Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly.
Liking it to Dorothy’s journey in L. Frank Baum’s “Wizard of Oz” and comparing some of the character to those in “OZ”, our heroine, 17 year old Reina (Vanessa Orozco) sacrifices everything including her newborn son, and her heartbroken mother, Julia (Crissy Guerrero with a beautiful voice) who will care for her son, and younger brother Adán (Luis Sherlinee), to follow the American Dream. (The Yellow Brick Road?)
From the emotional “Everyday Towns” to “Somewhere Over The Border” sung beautifully with a plea of hope by Reina and Company to “Beautiful Boy” to “Life In America” to “Border”, both humor and sorrow are blended side by side. The tone is set for us to see that the world is made up of everyday people yearning for a better life as Reina works the fields and waits on tables to make ends meet; barely.
Clocking in at over an hour + the first act follows Reina’s journey from El Salvador to Guatemala and Mexico, Tijuana and San Diego to Chicago, (it took her ten years to get citizenship) where she finally makes her home.
The four travel by bus to Tijuana. After Reina is successfully smuggled into San Diego by van she finally goes to La Jolla where her friend Antonia’s (Luzma Ortiz) daughter is living. Antonia befriended Reina back in El Salvador telling her what a wonderful and easy life her daughter has.
On the technical side Jordan Grays sounds design left much to be desired. Ryan Fallis lighting and smoke filled stage confused, unless he wanted to create a dreamy like atmosphere. Tanya Orellana’s scenic design while sparse looked almost cartoonish at some level. Janet Pitcher’s costumes fit the times and characters. Blake McCarty’s projections are shown through a smoke filled stage. Finally, Peter Hermann’s wigs and makeup are always above par.
Somewhere over the border, hopes hang high.
Somewhere over the rainbow, dreams really do come true.
Somewhere over the border, there is a better life for you.
Cygnet Theatre, in their new digs at Liberty Station, Arts district, is currently mounting Brian Quijada’s regional premiere “Somewhere Over The Border”.
Deftly directed and choreographed by Carlos Mendoza, it follows the dangerous journey, based on Quijada’s mother’s real life story: moving from El Salvador, during the 1978 civil war, to the United States.
Liking it to Dorothy’s journey in L. Frank Baum’s “Wizard of Oz” and comparing some of the character to those in “OZ”, our heroine, 17 year old Reina (Vanessa Orozco) sacrifices everything including her newborn son, and her heartbroken mother, Julia (Crissy Guerrero with a beautiful voice) who will care for her son, and younger brother Adán (Luis Sherlinee), to follow the American Dream. (The Yellow Brick Road?)
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| Crissy Guerrero and Vanessa Orozco |
From the emotional “Everyday Towns” to “Somewhere Over The Border” sung beautifully with a plea of hope by Reina and Company to “Beautiful Boy” to “Life In America” to “Border”, both humor and sorrow are blended side by side. The tone is set for us to see that the world is made up of everyday people yearning for a better life as Reina works the fields and waits on tables to make ends meet; barely.
 |
| (L to r) Luzma Ortiz, Edward Padilla, Luis Sherlinee and Vanessa Orozco |
Clocking in at over an hour + the first act follows Reina’s journey from El Salvador to Guatemala and Mexico, Tijuana and San Diego to Chicago, (it took her ten years to get citizenship) where she finally makes her home.
Along the way she meets three other sketchy and oft time humorous characters: Cruz (Luis Sherlinee), a banana farmer (the Scarecrow?), Silvano (Edward Padilla), a broken hotel owner whose family settled in Pittsburgh, as the Tinman and a nun, (Luzma Ortiz) the Cowardly Lion who always wanted to sing Rock ‘N Roll but chickened out.
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| Fernando Vega, Vanessa Orozco and Luis Sherlinee |
The four travel by bus to Tijuana. After Reina is successfully smuggled into San Diego by van she finally goes to La Jolla where her friend Antonia’s (Luzma Ortiz) daughter is living. Antonia befriended Reina back in El Salvador telling her what a wonderful and easy life her daughter has.
(Imagine what would happen to her in this climate???)
Quijada’s story is narrated by Fernando Vega (who also acts as the bus driver ). The show sports about twenty seven musical numbers backed up by five musicians with Danny Chavarin on Percussion, Martín Martiarena on Bass, Nikko Nobleza and Michael Reyes on Guitar, Music Direction, Conductor/Key -Board, Lyndon Pugeda. The musical styles incorporate traditional and modern Hispanic music, popular American music, and Broadway-style songs, hip hop, a la Lin Manuel.
The second Act, while shorter, doesn’t do justice to Act I. Meeting up with her long abandoned son Fernando (10 year old son Dhani Solorio) and what follows is far -fetched and needs some retooling.
On the technical side Jordan Grays sounds design left much to be desired. Ryan Fallis lighting and smoke filled stage confused, unless he wanted to create a dreamy like atmosphere. Tanya Orellana’s scenic design while sparse looked almost cartoonish at some level. Janet Pitcher’s costumes fit the times and characters. Blake McCarty’s projections are shown through a smoke filled stage. Finally, Peter Hermann’s wigs and makeup are always above par.
According to director Mendoza “You don’t leave your language behind. You don’t leave family behind or your culture behind because you want to. (This story) is a beautiful, courageous journey to build a better life.”
When: Showtimes 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Through March 15.
Where: Cygnet Theatre at The Joan, 2880 Roosevelt Road, Arts District Liberty Station, San Diego
Tickets: $44 and up.
Photo: Karli Cadel
Phone: 619-337-1525
Online: cygnettheatre.org
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