Review - ¡Gaytino!: Mariachi to Merman, Sondheim to Cesar Chavez

ImagiNe You're in Washington DC watching your father receive the National Medal of Arts, but you're more exited about dad's co-honoree, the man who helped turn your life in a direction away from your father, Stephen Sondheim. That was the unique experience of Dan Guerrero, star and author of ¡Gaytino!, the very funny and informative solo play about his personal clashing of Mexican and gay cultures that recently closed a two-night run as one of the final productions seen at the beloved Zipper Factory.

Born Eddie Guerrero ("You kept 'Guerrero' and changed the 'Eddie'?") and growing up as a Mexican American (1/4 Irish) in 1950's East LA, the future Broadway baby rebelled from his father's legendary success (singer/songwriter/guitarist Eduardo "Lalo" Guerrero, whose songs of social reform were tightly associated with Cesar Chavez's labor movement, was known as the father of Chicano music) through an interest in musical theatre; sired from seeing the film of Oklahoma! in a Hollywood movie palace, nurtured through the availability of mail order Broadway cast albums through the Columbia Record Club (remember that?) and nailed as a career choice after hearing Ethel Merman belt out Stephen Sondheim's inspiring lyric to "Some People" at a touring performance of Gypsy.

¡Gaytino! traces Eddie's career as "singer who moves" who transitions to Broadway-agent-by-day/disco-boy-by-night after dealing with the sparse opportunities for minority actors. But when the play Zoot Suit, which featured his father's songs, moved from LA to Broadway, Eddie was inspired to head home and begin a career promoting positive Latino images as a casting director, writer and producer.

Perhaps unusual for an autobiographical solo play, Guerrero has no axes to grind or a need to cleanse himself of personal horrors. He's an engaging storyteller who presents himself as a happy man who has had some challenges but got through them rather neatly. As directed by Diane Rodriguez and choreographed by Kay Cole, he seems to be smoothly dancing through his own life, happy to be on stage again and entertaining an audience.

Being gay provides most of the evening's comedy as he goes from being the young, attractive guy who can get offered a free meal just by standing on a street corner to the inevitable day when he is the older man who is expected to pick up the check. The more serious, politically-driven aspects of the play come from stories of his childhood friend, Carlos Almarez, a leader in the Chicano arts movement whose "Boycott Gallo" mural was an East LA cultural landmark. Photo projections designed by Daniel Foster nicely illustrate the importance of Chavez and the effort to improve working conditions for California agricultural workers, as well as more familial moments in Guerrero's life.

Upbeat and optimistic, ¡Gaytino! is a worthwhile charmer filled with decent sentiment. Perhaps the 75 minute piece could stand a bit more dramatic conflict, but on the other hand it's rather refreshing to just sit back and hear about a nice guy who made good.

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