Industry Concert YBOR CITY: THE MUSICAL to Tackle Themes of Racism and Unionism

The Latiné Musical Theatre Lab, in partnership with 59e59 Theatres and the Woodshed Collective, is thrilled to announce a dramaturgy residency and intimate concert performance of "Ybor City: the Musical" by Anita Gonzalez (Book) and Dan Furman (Music and Lyrics). This powerful musical tackles two timely and important themes - racism and unionism - shedding light on the need for unity among workers and the fight against exploitative labor conditions.

As part of a week-long dramaturgy residency with the Latiné Musical Theatre Lab, with support from the Woodshed Collective and 59e59 Theatres, this industry presentation offers an exclusive glimpse into the development of "Ybor City." Under the direction of Maija Garcia, music direction by Saul Nache, dramaturgy by Jordan Ealey, and percussion by Storm Thomas, the 45-minute concert, presented Thursday, August 3rd in Theatre C at 59 E 59th St, will feature a selection of songs and scenes from this new musical-in-development. The performance is being produced by Lab founder and producing artistic director, Ryan Morales Green.

This private event brings together industry insiders and key players, with vocal performances from Pablo Torres, Ana Isabelle, Tauren Hagans, and Guillermo R Jemmott Jr. The musical's development is further enriched by the insights of the dramaturgy session readers, including Kimberli Flores, David Hughley, Jesus Martinez, Robert Ariza, Ryan Morales Green, Amanda Lopez, and Nicole Prothro.

"Ybor City: the Musical" surrounds the rise of unionism and the healing of racial divides in 1918 Tampa. Aspiring activist Luisa brings us to Ybor City where factory workers labor under harsh work conditions. Catalino seeks to organize a union, while Afro-Cuban Pedro struggles for acceptance by the white Cuban community. Catalino's sister Teresa longs to bring her songs to the world and when a stranger comes to town he offers new possibilities. Then, violence erupts. Pedro and his wife Irina don't know what side to take. The community must bond to effectively fight for decent working conditions for all. In the wake of ongoing struggles for racial equity and the current strikes of the Writer's Guild of America and SAG / AFTRA, "Ybor City" addresses the need for unity of workers and the survival of unions in the fight against unfair and exploitative labor conditions. This is a story about how the ruling class uses race, colorism, gender, and ultimately violence to uphold their power and control the working class.

"Ybor City: The Musical" is a captivating journey that began with a cherished photograph - an image of Book Writer Anita Gonzalez's own grandfather, Pedro Paulo Gonzalez, an Afro-Cuban cigar roller, and his compadres seated in wicker chairs. Delving into archives and presenting about Tampa's tabaqueros, Anita's creative vision took shape during her residency at the Rockefeller Foundation center in Bellagio, Italy back in 2003. What started as "Cigar Memories" was presented by Dixon Place as a staged reading in Fall 2003 and became the foundation for "Ybor City."

In 2012, Anita Gonzalez met Composer and Lyricist, Dan Furman, at a Dramatists Guild event. Their collaboration was a natural fit, as Dan brought not only his musical expertise in jazz and BMI musical theatre training, but also his experience as a union organizer and a deep understanding of Latin American culture. Together, they embarked on a three-year journey of sporadic writing and brainstorming at the Player's Club in NYC, where plotlines and character arcs took shape with every session.

Fast forward to 2015 when the collaborators proudly completed the first draft of the musical's book and songs. Their dedication spawned an equity staged reading at the Strasberg Institute, under the direction of Lorca Peress. Subsequent workshops and performances at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2017 (directed by John Seibert and choreographed by Ron De Jesus), Punto Space in Manhattan in 2018 with a non-equity cast (directed by Sara Rademacher), and an Equity Showcase produced by the Brooklyn Tavern Theater and Art Boundaries Unlimited in 2020, with performances at the Rustik Tavern and The Players NYC on Gramercy Park (directed by Vernice Miller and choreographed by Stefanie Batten Bland). Now, "Ybor City: The Musical" eagerly seeks new opportunities for staging and development. To learn more or get involved, visit https://www.yborcitythemusical.com or reach out to Anita Gonzalez (alg@anitagonzalez.com) and Dan Furman (danfurman@aol.com).

The Latiné Musical Theatre Lab is an organization that develops and advocates for new Latiné-written works of musical theatre in order to radically change who gets to tell musical stories on stages across the country. Our mission is to champion Latin musical theatre on a wide scale and increase equity for Latin artists in a field that hasn't made space for them (while the Latiné population in the United States quickly approaches 20%, Latin artist representation on New York stages continues to sit around 3%.) Founded in November 2021 by Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Ryan Morales Green, the Lab has helped in the development of over 30 new musicals in its first year and half, all at no cost to its writers.

To learn more about the Lab, its mission, or to make a tax-deductible donation to support the Lab in running its free programs for Latiné writers, please visit www.latinemtlab.org.

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