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June 30, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels June 3, 2004 '4 Guys Named Jose' By Richard Moeschl It's summer in Ashland. That means hot days, cool nights and ... salsa. Salsa? Yep. That's what Oregon Cabaret Theatre will be serving up when it opens its new show "4 Guys Named Jos� .. and una mujer named Maria." Billed as a musical fiesta, the show opens Friday, June 11 with previews June 9 and 10, and runs until Sept. 5. Shows are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Monday at the Cabaret, First and Hargadine streets. There are no shows on Tuesdays and no matinees. "4 Guys Named Jos� .. and una mujer named Maria" is a tribute to the music and spirit of Latin America. Dolores Prida and David Coffman created the show with musical arrangements by Oscar Hernandez. It premiered in New York City and went on to successful productions in Miami and other cities. Oregon Cabaret's artistic director Jim Giancarlo is directing and choreographing the Ashland show, with musical direction by Eric Nordin. Set and lighting design are by Craig Hudson, costume design is by Kerri Lea Robbins. Sound design is by Frank Sullivan and Kathleen Mahoney is the stage manager. A thin plot serves as backdrop for some fantastic music. Four guys of Latino heritage (Cuban, Mexican, Dominican and Puerto Rican) find themselves living in Nebraska, of all places. Homesick for their cultural roots, they begin getting together to sing their favorite songs. One thing leads to another and they decide to put on a show, with the added attraction of a Latina college student named Maria. The cast has personally experienced the feelings of both connection and separation from their heritage in their own lives. They were all born in the United States in families that have their roots in Latin America. Jimmy L. Garcia (Jos� Boriqua) has appeared at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Artattack. "It's easy to tie into being an American of Latin descent," Garcia said. "I was practicing a song from the show in my mom's house in Idaho. She started singing along. This is what I want audiences to experience - 'Oh, I know that song.'" A theme that runs through the play is the fact that Latin music has always been here in the United States, particularly from the 1940s to today. "The rhythm is really important in the show," Garcia emphasizes. "Let it move you. No matter where you're from, you feel that rhythm. You don't even have to be Latin." Jason Winfield (Jos� Dominicano) says the show helps him appreciate the music, especially since he didn't grow up with it. "I'm getting exposure to a culture I haven't had as much exposure to as I would have liked," he said. "I read things in the paper now that are related to the Latin culture and they mean more." Winfield describes the music as very poetic. "It loses a lot of the lyricism it had in Spanish when you translate it," Winfield said. "But even if you can't understand the lyrics, you can understand what's trying to come across. Hopefully that's what we'll do in the performance - ease people into the mix of Spanish and English." The show mixes the two languages, Giancarlo pointed out, describing it as a comfortable fit. He has assembled a band with Nordin on piano, Jim Malachi on drums and Patrice Sheahan on Latin percussion. Jenn Roman (Maria) is grateful to be in a show other than "West Side Story" that features her Latin heritage. "It's the first time I've done a show with music I grew up with and heard my grandparents sing," Roman said. She remembers hearing records of Latin music greats such as Tito Puente and Celia Cruz. "It's important to remember that time and move forward to a new generation and celebrate the old in a positive way. I feel the show does do that." Mark Enea (Jos� Cubano) recalls singing a song from the show and hearing someone remark, "That's such an old song." He feels that audience members of the older generations will know the songs, many of which are new for him. Enea grew up hearing Spanish spoken but not speaking it himself. "I've been around the culture with my mom and aunt. It's in me," Enea said. Graciano Nunez (Jos� Mexicano) grew up in Texas in a home where his family spoke Spanish. The major musical influence in his life was Selena. "Listening to her got me dancing," Nunez said. He remembers attending festive parties with hired bands. The music and dancing that form the Cabaret show have got him thinking, "I can see taking this to where I grew up," Nunez said wistfully. "I come from a big family. If only my family came to see me, I could fill the place." Giancarlo is happy to bring this show to Ashland. "This is a country of immigrants unless you're Native American," Giancarlo said. "The characters in the play are saying, 'We're Americans of today, but we have this culture lined up behind us and we want to connect with both.'" Giancarlo wants the show to be something the Hispanic culture will say "thank you" for, and that others will enjoy too. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams