Review: AGUARDIENTE: WHERE MAGIC TRANSCENDS BORDERS at GALA Hispanic Theatre
Vibrant world premiere musical commissioned to mark 50th season
Aguardiente is the name of a firey drink from Colombia that’s sugary and strong. So it’s also a good name for the world premiere musical comissioned for the 50th anniversary season of GALA Hispanic Theatre in Columbia Heights.
Bursting with vibrant strains of Afro-Cuban music and a spirited cast from many different Latin countries, “Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders” at once fulfulls the mission of the Spanish language theater showcasing the best of Latin performing arts from all quarters of the globe, while rising the bar of what they present.
GALA has won awards for past musicals, from the first Spanish language production of Gloria Estefan’s “On Your Feet!” to a production of Lin-Manuel “In the Heights” that people still talk about. But helping create a brand new work about the very act of creating a musical is a special kind of achievement.
Written by Luis Salgado of Puerto Rico and Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez of Colombia, it concerns the effort of a couple of Puerto Rican and Columbian artists to make a musical on a deadline. It’s not as meta as it sounds. In fact, a musical about creating a musical is something of a theater tradition, reflected in shows from “42nd Street” and “Kiss Me Kate” to “Tic, Tic…Boom!” and [title of show]”
It flows easily in “Aguardiente” because the comaraderie of the two writers, well played by Samuel Garnica of Venezuela (who was in that “On Your Feet!” production); and Sebastián Treviño of Colombia and Mexico. And when ideas gel, and songs are imagined, Gutiérrez, the composer who also serves as musical director, kicks in, playing piano while leading a terrific six-piece band, playing live but out of sight.
The fictional creators talk of being inspired by Rubén Blades, and that percussive, contagious sound blending salsa and Latin jazz, inrocporating bomba, currulao and cumbia, gives a dynamic pulse that’s soon fleshed out by a lively choreography from a large ensemble (author Salgado, who directed, also did the choreography).
Soon the stage is filled with fishermen and nets and other denizens of the old country, where the rivers and waterways are a lifeline and an inspiration.
They eventually imagine a couple making their way in the world, who also happen to have world-class voices. They are played winningly by Vin Ramos of Puerto Rico and Ana Luisa Martinez of Mexico. Their world is completely in the hands of the creators, so suddenly they find themselves in odd circumstances.
Those demands, of course, come externally and include deadlines from grant sources and content demands from producers. Age old concerns, both, but in this one of the first complaints from a producer is that the script is “too woke.” That, and mention of cuts in arts funding, make a show that could otherwise drift into magical realism grounded in a sobering reflection of contemporary arts issues.
There is also some humor, though, as another agent (played by Machrián of Cuba) insists they insert some circus scenes because, well, audiences like circuses.
So yes, suddenly, there are some quick circus scenes, representing both the extremes of outside suggestions and a metaphor for the show business in general.
How do these scenes switch so quickly from circus to countryside? Part of it is remarkably quickchange costumes by Jeannette Christensen. The set is a marvel, too, employing giant screens on each side but also across the top, allowing a fully immersive setting quickly. Clifton Chadick did the scenic design; Milton Cordero the projections. Colin K. Bills did lighting that perfectly spotlit the central couple every time they took to the stage, heightening their magical presence.
The talent runs deep in the international cast. Shayla Hernández is fun as the creators’ voice through social media, and Leah Finol shines in a role as Mamá, singing a song of reassurance.
There are a couple of supporting roles that seem miscast, or at least come off as amateurish compared to the quality around them. But it’s generally all washed away in the continual good vibes of the music, which sometimes vamps along in the background between full production numbers.
GALA has survived some trying times in its 50 years, most recently from COVID, cybertheft and especially the death of the theater’s co-creator Hugo Medrano in 2023. He surely would have reveled in this sweet “Aguardiente.”
Running time: About 160 minutes with one 10-minute intermission.
Photo credit: Samuel Garnica, Shayla Hernández and Sebastián Treviño in “Aguardiente.” Photo by Daniel Martinez.
“Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders,” in Spanish with English surtitles, runs through May 24 at GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St NW. Tickets available from 202-234-7174 or online.
Reader Reviews
Videos