Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The earnest, issue-driven new musical ¡AMERICANO! possesses both heart and melody to spare

• By drediman
• June 15, 2022
• No Comments

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to attend a performance of the new Off-Broadway musical ¡Americano! at New World Stages. The New York production – which concludes its limited 12-week engagement on Sunday, June 19 – comes on the heels of an acclaimed world premiere run at the Phoenix Theatre Company. The musical is based on the true story of Tony Valdovinos who on his 18th birthday tries to enlist in the Marines Corps, only to discover (unbeknownst to him) that he is an undocumented immigrant. The disruptive revelation ignites a fire in him to get politically involved to raise awareness of the plight of his fellow DREMERers’ and fight for their ultimate goal of becoming fully documented American citizens.

Although the issue-driven musical may come across as overly earnest and a tad too reminiscent of the Tony-winning In the Heights (in construction, cultural references, performance style, themes, etc.), there’s actually much to commend about the new musical. First and foremost in mind is Carrie Rodriguez’s varied and melodic score, which stands in its own – particularly as richly orchestrated by Sergio Mendoza – as a fine musical theater composition. The more-than-serviceable book (which is credited to the team of Michael Barnard, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Fernanda Santos) is efficiently and logically pieced together, even if the characters veer towards caricaturization and the plot unfolds predictably. Above all, ¡Americano!‘s heart is in the right place, and its inspiring pursuit to give context and voice to the struggles and aspirations of DREAMers is certainly a cause-worthy mission.

The current New York production has been handsomely and dynamically mounted by director Michael Barnard, as if perhaps eying an even larger platform. The accomplished production chugs along confidently, especially when it moves to Sergio Mejia’s exciting choreography. The cast is young and refreshingly eager, even if much of the supporting performances dig only skin-deep. In the central role of Tony, the charismatic and hard-working Sean Ewing has the makings of an excellent leading man. There are heavy shades of Lin-Manuel Miranda (but with a much better singing voice) and a touch of Raúl Esparza in his performance; both are appropriate molds for the role. As Tony’s love interest Ceci, Legna Cedilla possesses a feisty stage presence and a distinctive, electrifying voice.

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AMERICANO!
Off-Broadway, Musical
New World Stages
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through June 19