ARENA: A House MUSC-al
Reviewed by Martίn Hernández
CASA 0101
Through July 17
RECOMMENDED
If you were in Los Angeles in the 70s and 80s, Circus was THE place to party. In 1975, Gene La Pietra and his Latino partner Ermilio “Ed” Lemos transformed a Hollywood warehouse into the hottest disco in L.A., open to all orientations but catering to gay Latinos, all in response to the racist treatment LGBT people of color like Lemos faced at many an L.A. gay bar. When La Pietra opened the Arena in 1990, a massive nightclub next to Circus, it became an even bigger mecca for L.A.’s queers of color and kicked L.A. history in its ass.
Playwright Abel Alvarado mined his own 1990s Arena experiences, conceiving a sprawling and slam-bang musical tribute to the venue and the era that defined it. His formulaic but love-filled tale of self-discovery is abetted with music by Benjamin Emory Larson, lyrics by musical director Gabrielle Maldonado, and additional songs by Daniel Sugimoto. The show boasts around thirty tunes – though they are only listed in the press material – and run from the forgettable to the enthralling. However, the ensemble has the vocal chops to bolster even the shakiest of the songs. Meld that with Tania Possick’s energetic choreography, Marco de Leon’s shimmering multi-level set, and Alejandro Parra’s hypnotic strobe lighting and it is like one is back in the Oz-like Arena scene. Get ready for a thumpy ride.
“One of the best things about being gay is you can pick your own tribe.” This shibboleth is imparted more than once to our protagonist, twenty-one-year-old Lucio Torrez (a solid-voiced and endearing Preston Gonzalez Valle.) The closeted music director at his father Adan’s (Milton David) evangelical Christian church, Lucio is busted by his mother Orfa (Amy Melendez) as he and his boyfriend are making out. As his boyfriend bails on him, Lucio is forced by his mom to attend a “pray the gay away” church group. There he is befriended by the out Jerry (Caleb Green) and his straight friend Suzen (Obinne Onyeador), who take Lucio under their wing and lead him to the Emerald City that is Arena (a rousing Arena Arrival Mix by the ensemble.)
Lucio meets other tribe members on his quest for self-acceptance. Ms. Martin (Luis Ceja), Arena’s resplendent resident drag queen, becomes Lucio’s flawed but stalwart mentor – her haunting rendition of Covered In Smoke, a lament about crystal meth, is a showstopper. Also in his corner are Johnny (Giancarlo Garritano), Jerry’s long-term, AIDS-stricken partner, and even his teenage sister Angelica (Chrissi Erickson), who backs her brother despite their parents’ rejection of him.
However, Alvarado mines so many songs, characters, and topics – Gay bashing, drug abuse, AIDS, family strife, transphobia – he gives short shrift to the issues he wants to highlight, even in the almost three-hour running time. It is a world premiere and with judicious editing Alvarado could tighten up an already dynamic piece. Director Rigo Tejeda has lots to juggle and manages the massive piece with finesse and deft timing with the comedic bits, of which there are many – Alvarado’s in-jokes — gay-, Latino-, and Oz-related — are gems. Tejeda crafts some bittersweet moments between parents and children, friends and lovers, which add realistic touches to relationships.
Sadly, La Pietra cashed in on the success wrought by his Latino LGBTQIA+ patrons with his 2015 sale of the Arena and Circus properties for $75 million, a fact Alvarado does not address, though he features La Pietra (Michael Beckart) as a sympathetic character. Despite efforts by LGBTQIA+ community activists to designate Circus as a historical-cultural landmark, a symbol of gay Latino history – an idea La Pietra dismissed – both clubs have been replaced by luxury condominiums that many of their previous clientele or their descendants probably can’t afford.
While Arena may be gone, many gay Latinos not only found their tribe but their identity there and the work of Alvarado and his cohorts can not only give a big bump to their memories but also a big lump in their throats.
NOTES: Mathew Noah portrays Ms. Martin on various perfs. This show is recommended for ages 17 and older.
CASA 0101, 2102 E. First Street, Boyle Heights; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm.; Sun., 4 pm.; through July 17. www.casa0101.org.
