Photo Flash: Get A First Look At John Leguizamo's Musical KISS MY AZTEC at Berkeley Rep
By: Alan Henry May. 31, 2019
BroadwayWorld has a first look at Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Kiss My Aztec! John Leguizamo teams up with Artistic Director Tony Taccone for this musical comedy, following their collaboration on the hit one-man show Latin History for Morons, which received its world premiere at Berkeley Rep before heading to Broadway. Leguizamo serves as co-writer and co-lyricist only for Kiss My Aztec! - 11 other talented actors will perform in this production. Check out photos below!
In addition to the book by Leguizamo and Taccone, the creative team includes Benjamin Velez (music, lyrics and arranger), David Kamp (lyrics), David Gardos (music supervisor), Simon Hale (orchestrator), Maija García (choreography), Clint Ramos (scenic and costume design), Alexander V. Nichols (lighting design), and Jessica Paz (sound design). Additional percussion arrangements by Wilson Torres. The musical is based on an original screenplay written by John Leguizamo and Stephen Chbosky. Casting for Kiss My Aztec! is provided by Tara Rubin Casting.
The fresh, irreverent musical comedy Kiss My Aztec! fuses salsa, Latin boogaloo, hip-hop, gospel, funk, merengue, and an inspired mash-up of Elizabethan dialect and modern slang to celebrate, elevate, and commemorate Latinx culture.
European conquest? Hell, no! It may be the 16th century in Spanish-occupied Mesoamerica, but these is woke. Led by the unlikely duo of Colombina (a fierce warrior) and Pepe (a not-so-fierce clown), they mount a scrappy resistance against their Spanish oppressors - and somehow get entangled in the dysfunctional dynamics of the Spanish viceroy's bickering family. Will our heroes get conquistadored by whitey or win the day?
Tickets can be purchased online at berkeleyrep.org or by phone at 510 647-2949 (Tue-Sun, noon-7pm).
(front) Joél Pérez (Pepe); (second row, l to r) Jesus E. Martenez (Ensemble), Yani Marin (Colombina), and Chad Carstarphen (El Jaguar Negro); (back row, l to r) Angelica Beliard (Ensemble) and Richard Henry Ruiz (Ensemble) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(front row, l to r) KC de la Cruz (Ensemble), Desiree Rodriguez (Ensemble), and Zachary Infante (Ensemble); (back row, l to r) Al Rodrigo (Ensemble), Angelica Beliard (Ensemble), Richard Henry Ruiz (Ensemble), and Jesús E. MartÃnez (Ensemble) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
Joél Pérez (Pepe) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
Yani Marin (Colombina) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(front) Yani Marin (Colombina); (back row, l to r) Angelica Beliard (Ensemble), Maria-Christina Oliveras (Ensemble), Jesús E. MartÃnez (Ensemble), and KC de la Cruz (Ensemble) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(front, l to r) Chad Carstarphen (Reymundo), Richard Henry Ruiz (Ensemble), and KC de la Cruz (Ensemble); (background, l to r) Desiree Rodriguez (Pilar) and Maria-Christina Oliveras (Tolima) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(front) Yani Marin (Colombina); (back row, l to r) Al Rodrigo (Ensemble), KC de la Cruz (Ensemble), Jesús E. MartÃnez (Ensemble), Desiree Rodriguez (Ensemble), Zachary Infante (Ensemble), and Richard Henry Ruiz (Ensemble) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(front, l to r) Joél Pérez (Pepe) with Yani Marin (Colombina); (back row, l to r) KC de la Cruz (Ensemble), Jesús E. MartÃnez (Ensemble), Desiree Rodriguez (Ensemble), Angelica Beliard (Ensemble), and Richard Henry Ruiz (Ensemble) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(l to r) Chad Carstarphen (Reymundo) and Zachary Infante (Fernando) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
Richard Henry Ruiz (Pierre Pierrot) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
Al Rodrigo (Rodrigo) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(l to r) Desiree Rodriguez (Pilar) and Maria-Christina Oliveras (Tolima) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(front, l to r) KC de la Cruz (Ensemble), Chad Carstarphen (El Jaguar Negro), and Angelica Beliard (Ensemble); (background, l to r) Al Rodrigo (Rodrigo) and Maria-Christina Oliveras (Tolima) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(front) Maria-Christina Oliveras (Tolima); (background) Al Rodrigo (Rodrigo) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
Desiree Rodriguez (Pilar) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(front, l to r) Chad Carstarphen (El Jaguar Negro), Jesús E. MartÃnez (Ensemble), Angelica Beliard (Ensemble), and Richard Henry Ruiz (Ensemble); (background) Maria-Christina Oliveras (Tolima) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(front) Zachary Infante (Sebastian); (back row, l to r) KC de la Cruz (Ensemble) and Angelica Beliard (Ensemble) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
(l to r) Angelica Beliard (Ensemble), Zachary Infante (Sebastian), Yani Marin (Colombina), Maria-Christina Oliveras (Tolima), Chad Carstarphen (El Jaguar Negro), Joél Pérez (Pepe), Jesús E. MartÃnez (Ensemble), Desiree Rodriguez (Pilar), KC de la Cruz (Ensemble), and Richard Henry Ruiz (Ensemble) in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec! at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Taccone.
Videos