Theater Thursday - American Mariachi

We were given complimentary tickets to American Mariachi for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

 

What: American Mariachi

Where: Two River Theater 

             21 Bridge Ave.

             Red Bank, NJ

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through October 20, 2024

Me - American Mariachi was a good show. It had a good story except for the mother and father's back story. He overreacted to the point of abusiveness and caused an unnecessary rift that lasted for years. I really liked the rest of the characters though, The music sounded nice even though it wasn't the kind of music I usually prefer. I loved the costumes especially the Mariachi costumes particularly the dresses. I generally love band shows, and this one certainly didn't disappoint.

Mom - American Mariachi is a show about music and family. When Lucha discovers the power of music to connect with the mother she is losing to dementia, she decides to form a mariachi band to play her mother's favorite song for her. This is a touching and beautiful story full of mostly delightful characters. It also has the great found-family vibes associated with many similarly band-related shows. 

There are also some nice real family vibes like Lucha's love for her mother and her connection with her cousin, Boli. Lucha's father is not included in these nice family vibes. Even in the latter part of the show when he is allegedly a changed man, it is hard to forgive him for the actions that have come before both in the show and before it. 

While the show is well cast in general, a few performances stand out in particular, Addie Morales is quite appealing in the role of the strong-willed Lucha. Maggie Bofill as her mother, Amalia is heartbreaking. Heather Velazquez is a real spitfire in the role of her cousin and bandmate, Boli.

There are actually two bands in the show. In addition to the female band formed by Lucha, there is an all-male mariachi band. The male mariachi band is played by an actual mariachi band. The music is lovely and joyous even if you aren't a big fan of Mariachi music. 

The female mariachi band within the play actually learned to play their instruments just for this show. Considering that they do a decent job of playing although one or two of them hit a note or two that seemed off even when it wasn't meant to be.

This show is full of great role models, particularly for young girls. These women embody female empowerment. They don't care that it is usual for women to form a mariachi band, they are full of grit and determination and won't let anything stand in the way of reaching their goal.

And that's our view. For more about America Mariachi to purchase tickets, visit tworivertheater.org.

Tune in Saturday for Still More Theater Saturday.

Photo credits: 

All American Mariachi production photos by T. Charles Erickson

Images used in this post have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission. If there is a problem with the rights to any image,  contact us here, and we will look into the matter.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - The Latin Grammy's 25 Years of Musical Excellence

What: The Latin Grammy's 25 Years of  Musical Excellence

Where: The Paley Museum

             25 W. 52nd St.

            New York, NY

Who: All ages

When: Through November 3, 2024

In 2000,  the first Latin Grammy Awards were celebrated in Miami. Now on the verge of its 25th anniversary, which will occur this November, the Paley Museum celebrates the history of the Latin Grammy Awards in a special exhibit. This exhibit includes a large selection of pictures and items on display. There are numerous outfits including Shakira's Pink Leopard dress, instruments including Alejandro Sanz's guitar, and more including Celia Cruz's wig. There is actually a whole exhibit on Celia Cruz on the museum's lower level. Several of her outfits are on view as well as a proclamation of Celia Cruz Day, a Celia Cruz quarter, and more. A small section of the exhibit is dedicated to her frequent collaborator, Tito Puentes. 

In addition to all the pictures and items on display, there are numerous timelines and videos where you can learn more about the history of the Latin Grammys. The exhibit is even carried through to the museum's library where you can find a display of Sesame Street Muppet, Rosita, strumming her guitar.

Admission to the exhibit is free, and you don't even have to be a Paley Member to visit. However, you do need a ticket which can be reserved on the Paley website. For more information or to reserve a ticket, visit www.paleycenter.org/events/exhibit-latin-grammys-25/

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.

All pictures used in this post are our own. If there is a problem with any image, contact us here and we will look into the matter.

Giveaway: Win a copy of House Plants and Their F*cked Up Thoughts in the Silly Pumpkins Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Silly Pumpkins Giveaway Hop

hosted by Mama the Fox

Did you ever wonder what your plants would say if they could talk? Well, now you don't have to wonder anymore.  Carlyle Christoff and Elizabeth Saake have put together a book imagining what they would say if they could. There is actually some real information about plants hidden in all the snarky sarcasm in this irreverent book. Although some of it may not be as real as it seems, and you should definitely check with an additonal source before eating any plants alleged to be edible. Whether or not you like plants, you can still enjoy this amusing book.  For more, see our previous post,  Tips for Tuesday - Books: House Plants and Their F*cked Up Thoughts. Enter below to win a copy:

Giveaway Dates 10/16 - 10/31

Giveaway Open to Ages 18+ US

a Rafflecopter giveaway Once you have entered our giveaway, hop around to the other blogs listed below to see what other great prizes you can enter to win.

Disclaimer: Hosts and participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors and self-sponsoring bloggers who do not fulfill prize obligations. Please also note that we have been having a huge problem with people not following giveaway entry requirements and/or claiming to follow our blog and/or any of our social media and not actually doing so. Accordingly, please remember that following all instructions for any and all giveaway entries is mandatory in order for that entry to count. Entries will be checked and those that do not follow all instructions will be disqualified. Please do not claim entry for following our blog, Twitter, or whatever if you do not actually do so. If you consistently enter our giveaways claiming to be a follower of our blog and/or social media and you are not you will be disqualified not only from any chance of winning our current giveaway but also from any chance of winning any future giveaways. If you do follow our blog and/ or social media, don't let your entry be disqualified be sure to leave your follower name and/or the exact name you commented under. All pictures used in this post are our own. If there is a problem with any image, please contact us here and we will look into the matter.

All pictures used in this post are our own. If there is a problem with any image, please contact us here and we will look into the matter.