously estranged from the family for years, the women recruit band members and learn to make their own music… but what happens if, and when, Federico finds out?Īmerican Mariachi’s production is its own underdog story: the show had its final dress rehearsal in Dallas in March 2020, just as the world shut down due to COVID-19.
When Lucha and her cousin Boli (Lucy Godínez) notice how Amalia reacts to a homemade record, they decide to recreate the song-even though they don’t know how to play. Though devoted to her mother, Lucha also wants to be a nurse, but her father, mariachi musician Federico (Ricardo Gutiérrez), insists she put family first, even when it means missing a final exam. Then just as quickly, the illusion fades and real life sets in: Amalia is quickly losing her memory, mostly nonverbal and housebound, under the care of her adult daughter Lucha (Tiffany Solano).Įréndira Izguerra and Gigi Cervantes in ‘American Mariachi.’ (Photo: Liz Lauren) The play opens with Amalia (Gigi Cervantes) surrounded by mariachi musicians, her face the epitome of exultation as she takes in the visual and aural spectacle. And for an audience deprived of live theater for the past 18 months, American Mariachi is a musical underdog story that’s joyous to behold.
They love their culture and are fighting to be an active part of it. These women aren’t victims: they’re caretakers, Jesus freaks and lost souls searching for a purpose. In José Cruz González’s new play, co-produced by Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and the Dallas Theater Center, they want to form an all-female mariachi band, pushing against the cultural norms of the 1970s that dictate mariachi is only for men (because heaven forbid women go to bars late at night). Sure, it’s also a trope however, as the world continues to be an uncertain place, a little comfort goes a long way.Īmerican Mariachi is that story, featuring a group often underrepresented in American theater: Latinx women. Seeing a group of misfits come together, work toward a common goal and find the power within themselves and each other is always satisfying. (l to r) Lucy Godínez, Amanda Raquel Martinez and Tiffany Solano in ‘American Mariachi.’ (Photo: Liz Lauren)