Casting Announced for NYC Premiere of ¡AMERICANO!

¡Americano!, the new American musical based on the life of DREAMer and American hero Tony Valdovinos, has announced its cast. Sean Ewing (West Side Story and Amazing Grace on Broadway; The Visitor at The Public) portrays Valdovinos, leading a near-entirely Latino company including Legna Cedillo, Yassmin Alers, Johanna Carlisle-Zepeda, Joseph Paul Cavazos, Lucas Coatney, Devin Cortez, Juan Luis Espinal, Justin Figueroa, Ruben Flores, Megan Elysa Fulmer, Henry Gendron, Anne-Lise Koyabe, Alessandro J. Lopez, Edgar Lopez, Carolina Miranda, Alex Paez, Ryan Reyes, Lannie Rubio, Nicole Paloma Sarro, Robbie Serrano, Maria Cristina Posada Slye and Pablo Torres.

"Words cannot express what a complete honor it is to portray a true and inspiring leader like Tony Valdovinos," says Broadway veteran Sean Ewing, who portrays Valdovinos in ¡Americano! "The American theater is experiencing a reawakening, not just from the recent shutdown, but also in the stories that it is telling. Tony dedicates himself to shining a spotlight on an overlooked community and empowering Latinx voices. It was a privilege to get to know Tony and relay his story through the artistry of live theatre. I couldn't be more honored to continue the journey in bringing Tony's story to New York audiences with this incredibly talented, primarily Latinx company of artists."

Following an acclaimed and record-setting run at Arizona's Phoenix Theater Company, ¡Americano!, a new American musical comes to New York this spring in a 12-week limited engagement, March 31 - June 19, at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street.) Opening night is April 21 at 7PM. ¡Americano! features an original score by acclaimed singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriguez ("Lola," named as one of NPR's top 50 albums of the year), a book by Michael Barnard (Producing Artistic Director, Phoenix Theatre Company), Jonathan Rosenberg, and Fernanda Santos (award winning author, The Fire Line: The Story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots), and additional lyrics by Barnard and Rosenberg. Michael Barnard also serves as the director. ¡Americano! was conceived and is presented by Quixote Productions (Jason Rose, Lead Producer) in association with Chicanos Por La Causa (Executive Producer). Tickets are now on sale at Telecharge.com, (212) 239-6200.

¡Americano! is the true story - the life, the challenges, and the trials - of Tony Valdovinos, a DREAMer brought to America by his parents when he was two years old. Inspired by 9/11, on his 18th birthday Tony walked into a Marine Corps recruitment office to enlist, only to discover his parents hadn't told him he was an undocumented immigrant. But Tony did not give up on his dream to serve the only country he had ever known. Instead, he discovered alternatively powerful ways to serve and inspire by combating voter suppression and galvanizing a community to fight for representation in government. ¡Americano! casts a deeply human light on what it means to be a DREAMer, at a time when America's ongoing debates over immigration and disenfranchisement continue.

¡Americano! premiered at Arizona's The Phoenix Theatre Company in 2020. The Arizona Republic wrote "¡Americano! is a groundbreaking musical [that] sends you spiraling out of the theater with hope. A rare musical that can explain the political predicament of DREAMers [with] exquisite music and top-of-the-line dancers." Arizona Governor Doug Ducey called ¡Americano! "powerful and inspirational," while former Mayor of Phoenix and Congressman Greg Stanton said "I am so proud of this story and can't wait for it to help change America. ...An inspiring story [with] great music with an important message."

Tony Valdovinos, whose life story serves as the inspiration for ¡Americano!, also serves as a consulting producer. "I knew it was a big opportunity," says Valdovinos. "I was approached by these creative people who wanted to write a story of an immigrant. They had read an article about me. I met with them and I told them my whole life story. Imagine someone calling you out of the blue and then a year or so later, you hear 20 songs involving the most intimate details of your life? Here were these incredible artists investing their best talent in the depiction of some of my most personal challenges. But this journey is worth it to share the story of DREAMers and what their families are going through. And now, to see our story opening in New York, that's a dream that I had never even considered dreaming. I hope that ¡Americano! will inspire, unite and also put a smile on audiences faces."

¡Americano!, developed in association with Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer), features choreography by Sergio Mejia; orchestrations & arrangements by Sergio Mendoza (a member of the Grammy Award winning band Calexico); music direction & vocal arrangements by Jonathan Ivie; scenic design by Robert Andrew Kovach; costume design by Adriana Diaz; lighting design by Jamie Roderick; sound design by Kevin Heard; and hair & make-up design by Krystal Balleza. Two-time Tony Award winning producer Ken Davenport is Executive Consultant.

¡Americano! is co-produced by Sayu Bhojwani, David Tedesco, Lynn Londen, George Weisz and Keith Mishkin. Ryan Duncan-Ayala, Donna Trinkoff, Amas Musical Theatre and Sarah Bentley serve as Associate Producers. General management is by Visceral Entertainment; advertising and marketing is by The Pekoe Group; casting is by Michael Cassara, CSA.

The original ¡Americano! concept album is available on streaming sites including Amazon Music, Apple Music and Spotify. On the album, nine of the more than 20 songs from the musical are performed by ¡Americano! composer/lyricist Carrie Rodriguez, and the musical's orchestrator and arranger, Sergio Mendoza and his band Orkesta Mendoza.

"Tony Valdovinos may not yet be an American citizen, but he is a true American hero," says Conceiver and Producer Jason Rose, Quixote Productions. "Tony's passion to make a better America inspires at a moment when we need it most. Our incredible creative team has seen to it that Tony's story sings, dances and inspires with an optimism that reflects Tony's spirit. We could not be more thrilled to bring ¡Americano! to the New York stage following our record-breaking Phoenix run. This was always our goal since beginning this journey in Spring, 2015. It's a thrill to be here."

"We are particularly proud to partner with immigrant community leaders and activists, including co-producers Sayu Bhojwani and Chicanos Por La Causa, in presenting ¡Americano!," Associate Producer Ryan Duncan-Ayala says. "Sayu Bhojwani is truly an inspiration as a first generation immigrant to the U.S., the first Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs of NYC, and founder of South Asian Youth Action and New American Leaders. Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) is a trusted non-profit organization with a long history of advocating for education equity and political and economic empowerment. Both Sayu Bhojwani and CPLC are beacons for today's American immigrant community, and we are honored to collaborate with them in bringing Tony's story to light."

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