Student Blogger: Max Martinez

“The Song of Purple Summer”, the last song of the show, always felt more like a coda than a conclusion to me. But what does it mean? Is it a flower that only blooms in summer? Or what if spring represents the green and innocent childhood, and the purple summer is an analogy for adulthood?

For one of my friends, Nea is the definition of a new start. I first met Nea Somogyi in Costa Rica, almost six years ago. She was working on a production of Into the Woods with her classmates, and she asked me if I was interested in playing the Steward and Cinderella’s Father. I accepted without hesitation, and that musical changed my life.

Kanarie has one of the most iconic opening sequences I’ve ever witnessed. It starts with Johan wearing a wedding gown in the middle of the street, as he lip syncs Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy”, having a musical dream sequence until he’s interrupted by a reality check, when he’s informed he has to join the army.

'I've always wanted to be an actress,' Racks Nieto tells me. She's 6 hours ahead of me. She's in London and I'm in Costa Rica. But not even the Atlantic Ocean can get between our friendship. She remembers a documentary she watched recently, because a dancer is asked the same question. 'She thought it was a weird question because it was like asking her why she breathes. She just does it. And I know what she means. I feel the same way about acting. It's always been a part of me. I just do it.'

I waited months for this day, but I’m finally in Manhattan, wearing my lavender hoodie from Jordan Fisher’s official merch. It reads “Be My Friend” on my chest and there’s a small heart on one of the sleeves, the same place where Jordan has his heart-shaped tattoo. According to him, it means to “wear your heart on your sleeve”.

One of the songs from the project, 'Pura Vida', particularly caught my attention. It is about environmental preservation and nature. Pura Vida literally means 'pure life', but in Costa Rica it's like a motto; it's an expression used in almost every conversation. It means that everything is fine, but it can also mean thank you. When I first listened to the song I wondered if Jonathan Larson had ever been to Costa Rica. How did he come up with the phrase?

A couple of weeks ago, I was the stage manager of “The Golden Era”, a Tap Dance show directed by Carolina Guzmán, my tap teacher and mentor. The show managed to take the audience on a journey back in time, to a jazz club in the 40’s, with a live jazz band and tap dancers swinging along with the rhythm. Being part of this show was a big deal to me because tap is part of who I am.

Let me introduce myself first. My name’s Max, I’m from Costa Rica, and I haven’t been in a theater in almost 20 months. Until today. I got tickets to the 11 a.m. matinee of “Henrietta”, a new Costa Rican original musical, at the National Theatre.