Armando Arrocha Sings Canciones de Tennessee Williams
By: Sally Henry Fuller Aug. 23, 2015
Arrocha had his first professional theater debut on stage in "Les Misèrables." Afterwards, he participated in the Mexican edition of other Broadway shows such as "Fiddler on the Roof", "Beauty and the Beast" and "MAMMA MIA!." He has been on stage with great actors such as Jesús Ochoa, Susana Zabaleta and Marisol del Olmo.
Arrocha says he brings his soul to the stage to "win people's hearts with my voice, ignite the passion on the scene. Music, singing, acting, are conductors that set alight the spirit and give meaning to one's existence."
In Canciónes, Williams' words are spoken in English before, during, and after songs sung in Spanish. Conceived and directed by TW Festival Curator David Kaplan, the show combines some of the most beautiful words Williams wrote and the powerful Mexican music that was often an element in several of his plays.
Kaplan explained the significance of the Mexican songs heard in Williams plays: "Canciónes shows off the men in Williams' plays for whom passion is thwarted, submerged, and ultimately released by music. Jubilant or mournful, the Mexican music in Williams' plays reveal the emotion, often unsaid, of an onstage scene. "
Canciónes highlights include insinuating rancheros, romantic ballads, Cuban-inspired boleros, romantic ballads from Camino Real, the "Rumba Rumbero" from A Streetcar Named Desire and a mariachi song in English written for Anthony Quinn for The Red Devil Battery Sign.
"Broken-hearted in Provincetown after falling during the summer of 1940, Williams left for Mexico that August. In Acapulco, the music he heard, often on the street, connected to him in a deep way, beyond words. For decades he included such music in his stage directions," Kaplan explained "Often in plays by Williams, the English-speaking audience's understanding of what Williams says is reinforced powerfully by the audience's emotional response to these songs, echoing Williams' inspiration , beyond words."
Canciónes de Tennessee Williams replaces another Festival production that was previously announced, Tennessee Williams: Words and Music. Broadway star Alison Fraser was scheduled to reprise her performance in Words and Music, but her upcoming role in the premiere of First Daughter Suite at the Public Theater in New York conflicts with this year's Festival.
Attached is an image of Armand Arrocha About Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival:
The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival was founded in 2006 in the birthplace of American Modern Theater where Williams worked on many of his major plays during the 1940s. The TW Festival is the nation's largest performing arts festival dedicated to celebrating and expanding the understanding of America's great playwright. Theater artists from around the globe perform classic and cutting-edge productions to celebrate Williams' enduring influence in the 21st Century. The 10th anniversary Festival will take audiences from the stage to the bay to the beach presenting a wide range of Williams' creative journey from Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27, 2015. For more visit www.twptown.org and Facebook
The Festival is funded in part by the Provincetown Tourism Fund and Provincetown Cultural Council and presented by the Crown and Anchor.
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