Latin History for Morons

John Leguizamo is a great actor and it is even more apparent in "Latin History for Morons" as he tackles centuries of Latin history. He finds ways of making each individual person he talks about stand out in a unique way.

Leguizamo is also not afraid to make a fool of himself. He is absolutely hilarious from beginning to end, although not if you're a Conservative, white male and proud Trump supporter. (And really I don't care if Leguizamo hurts your feelings :P)

Leguizamo covers the history of all the indigenous peoples of all the Latin countries as well as the state of being Latin in the modern world. He provides interesting facts (and their sources) as he tries to get his son excited for his roots.

The premise of the show is that his 8th grade son has been bullied by another classmate who has called him a "beaner". The bullying, as well as a school project, inspire Leguizamo to research Latin history in order to provide his son with a sense of self pride.

Leguizamo transitions smoothly from the historical figures to the present day where he plays himself and each member of his family.

The set is simple, but provides everything Leguizamo needs to teach his son and the audience all about the rich history of the Latin community.

Leguizamo takes his role as educator seriously, though he is also not afraid to have fun. There are many dance breaks in the show that, of course, tie into different jokes within this history lesson..

The portions in which Leguizamo deal with his family are also heartwarming. He is the goofy husband to his ever patient wife. His daughter is oddly aware of the things going on around her and offers poignant advice at the most unexpected moments. His son struggles to find his identity as all the historical figures his father mentions are flawed in some shape, way or form.

There were some facts presented by Leguizamo that are common knowledge (although we'll see how long that lasts with the way some textbooks are being written). There are a lot of facts though, that I was not aware of. They filled me with great pride and sadness all the same. My people have done wonderful things, but we have not been acknowledged for these things. These are things that might bring more respect to our community, though that might be wishful thinking.

The final point of the show is driven home by the completion of his son's project. It is a satisfying and beautiful ending.

Leguizamo is angry and I understand his anger. I am tired of being ignored. I am tired of being told that my people, and our Latin brothers and sisters, are nothing. That we have done nothing. That we are a smudge that the United States cannot erase. Leguizamo points this out as he tells us of an incident he experienced while in Texas. Texas will always be my home, but that does not mean I don't know about the prejudice and racism that lives in my home state.

This show may not speak to everyone, but it spoke to me and I know it will speak to those who feel as ignored as I do. While the show is full of serious topics, it never feels like a downer as Leguizamo keeps the laughs coming. He does know when to transition to serious moments when a point needs to be driven home which is also nice.

What is nice as well is that this is not the show that premiered a few months back. As in Leguizamo finds ways to add current events into his show. There were jokes told the night we went that could not have been part of the original script as the events mentioned hadn't happened yet. This adds to the humor.

The show is funny although the events Leguizamo talks about are not. The humor keeps the show from being too heavy. It is sad that even in 2018 accomplished Latinos can feel like they are treated like second class citizens, but if we remember our history and the things we have accomplished we can have pride in the beauty that is us.

The Disaster Artist (2017)

My first encounter with "The Room" came from a Nostalgia Critic review. I laughed because the review was funny, but the clips from the itself were unbelievably bad. I did not think something that bad could exist and yet there it was. I found the full movie on YouTube and of course had to watch it. Yes it is one of the worst things ever put on film.

"The Disaster Artist" is directed by and stars James Franco as Tommy Wiseau, the man behind the worst film ever made. The film is of course, hilarious, but touching all the same. You have to admire someone who believes in their project so much regardless of what the rest of the world thinks.

The film focuses on the friendship between Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sister (Dave Franco). James Franco made the right choice in casting his younger brother in the role of Wiseau's best friend as they have undeniable chemistry. The two play off of each other well making the film that much more enjoyable.

Greg and Tommy meet in 1998 in an acting class. Greg is wowed by Wiseau's fearlessness in making a choice and committing to it no matter how odd it may seem to everyone else. Melanie Griffith plays the acting teacher and keep your eyes peeled as there are many more cameos where that came from.

James Franco is great as Tommy Wiseau. He embraces the character whole heartedly. After watching this film, Tommy is not someone I would like to work for (or with), but you can understand for the most part why he does the things he does.

Greg become good friends and eventually roommates with the only condition of their friendship being that Greg never talk about Tommy to anyone else.

