More Than 60 Dreamers to Attend the Premiere of AMERICANO!

While the U.S. Supreme Court continues to debate the fate of DACA (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) some 60 DREAMers will be in the audience attending Wednesday's Opening Night Premier of ¡Americano! at The Phoenix Theatre Company on January 29th.

The participating DACA organizations include LUCHA Arizona, Aliento AZ, ASU CAMP, and Undocumented Students of ASU. Another 30 DREAMers from Camelback High School will also attend the second night's performance on Thursday, January 30th.

The DREAMers will be guests of The Phoenix Theatre Company as ¡Americano! is the first musical to depict the life of a DREAMer and is already being called one of the most timely and ambitious new works to come of Phoenix.

¡Americano! The Musical was inspired by real life story of Tony Valdovinos, the son of immigrants who only learns he's a DREAMer when he goes to enlist on his 18th birthday into the Marines. With his lifelong dream of serving in the military vanishing quickly, Tony must confront his family, his heritage, and a deeply divided country. Featuring a sumptuous original score of new music, ¡Americano! casts a profoundly human light on what it means to be a DREAMer.

Valley organizations who assist DACA recipients say they are thrilled the story of a DREAMer is finally coming to the stage and maybe even Broadway one day.

"Our mission at Aliento is to transform trauma into hope and action. Our hope is to reshape the image of who immigrants are and shine a light on the unheard voices of our society. That is why we are excited to be partnering with this incredible production. ¡Americano! helps amplify the stories of DREAMers out there in our community, in our country facing the similar challenges," said Reyna Montoya, founder and CEO of Aliento AZ.

Tony's story is just one of thousands of stories of DREAMers brought to America by their families at young ages. The creative team says the outpouring of support for the musical has gone far beyond Arizona's borders. Many across the country are already supporting the new work and it's poised to be one of the most important and impactful American theatrical works of 2020.

"¡Americano! is about what it means to be an American and we show that through Tony's story. ¡Americano! is also about DREAMers and their journeys as Americans. We hope the story inspires and brings more people together," said Americano! Co-writer and Director Michael Barnard.

¡Americano! is a collaboration between The Phoenix Theatre Company and Quixote Productions, which is owned by Scottsdale public relations executive Jason Rose. Tony Award Winning Producer Ken Davenport serves the Americano! team as Executive Producer.

Michael Barnard, The Phoenix Theatre Company's Artistic Director, is Co-Author, along with Jonathan Rosenberg, and Director of Americano!.

Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriguez composed the music for ¡Americano! The Austin, Texas-based artist appears to be the first Latina to compose a major American musical. Award-winning author and former New York Times bureau chief Fernanda Santos, choreographer Sergio Mejia and musical arranger Sergio Mendoza are also part of ¡Americano!'s creative team which includes a cast that is 85 percent Latino.

Tickets for ¡Americano! are still available for some shows at www.phoenixtheatre.com. Shows take place in the Company's 378-seat Mainstage Theatre, January 29 - February 23 with the World Premiere on January 31. Also visit AmericanoTheMusical.com for more information.

Music included in Americano! is now available on CD and on digital platforms.

CD's can be purchased here.

Spotify click here.

Pandora click here.

Amazon Music click here.

iHeart Radio click here.

i??Apple Music click here.

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