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.