Portland Center Stage – Shows I've Seen

@showsiveseen Octavio Solis's "#Quixote Nuevo" amusing #play-w/-music by @seattlerep, @Portland Center Stage, & @South Coast Repertory starring Herbert Siguenza as #DonQuixote. Alluring portrayal of #dementia #hallucinations from the patient's perspective. Ernie González Jr. stole the show with his Sancho Panza comedic relief. Review: showsiveseen.com/7787 Director: Lisa Portes Music Director: Jesse J Sanchez #showsiveseen #theatre #Mexican #Chicano #puppetry #dementia #tejano #immigration #border ♬ Tijuana Nights (feat. iLL Nicky) – Bad Royale

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Octavio Solis’s Quixote Nuevo amusing play-w/-music by Seattle Rep, Portland Center Stage, & South Coast Repertory starring Herbert Siguenza as Don Quixote. Alluring portrayal of dementia hallucinations from the patient’s perspective. Ernie González Jr stole the show with his Sancho Panza comedic relief. #Mexican #Chicano #puppetry #dementia #tejano #immigration #border

Recommendation
See it, especially if you enjoy Chicano, Tejano, or Mexican culture. This play would also be up your alley if you liked the amusing nature of Between Two Knees and Peter and the Starcatcher.

Synopsis from the Theatre: Aging Cervantes professor Jose Quijano isn’t going down without a fight. When his family tries to move him to an assisted living facility, Jose escapes on his valiant tricycle steed in search of his long-lost love. Reality and fantasy blur in the Texas desert, as Jose dubs himself Don Quixote and embarks on a fantastic, death-defying journey to discover the truth of his past. Underscored by vibrant Tejano music, Quixote Nuevo is a humorous and heartfelt quest towards becoming the hero of your own story.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 1/24/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for my preview posts if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen.

Type: Musical-like Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) Set? Mostly yes

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You’d probably understand this play more if you’re already familiar with Chicano, Tejano, or Mexican expressions, language, and culture. It would have been harder for me to grasp if I didn’t grow up in San Antonio. There was a surprising amount of untranslated Spanish that the common Seattleite would have not understood. Additionally, it obviously helps if you’re also familiar with the classic Don Quixote story.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Mostly no, but this wasn’t a true musical. Occasionally, the performers played a guitar.

Equity Actors: 9

Total Number of Actors: 9

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium Speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours

Was there an intermission? Yes

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Maybe

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Elements of a Musical: This play occasionally exhibited elements of a musical similar to Peter and the Starcatcher. Raul Cardona even performed a minute of boot tap dancing! The few harmonies (especially the theme song) reminded me of national Broadway touring shows.
Puppetry: Even though I don’t typically enjoy stage puppetry, I could appreciate its effectiveness in this production. Just like in Wolf Play, life-sized puppets portrayed the child characters.
Death: For some reason, I’m drawn to death personifications in art like the movie Meet Joe Black or the musical Hadestown. Raul Cardona was well-cast as Papa Calaca (translated as “Father Skull”) who was a narrator-like guide (with a fit torso!) in this play.
Dementia Hallucinations: I was drawn to Don Quixote’s breaks of full-on hallucination throughout the show especially when the sound effects transformed the actors’ voices to the demonic. During these scenes, the actors danced in interesting costumes inspired by Día de Muertos, which isn’t something you see often on stage.
“I’m Telling You” Meme: I’m 75% sure they intentionally included a line referencing the “I’m Telling You” meme. If I’m correct, I’m so disappointed that the audience didn’t get it.

@bad_2the_bone_paranormal He’s not real 😱 #paranormal #flightattendant #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #airplane #pilot #passenger #passengerprincess #losingit #hesnotreal #flying #flyin #firstclass #firstclassflight #breakingnews ♬ original sound – Bad To The Bone Paranormal

Theatre Company: Seattle Rep in association with Portland Center Stage and South Coast Repertory

Venue: Bagley Wright Theater at Seattle Repertory Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 155 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: Medium to Expensive

Tickets: https://www.seattlerep.org/plays/202324-season/quixote-nuevo/

Ticket Affordability Options:

Theatre’s official pages about discounts and pay-what-you-can performances
TodayTix

Dates: January 19 to February 11, 2024

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: There are paid lots and paid street parking. I usually park on Mercer to the West of 1st Ave. There’s usually also plentiful street parking around Safeway. If there’s an event in Seattle Center or Climate Pledge Arena, street parking is usually limited and much more expensive.

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