Latiné Musical Theatre Lab's 4XLATINE: DOWNTOWN Returns This Monday

This Monday, August 14th, 2023, Latiné Musical Theatre Lab's 4xLatiné returns to Teatro LATEA and tickets are available now! 4xLatiné: Downtown represents the fourth 4xLatiné collaboration between the Latiné Musical Theatre Lab and Teatro Latea! 4xLatiné features four, fifteen minute excerpts of new-musicals-in-process, all written by Latiné lyricists, librettists, and composers.

These presentations are staged and sung for a live, in-person audience. 4xLatiné provides meaningful engagement between artists and audiences as the writers find the voice of their characters, music, and stories, while connecting new collaborators, supporters, and fans to these exciting Latiné artists and their new musicals. We're proud to introduce these new musicals and their respective creative teams chosen to be featured!

Ay! Ay! Ay! & the West Side Stories: A Puerto Rican Play is based on the life of Broadway actor-writer-director-educator-activist Julio Agustin Matos, Jr. It's a one-man show about Julio-but he's not in it. This meta-musical solo show stars three male and one female-identifying actor [...] each embodying divergent facets of the conceiver's career in the white-understood American Theatre and academia. Clashes, gnashes, humor, and regrets persist as the men navigate the woman-guided dilemma of "Should we or shouldn't we [do this Puerto Rican play]?". They confront their futures, past choices and current reputations - even their Latinidad. "It's hard to be a pioneer, especially when all you want is to be comfortable in your own skin. This super meta showbiz romp with music looks at Latinx representation through the lens of one man--embodied by three (and a woman)--at the hand of some Black chick he trusted (that's me). Just like us, a work in progress," - NewPlayExchange.org. Story & lyrics by Julio Agustin, book by Tracey Conyer Lee, and music by Andre Danek. Performances by Danny Borba, Jackson Siegel, Luis Villabon, and Amy Romero.

Favaloro: A Heart in Pieces, with book, music, and lyrics by Julián Mesri, is a musical journey about Argentine surgeon Rene Favaloro; a country doctor in the Pampas who went on to revolutionize heart bypass surgery at Cleveland Clinic, and his tragic downfall trying to save his foundation amidst Argentina's economic crisis. Performances by Felipe Barbosa Bombonato, Susan Oliveras, Isabella Araque, Lena Rodriguez, Danny Borba, and Daniel Arana.

"Canta Una Nueva Canción" welcomes you to an intimate gathering, a house concert that never was, hosted by Amparo Ochoa, "la mujer de la voz rebelde." Here, within the ethereal embrace of the unseen, five bastions of hope convene. Violeta Parra, Mercedes Sosa, Pablo Milanés, and Victor Jara, deceased luminaries of the Nueva Canción movement, come alive once more in this heartfelt production. With resolute voices, they breathe life into their protest songs that ignited a movement. Gathered around, they delve into discussions on music, identity, feminism, politics, and the vibrant tapestry of life across Latinoamérica. But what begins as an imagined meeting between departed friends becomes a call to action to a new generation of artists to fight even harder for the same rights they started fighting for decades ago. With book and arrangements by Fernanda Douglas, and music and lyrics by Victor Jara, Pablo Milanes, Amparo Ochoa, Violet Parra, Silvio Rodriguez, Daniel Viglietti and others, "Canta Una Nueva Canción" is a transcendent exploration that transcends time, intertwining the spirit of the past with the urgency of the now. Performances by Luana Psaros, Lina Sarrello, Ariana Valdes, Mario Hernandez, and Jorge Echeverria.

I Used to Love Her, with book, music, and lyrics by Janelle Lawrence, follows Jahné and eX as they navigate the complexities of milestones and transitions, while learning how to show up for each other and heal from their pasts. With eX's new promotion and impending transition, the two must ask themselves "can we promise to love and cherish till death does them part?" Performances by Erica Simone Barnett, Miguel Angel Vasquez, Jade Jones, Yan Carlos Diaz, and Bruce Jimenez.

Directing Ay! Ay! Ay! & the West Side Stories: A Puerto Rican Play is María Torres, while Favoloro: A Heart in Pieces, Canta Una Nueva Canción & I Used to Love Her will be directed by Jean Carlo Yunén A. All four pieces will be led by musical director Bruce de la Cruz and stage managed by Carolina Miranda.

MONDAY | AUGUST 14, 2023 at 5:30 PM

MONDAY | AUGUST 14, 2023 at 8:00 PM

TEATRO LATEA | 107 Suffolk St, New York, NY 10002

SEATING IS LIMITED, TICKETS ARE JUST $13! For TICKETS and more information CLICK HERE!

The Latiné Musical Theatre Lab, LLC is an organization that develops and advocates for new Latiné-written works of musical theatre in order to radically change who gets to tell musical stories on stages across the country. Our mission is to champion Latin musical theatre on a wide scale and increase equity for Latin artists in a field that hasn't always made space for them (while the Latiné population in the United States quickly approaches 20%, Latin artist representation on New York stages continues to sit around 3%.)

To learn more about the Lab, its mission, or to make a tax-deductible donation to help the Lab run its free programs for Latin writers, please visit www.latinemtlab.org.