MANUEL VS THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, A New Musical Comedy, Gets Developmental Workshop

Bloomington, IN will get a bit funnier this Monday March 4th when, Manuel Vs the Statue of Liberty, a new musical comedy gets a developmental presentation at 7:30pm at the Waldron Arts Center Firebay Theatre. Manuel Vs the Statue of Liberty features book, and lyrics by award-winning lyricist Noemi de la Puente and music and lyrics by award-winning playwright/composer David Davila. This developmental workshop is directed by Annalise Cain with musical direction by Jeremy Gussin, and is made possible by a finishing commission from Constellation Stage and Screen and a grant from the City of Bloomington Arts Commission.

Manuel Vs the Statue of Liberty, or How Not to Get Deported tells the story of Manuel, a dreamer who's as American as Taco Salad and student debt, but if he wants to go to college himself he'll have to risk coming out as an undocumented immigrant. That could be extra tricky now that new immigration reform laws require all so-called-illegal immigrants to fight the Statue of Liberty (a genderqueer rock n' roll version of the American icon) in a real life high stakes boxing match for their green-cards. Is Manuel brave enough or even crazy enough to take on the two-hundred and twenty-five ton mammoth of copper and steel? This raucous musical comedy leaps from Latin rhythms to rap and hip-hop to glam rock to soaring Broadway ballads as our hero navigates a treacherous world where any stranger could become an enemy, and even baby Jesus can be deported.

Leading the cast of Manuel vs the Statue of Liberty are tenors Martin Ramirez as teenage dreamer Manuel and Kevin Gwinn as Lady Liberty. Rounding out the leading players are Luna de Castro as Mami, Isabel Barredo as teen activist Yolanda, and Aaqil Abdullah as Mr. Walsh. They're joined by Gabriel Armstrong, Abigail Bilson, Caroline Davis, Chandler Deppert, Olivia Jabczynski, and Seth Jacobson playing a multitude of zany characters from rat puppets to Albert Einstein!

Manuel vs the Statue of Liberty has been developed through Pregones / the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, The New York Musical Festival, Musical Theatre Factory, the PlayGround Experiment, Dramatic Question Theatre, Princeton University, Gallery Players Brooklyn, and the Latiné Musical Theatre Lab.

Constellation is proud to be supporting a finishing commission of the musical Manuel vs. Statue of Liberty, a musical comedy about immigration reform laws and their impact. Written by David Davila, winner of the 2022 National New Play Network Smith Prize for Political Theatre, the finishing commission includes a public reading and financial support to create demo tracks of the music to showcase the script to potential future producers.

This finishing commission is supported by Constellation’s DEI Fund. Click here to learn more.

Noemi de la Puente is an actress, playwright, librettist, lyricist, and producer from California who now resides in New Jersey. Winner of the Yip Harburg award for lyrics, she is also a fierce environmental activist and community advocate, working with the New Jersey Environmental Lobby; an organization dedicated to bringing the best environmental practices from around the country to the state. David Davila is a writer, performer, and comedian from the border of South Texas. Winner of the National New Play Network Smith Prize for Political Theatre and the New American Voices National Playwriting award, his work questions systems of power and centers the stories of Queer and Latinx people living in the Americas ranging from plays, musicals, and poetry to television, sketch, and stand-up comedy.

Manuel Vs the Statue of Liberty, a new musical comedy

Running Time: Two hours with a fifteen minute intermission

Where: The Firebay Theatre, The Waldron Arts Center, 122 S Walnut St, Bloomington, IN 47404

Tickets: Tickets are Free. Reservations are encouraged. Visit the button below.

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