After their move to LA brings about more rejections and disappointments, Tommy decides to make his own film. Tommy's film follows the all-American hero Johnny (played by Wiseau) as he discovers that his girlfriend Lisa (played in "The Disaster Artist" by Ari Graynor) has cheated on him and unintentional hilarity ensues.

Wiseau spends millions on the film's production while cast and crew of the film are bewildered by the man they are working with. When the film premieres the audience is at first shocked, then taken by fits of laughter by what they see on the screen. The film itself has garnered a cult following and repeatedly sells out midnight showings around the world. If there is something we can all learn from Wiseau it is to follow your dreams no matter what.

Before the credits start rolling audiences are treated to side by side comparisons of the original scenes from "The Room" with ones filmed for "The Disaster Artist". They are almost perfect mirror images of each other and speaks to the dedication of everyone involved in this film. Alls well that ends well as Tommy Wiseau himself has a cameo in the film. Definitely check out the original "The Room" as it is something you have to see to believe and watch "The Disaster Artist". Although you don't need to see "The Room" to appreciate "The Disaster Artist", it makes it all the more better.

Who's Holiday!

Cindy Lou Who is all grown up in this raunchy romp by Matthew Lombardo. The last time we saw Cindy Lou she was two, wearing a onesie and watching the Grinch steal her family's Christmas tree. Now she's middle aged and living quite an unexpected life.

Cindy Lou Who is now a middle aged woman living on a trailer on Mt. Crumpit.

If you have read "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" then you know Mt. Crumpit is where the Grinch used to live. Here he is nowhere in sight, but Cindy Lou Who is here to tell the audience what happened to him (and to her) in the years since the events in the book took place.

Once Cindy Lou turned eighteen she and the Grinch got together. This is completely unexpected, and slightly uncomfortable especially the way it is written.

The show is 75 minutes long and Cindy Lou Who just out of jail has a lot to tell the audience and Lesli Margherita in the role of Cindy Lou Who handles it incredibly well.

Margherita has to carry the entire show on her shoulders, but she is absolutely brilliant. She is hilarious and riffs off of the audience really well. When the show does have serious moments she transitions easily and pulls at the heartstrings. She also sings and raps and does both greatly.

The show is directed by Carl Andress and he does a great job of balancing the comedic with the dramatic while keeping the spirit of Christmas.

It took a while for me to get fully invested in the show as the beginning is not really my kind of humor, but once the Grinch was out of the picture I was interested in Cindy Lou Who's story and was drawn into the life she was now leading.

Cruel Intentions: The Musical

I went into this production blind. I have heard of the film, but have never seen it as it came out when I was at an age where I would not be allowed to watch such a thing. As I grew up it was not a film I was determined to watch. All I knew was that this was a scandalous film (at least in the eyes of my family).

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this received the musical treatment as everything these days seems to be turned into a musical, still I was unsure of how I felt about its existence.

The musical was adapted for the stage by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin (also in the role of director), and Roger Kumble (the film's director). It is currently playing at Le Poisson Rouge which is not a traditional theatre space by any means. There are minimal props and set pieces and the band rocks out onstage visible to the audience as the cast sings different 90s hits to tell the story.

Having never seen the film, I can only go off the musical which at times felt rushed causing different plot points to come across as convoluted.

The story follows step siblings Kathryn Merteuil (Lauren Zakrin) and Sebastian Valmont (Constantine Rousouli) as they play mind games with each other. Everything changes when Sebastian falls for Annette Hargrove (Carrie St. Louis).

Most of the time the transitions into the musical numbers felt clunky, but the actual performances were great.

The stand out performances of the night came from Alex Boniello (Blaine) and Jessie Shelton (Cecile).

Anytime these two were onstage you knew you were in for a laugh. The musical numbers between Blaine and Greg (Brian Muller) were also incredibly hilarious.

"Cruel Intentions: The Musical" was fun while the musical numbers were occurring. When they were not, things felt rushed and not fully fleshed out.

Coco (2017)

Sorry for the long hiatus. Moving to New York has got me adjusting to everything. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things as I have a lot to review. Starting with Pixar's Coco!

Coco follows Miguel an aspiring musician. Music is banned in his family as his great great grandfather abandoned his family to pursue a music career.


