El Teatro Campesino’s current show ties music and culture using
Mexican ballads
Music is a medium that unites, bringing together families who are related both by blood and by choice. A grandfather and granddaughter who barely know each other serve as vehicles for that message in El Teatro Campesino’s “Corridos!! Ballads of the Borderlands,” opening officially June 25 and running through July 30.
The show, a follow-up to 1987’s “Corridos! Tales of Passion and Revolution” and 2005’s “Corridos Remix,” is the largest show the San Juan Bautista-based company has done since “Zoot Suit” in 2003.
“Corridos!!” is a unique form of musical theater based on traditional Mexican ballads, joining mariachi music, theater and dance. The current production, however, is not a sequel to the 1987 or 2005 productions, but rather is a new exploration of more recent Mexican ballads, said Kinan Valdez, who directed and co-wrote “Corridos!!” along with Luis Valdez, who will return to the stage as El Maestro.
“We’re exploring what has happened to the ballad tradition in its contemporary context,” he said. “The show follows newer ballads, from the 1950s to more recent.”
In “Corridos!!,” a grandfather relays his musical heritage and legacy to his granddaughter, who he hardly knows. The show follows the night they share exchanging ballads that are significant to each of their lives. Along with the 10 cast members, the production includes a live, on-stage five-member band.
Preview nights for the show began June 16 and have sold well, Kinan Valdez said. The production holds universal appeal because it looks not only at Mexican ballads, but also immigration issues that are relevant to several countries and eras, such as China in the mid-19th century, Kinan Valdez said. The show’s content is appropriate for children and will appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes.
“Corridos Remix” was performed in San Diego in conjunction with the San Diego Repertory Theater. The current production, Kinan Valdez said, is geared specifically for this venue and the local audience.
“Forging family is central to the story. There’s something inherent to all of us being part of a larger human family,” Kinan Valdez said. “Sometimes people become blood by family, but most of the time it’s an act of will and choice, and they forge a new kind a family.”
Corridos!!
What: El Teatro Campesino’s “Corridos!! Ballads of the Borderlands”
When: Runs June 25-July 30. Show times are 8pm Thursday and Friday, 2pm and 8pm Saturday, and 2pm Sunday. The show is about two hours, including one intermission.
Where: 705 Fourth St., San Juan Bautista
Tickets: $20 for adults, $16 for students and seniors. $12 for children younger than 12
Info: (831) 623-2444 or www.elteatrocampesino.com
