CARNAVAL OF NEW LATINX MUSICALS to Return in 2026 with Latinx Theatre Commons

The Latinx Theatre Commons has announced the 2026 LTC Carnaval of New Latinx Musicals, produced in partnership with the University of California San Diego Department of Theatre & Dance, La Jolla Playhouse and TuYo Theatre, running August 28 - 30, 2026. 

The event will feature four full-length musical concert readings, a late night Carnaval slam that includes five finalists, and a series of events featuring Latinx musical theatremakers. Programming will take place at the University's Epstein Family Amphitheater, hosted with generous support from ArtPower at UC San Diego.

“Carnaval is a joyous celebration of Latiné music, storytelling and artistic possibilities. We are thrilled to welcome artists from across the US, audiences, and theatre leaders to San Diego for a weekend that amplifies the depth, range, and imagination of Latiné musical theatre,” said Carnaval Co-Champion Dr. Maria Patrice Amon, “Our gathering will both showcase new work and build lasting connections between local and national theatre makers and move these important stories toward future stages.”

Carnaval is an exuberant celebration of Latinx music and storytelling. It brings together Latinx theatremakers and theatre decisionmakers from across the nation to amplify, illuminate, and forward Latinx musical theatre. Carnaval serves as an intervention to challenge the patterned absence of authentic representation by uplifting Latinx musical theatre choreographers, composers, librettists, directors, and music directors. An application for in-person participation can be found at LTCommons.org.

“Since 2015, the mission of the LTC Carnaval has been to uplift and amplify the talent of Latiné theatre makers, as central to the American story. The Carnaval has launched nearly two dozen projects and a bounty of Latiné artists out into the field,” said Carnaval Co-Champion and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at UC San Diego, Lisa Portes. “We are thrilled to turn the spotlight on Latiné musical theatre librettists, composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers and scholars and share their wild talents with you!”

Carnaval will highlight nine new pieces, detailed below. The event has two goals: to introduce national theatre decision-makers to new Latinx musicals and talent, and to connect the local and national Latinx theatermaking communities. The featured projects were selected by a twelve-person committee from a nationwide call for proposals.

The stories selected range from a 1910's family in Florida to a journey to find the Sun in a fantasy world; a queer live-looped musical to a first-generation Californian teen who chases their dreams while facing the reality of their families' agricultural background. 

The 2026 LTC Carnaval Selection Committee included: Dr. Maria Patrice Amon, Maria-Tania Bandes B. Weingarden, Dr. David Davila, Jacqueline Flores, Vanessa Flores Cabrera, Adriana Gaviria, Rebeca Morton, Lisa Portes, Mabelle Reynoso, Dr. Daphnie Sicre, Danniel Ureña, and Andrew Aaron Valdez.

SELECTED PIECES:

DayDreamer

Libretto/Lyrics by Mario Vega

Composer/Lyrics by Eliza Vedar

Directed by James Vasquez

Music Direction by Angela Ortiz

Dramaturgy by Dr. Maria Patrice Amon

When the Sun is stolen from the sky by an ancient evil, two sisters set out on a dangerous journey to save the morning.

Fruition

Book by Krystal Ortiz 

Composer/Lyrics/Looping by Satya Chavez

Directed by Juliette Carrillo 

Music Direction by Alan Mendez

Dramaturgy by Daphnie Sicre

Fruition is a new live-looping musical that examines the inheritance of queerness—both celebrated and suppressed—through the intimate, tangled lives of two young queer women and their “straight” mothers.

Sueños: Our American Musical

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jesse Sanchez

Additional Music and Orchestrations by Jeff Chambers

Directed by Lisa Portes

Music Direction by Bruce De La Cruz

Dramaturgy by Jade Power Sotomayor

In the summer of 1999, the Viramontes family leaves behind their life in Los Angeles for the agricultural town of Watsonville, California, chasing a dream of new beginnings. At the heart of the story is Ali Viramontes, a gifted young violinist and composer whose sights are set on Juilliard. But as the family struggles with financial hardship and personal tensions, Ali finds himself in a town with no orchestra and a dream that seems more distant than ever.

Ybor City

Book by Anita Gonzalez

Composer/Lyrics by Dan Furman

Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez

Music Direction by Camila Cortina Bello

Dramaturgy by Daphnie Sicre

Set in 1918 Tampa Florida, Ybor City, tells the story of two immigrant communities who work side by side and yet do not see each other. Music and dance drive this historical exploration into racial divisions. Song, dance and solidarity become the characters path to survival.

FINALISTS:

Azul

Book by Tatiana Pandiani & Melis Aker

Lyrics by Jacinta Clusellas, Tatiana Pandiani & Melis Aker

Music by Jacinta Clusellas

Bayano

Written by Darrel Alejandro Holnes

Café Con Leche

Book, Music & Lyrics by Maiga Vidal

Arrangements & Orchestrations by Felipe Segovia Sanhueza

Little Duende

Book & Lyrics by Georgina Escobar

Music & Lyrics by Robi Hager

Mija

Book by Evynne Hollens & Rebecca Touriño Collinsworth

Music & Lyrics by Anna Gilbert & Gaby Moreno

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