Review: LOTERÍA: THIS GAME IS NO JUEGO at Live Theatre Workshop

LOTERÍA: THIS GAME IS NO JUEGO is a marvelous and mystical musical now playing at Live Theatre Workshop. With an original story and music by Jonathan Heras, LOTERÍA is a trip unlike no other. In essence, players discover a card deck that transports them to another world and brings characters from that world to life who then wreak havoc on reality. It echoes a classic move from the 90's that has a similar premise yet achieves a tonal and thematic status all its own. This is a truly original work.

The play taps into many tongue-in-cheek gags that explore cultural irony and the city of Tucson itself. Because LOTERÍA is original, it provides the opportunity to introduce many new characters. Renee Schmidt shines as Lida and other characters. Her voice is like butter and her acting/movement are graceful and confident. I haven't seen Schmidt onstage in a while and it was wonderful to see her shine. Xavier Campillo is hysterical as David. Like Schmidt and every actor in this show, Campillo plays multiple characters. The nod to Terminator was very funny and I enjoyed Campillo's contribution to a key moment of physical comedy late in the show (more on that later).

David Cervantes (Pepe and Campillo's parter in that aforementioned comedic scene) is a great comedian and actor, with several guffaw-inducing moments onstage. Vocally I felt that their pitch and delivery could be more polished, but the musical number was meant to be comedic, so this alleviated any vocal drawbacks. Since I have sufficiently alluded to my favorite (and likely many people's favorite) scene in LOTERÍA, I will discuss it now. Cervantes and Campillo both puppet legs attached to two characters to create a gravity-defying and Matrix-resemblant fight sequence that needs to be seen to be believed. This was a truly inventive concept that stood out as the show's highlight. Watching the characters contort and bounce around the stage as the world swirled around them (including a table) brought a smile to my face.

Zuleyl Castro is fantastic as Mom and La Rana. Castro is a dynamic performer who transforms the stage into their playground. Vocals with co-star Tyler Gastelum (more on Tyler in a moment) were the best musical moment in the show, particularly during a challenging and tongue-twisting duet entirely in Spanish. Castro is charismatic, colorful, and charming in LOTERÍA. Tyler Gastelum seems to be having the time of his life as Dad and La Calavera. His even flow phonation is on point vocally and his stage presence is commanding. Gastelum also delivers what is unquestionably the funniest line in the show.

Clarrissa Rodriguez is a great character actor. Abuela and El Arbol are both such different and distinct characters and Rodriguez plays them both perfectly. Eddie Rodriguez is memorable as Chuy and many other characters. Their physicality as El Sol is simultaneously entertaining and zany. Thalita De Andrade commands the stage in multiple roles and has great chemistry with the rest of the cast. LOTERÍA boasts a larger cast than other Live Theatre Workshop offerings, with eight players in total.

Jonathan Heras is a fantastic playwright, co-director, and music director. His work on LOTERÍA is obviously a passion project and it shows. The puns in the script, while at first cringy, immediately became more comfortable especially when encouraged by Gastelum as Calavera. The key to enjoying LOTERÍA is to surrender to the whimsical madness. It is a creative and joyful script, brilliantly staged. I did find some of the cast vocals to be less polished with pitch, diction, and blend, and at times the music was louder than the singers. The songs were delightful and felt like they belonged in a mainstream Hollywood movie.

Milta Ortiz complemented Heras' work perfectly as co-director, with fast-paced choreography by Monet Hernandez-Camacho. Amanda Gremel and Stephen Frankenfield adorned the stage with cards, which perfectly foreshadowed and highlighted the play's events. Set design, especially when characters were pulled into the world of LOTERÍA, was appropriately whimsical. Lighting by Richard Gremel captured the absurd and exciting tone of the show. Audience members should note that LOTERÍA contains "flashing lights and strobe-like effects which may affect photosensitive viewers." Technical aspects of LOTERÍA are strong, with crisp sound by Michael Zimmerman and engaging costume design by Janet Salese.

Phoenix Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. TOOTSIE (Arizona Broadway Theatre)

23.7% of votes

2. ANASTASIA: THE MUSICAL (Don Bluth Front Row Theatre)

8.9% of votes

3. WE ARE THE TIGERS (Velvet Curtain Productions)

7.2% of votes

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