HARTFORD (Conn.) — This was not a common evening at Connecticut’s capital theater. Even the pre-show announcement, which is usually stoic, drew cheers.
John Leguizamo exclaimed, “Whassup mi gente!” in a recording that thrilled the audience.
This was the scene before the Hartford Stage’s first preview of Leguizamo’s musical comedy “Kiss My Aztec!” The show will open June 10, and run until June 26, following its success on the West Coast.
“Kiss My Aztec!” is set in the 16th Century and tells the story about a group of Aztec warriors who led resistance to the Spanish conquistadores.
Leguizamo stated, “We have so many stories that we’ve had since 500 years in America and Latin America.” “Mythology and heroes. I want these stories to be told. So I picked the beginning of Latin man.
The show is exceptional by any standard. It features a musicalized Aztec ritual sacrifice, an appearance of a Walter Mercadoesque character, and a same-sex paso double — a traditional dance — under a sparkling disco ball. Picchu and Machu are two other wily puppets.
Tony Taccone and Leguizamo, the comedian, writer, and actor, co-wrote the show. It is intended to highlight the rich history of Latinos.
Leguizamo stated that it was musically like attending a party at his house. “The music includes cumbia, merengue and ranchera. We also have hip-hop and Funk.”
The show’s opening number features the cast singing, “The end of o’ good time, in most tropical climates, is white people aboard boats!” However, Leguizamo and David Kamp wrote in their program that they hope laughter can help people reach a point of mutual understanding and empathy.
They wrote, “If only people could relax and not be afraid about history.” “Once America admits its imperfections, you can join the fun — and you’re down with America.”
Leguizamo is not part of the show. He said that he has an “incredible voice”, but he cannot keep a melody or pitch.
After previous performances at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California and the La Jolla Playhouse, Hartford is now the third stop for “Kiss My Aztec!” The San Francisco Examiner called it “sassy and rollicking, take-no-prisoners entertainment, equal-opportunity entertainment,” while The San Diego Union-Tribune called the show “entertainingly rebellious”
Reviewers have compared “Kiss My Aztec!” with shows like “Spamalot,” the Book of Mormon, and TV’s “South Park.”
This Hartford production is being billed as a preBroadway experience. Leguizamo stated that the show’s ambitions were “that’s the plan.” “That’s Plan A and B and C.”
Leguizamo is a prolific actor on television, film, and stage. His Broadway shows include “Freak,” 1998, and “Ghetto Klown,” (2011). In 2018, he received a Tony Award for his solo show “Latin History For Morons,” which highlighted aspects of Latino history that are often overlooked and not known by many Americans, even Latinos.
Leguizamo stated that “we’re sorely lacking everywhere — our stories and our culture,” in a recent NBC News interview.
He pointed out that Hispanics make up nearly 20% of the population but are not represented on Broadway or in TV and film.
“Just the sheer amount of Latin talent available right now is so powerful. He said, “We are so gifted, but we don’t get the chance to express ourselves.”
Tony Taccone directs “Kiss My Aztec!” with Benjamin Velez music and Mayte Natalio choreography. It boasts a nearly all-Latino cast. This is a rare feat. Actors Equity Association, the union representing actors and performers in live theatre, reported that only 3.6% of contracts were awarded to Latino performers in 2020.
Krystina alabado, the actress who plays Colombina said that working on “Kiss My Aztec!” was “honestly like a complete nightmare.”
Alabado stated, “I have never felt more at home in a workplace environment.” “Being in a room filled with Latinx creators, it’s easy to feel the energy. Because this project is unique to us, we want the work done to be great. The show allows people to see us differently.
Alabado, who starred in “Mean Girls,” on Broadway, stated that she hopes the show will “maybe inspire another little girl like me to believe she can belong in theatre.”
In “Kiss My Aztec!,” Joel Perez plays a love interest for Alabado’s character. Perez has been a part of the show since its inception in 2014, when it was first performed in Pregones theatre in the Bronx.
It’s hard to describe the show. It’s like a historical revisionist musical farce. “Kiss My Aztec!” is its own thing. Perez stated that it’s a large comedy that is escapist and raunchy, as well as silly. “It’s a mixture of highbrow and lowerbrow. I hope it sets an example for theater [industry] that takes more risks with Latino stories.”
Melia Bensussen is the Hartford Stage’s artistic director. She has a personal connection to Leguizamo. She and Leguizamo were both active in bilingual street theatre together in the late 1980s to educate young Latinos on HIV prevention and AIDS.
Bensussen views Hartford Stage’s mission as connecting with the community.
She said, “We have a large Latino community here that hasn’t been represented on our stage or in our audience.” “I took this job to help expand Hartford Stage’s vision for the city.”
Bensussen, who was born in Mexico, said Hartford is 44% Latino.
She said, “This show is relevant to what our city theater requires in so many ways.” “The American theater is currently struggling in terms of identity and for who it works for.” … Theaters must be filled with people who are changing culture and cities.
The theater was filled with a Latino atmosphere before the show began. As guests ate chips, guacamole, and churros in the lobby area, a Latin jazz band entertained them. The auditorium was filled with Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom”, while others danced along the aisle to their seats.
Leguizamo stated that he hopes audiences see “Kiss My Aztec!” so they “know how amazing our [Latin] history and how talented and unstoppable we are.” I want Latinos walking out feeling 10 feet tall and untouchable.
Leguizamo believes that Latinos are “the most welcoming people on the globe” and wants everyone to enjoy his show.
He said, “I want everyone [there]” “We are stronger together. This is the theme of my play. This is the theme of all my life. This is my entire life’s mission.”