Coco is the name of Miguel's great grandma. She is the child affected by the sudden departure of her father. Miguel's family loves and cares for him, but a music career is out of the question. Miguel finds solace in Ernesto de la Cruz. He is the most famous person to come from Miguel's village. His music speaks to the people of Mexico and especially to Miguel.

De la Cruz's motto is "Seize the Day" and Miguel decides to do just that during Dia de Muertos. There is a talent competition that he wants to participate in, but his family insists he stay home. Miguel defies their wishes and in need of a guitar, runs to the de la Cruz's mausoleum to borrow his. It is here that Miguel finds himself in the realm of the dead.

The film is gorgeous. It is spectacular to watch. There are plenty of small details to immerse yourself in.

This film is definitely a tear jerker. When Miguel sings his rendition of de la Cruz's most famous hit "Remember Me", Orlando and I lost it.

The beauty of seeing my culture portrayed on screen was also emotional. Pixar got it right on so may levels.

I have nothing to say except: watch Coco.

The Big Sick (2017)

The Big Sick is written by Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon and tells the story of how they met and fell in love. Their love story takes an unexpected turn when Emily (Zoe Kazan) ends up in the hospital in a medically induced coma as doctors try to figure out what is making her deathly ill.

The Big Sick has many wonderful aspects to it. As the screenwriters are telling their story, this film feels genuine. Yes, it is a romantic comedy and the formula remains true, but the personal aspect is what makes it stick out from other romantic comedies. Kumail and Emily endured cultural differences that they had to fight through. These very differences almost tore them apart, but it is nice to see them realize what truly matters. During the end credits, audiences are treated to pictures of Kumail and the "real Emily" which continues to add to the genuineness of the film.

It is interesting to get a glimpse into the struggles that Emily and Kumail went through as they began dating. At first, neither is truly interested in a relationship. They casually hookup, but the more time they spend together, the more they fall for each other. They become a couple and things are great at first, but their cultural differences begin to drive them apart. Emily's parents Terry (Ray Romano) and Beth (Holly Hunter) are okay with their daughter dating a muslim. Kumail's parents however want nothing more than for their son to marry a Pakistani woman.

For the majority of the film Emily is in a coma. She is admitted into the hospital shortly after she and Kumail break up as he reveals he can not be with her forever due to his family's beliefs. While she is in a coma, Kumail is able to realize what matters most to him. He also meets her parents and forms a good relationship with them.

Kumail Nanjiani does a good job, but of course he is essentially playing himself. He's charming and witty, but it is otherwise hard to measure this performance. Zoe Kazan plays her part well. She is sweet and in the more difficult moments you are able to see her struggle when making decisions. She and Nanjiani have great chemistry and play off of each other smoothly. Holly Hunter and Ray Romano also have great chemistry as Emily's parents. They are vulnerable, but funny.

The Big Sick is funny. It is also smart. Many times romantic comedies are dumbed down with the romance not being something you can root for and the comedy not being funny. More romantic comedies should be like this one. It is definitely worth checking out.

Elliot, a Soldier's Fugue by Quiara Algeria Hudes

Quiara Alegría Hudes is a poetic playwright. She has a way of capturing the beauty of the language even when the situations her characters are faced with are not happy. I just finished her play "Yemaya's Belly" and will have a review on that soon. First up is "Elliot, a Soldier's Fugue".

A fugue is a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts. This play is very much that. The play follows three generations of soldiers. It is absolute beauty. The play is fourteen scenes which are very short and make up the different aspects of the fugue.

We are introduced to Elliot. He is 18 and fighting in the Iraq war. He believes in what he is doing. The other characters in the play are his grandfather, father, and mother and they help narrate his story. His story intertwines with that of his family as their experiences in war are the same as his. The scenes layered and at times chaotic. The four characters create beautiful music without ever singing a note. They come together to tell their mutual stories and it is beautiful.

A prelude is an introductory piece of music, most commonly an orchestral opening to an act of an opera, the first movement of a suite, or a piece preceding a fugue. There are preludes within the fugue. In these moments we truly learn who the characters are. The main means of doing this is through the letters they write home. Grandpa, Pop, and Elliot all experience the same things in the war. They don't understand everything. They realize fighting in a war isn't everything they thought it would be. They try to fight the negative feelings taking them over. It is a lifelong struggle.

"Elliot, a Soldier's Fugue" is a play I would love to see live. I am also looking forward to reading more of Hudes' plays.