DREAMer-Inspired Musical ¡Americano! Opens May 1 at Off-Broadway's New World Stages

Following a record-setting 2020 run at Arizona’s Phoenix Theater Company, ¡Americano!—the new musical based on the life of DREAMer Tony Valdovinos—officially opens at Off-Broadway's New World Stages May 1 following previews that began March 31.

The production was originally scheduled to open April 21, but that date was changed when the musical closed for a few performances due to a limited number of COVID-19 cases detected in the company. The limited run is scheduled through June 19.

Sean Ewing (West Side Story, The Visitor), who starred in the Arizona production, heads the cast as Valdovinos alongside Legna Cedillo, Yassmin Alers, Johanna Carlisle-Zepeda, Joseph Paul Cavazos, Lucas Coatney, Devin Cortez, Juan Luis Espinal, Justin Figueroa, Ruben Flores, Megan Elysa Fulmer, Henry Gendron, Anne-Lise Koyabe, Alessandro J. Lopez, Edgar Lopez, Carolina Miranda, Alex Paez, Ryan Reyes, Lannie Rubio, Nicole Paloma Sarro, Robbie Serrano, Maria Cristina Posada Slye, and Pablo Torres.

¡Americano! features a score by singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriguez, a book by Michael Barnard, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Fernanda Santos, and additional lyrics by Barnard and Rosenberg. Barnard also directs.

The new musical explores the life of Valdovinos, who was brought to America by his parents when he was two. Inspired by 9/11, on his 18th birthday Valdovinos walked into a Marine Corps recruitment office to enlist, only to discover his parents hadn’t told him he was an undocumented immigrant.

Developed in association with Amas Musical Theatre, ¡Americano! features choreography by Sergio Mejia, orchestrations and arrangements by Sergio Mendoza, music direction and vocal arrangements by Jonathan Ivie, scenic design by Robert Andrew Kovach, costume design by Adriana Diaz, lighting design by Jamie Roderick, sound design by Kevin Heard, and hair and make-up design by Krystal Balleza. Tony winner Ken Davenport is the executive consultant.

Producer Jason Rose said in an earlier statement, “Tony Valdovinos may not yet be an American citizen, but he is a true American hero. Tony’s passion to make a better America inspires at a moment when tribalism continues to dominate the headlines. Our incredible creative team has seen to it that Tony’s story sings, dances, and inspires with an optimism that reflects Tony’s spirit.”

The musical is co-produced by Sayu Bhojwani, David Tedesco, Lynn Londen, George Weisz, and Keith Mishkin. Ryan Duncan-Ayala, Donna Trinkoff, Amas Musical Theatre, and Sarah Bentley serve as associate producers with general management by Visceral Entertainment, production management by Tinc Productions, and advertising and marketing by The Pekoe Group. Chris Zaccardi is the production stage manager with casting by Michael Cassara.

¡Americano! was conceived and is presented by Rose's Quixote Productions in association with Chicanos Por La Causa.