By Andrea Johnson
Bringing new and exciting theater to Salt Lake City, The Grand Theatre’s Perdida is a classic story with a new twist: Mesoamerican Magical Realism.
Local author, Kathleen Cahill, has joined talents with colleague, composer Deborah Wick La Puma to create a beautiful retelling of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. Cahill was in attendance last night, and I spoke with her briefly about the inspiration for the show. After attending a wedding in Mexico, Cahill was moved to honor the Latin culture she fell in love with. The subsequent literary marriage of the themes of Shakespeare’s jealousy and sexism blending with the Latin culture of machismo and magical spirits affecting actions became the basis for this lovely work.
I admit it, I’m in love with The Grand. When I saw Hairspray earlier in the year, and saw Perdida on the season schedule, I knew I wanted to see this show, whether I got to review it or not. My husband and I arrived early and immediately recognized this show was a little different. Instead of being seated in the large auditorium, Perdida was staged “Backstage at The Grand.” The patron seated in front of me exclaimed, “We are literally backstage, aren’t we? See? There is the proscenium above our heads.” A fan of intimate theater and the experience of being immersed in the action, I was not disappointed. Musical theater in close quarters is even more enjoyable, but not often possible as the cost of mounting a musical requires a larger audience. It felt extravagant to be a guest at the table of this visual and auditory feast.
The show begins with a small onstage group of musicians, led by Music Director Michael Leavitt introducing the musical themes of the show. Hubby and I remarked afterwards that the best mark of live musicians in musical theater is how they just blend into the scenery. The live percussion, violin and guitar were a beautiful addition, however, and the music was flawless and perfect.
As the lights come up, we are introduced to the entire company, led by the Spirit of Time, played passionately and powerfully by Olivia Custodio. Setting the scene during Dios de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday that honors the dead, Custodio’s Spirit sings us the story of the mother and father of Perdida, who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Perdida, their first child. They are joined in the celebration by a guest of the past nine months from a neighboring kingdom, and the servants of the household.
Perdida’s father, Don Leopoldo (Andrew Taula), is a powerful and passionate ruler, who rules his kingdom and household with a strong fist. Taula plays Leopoldo with a fiery passion and truly wears his heart on his sleeve. He sends his pregnant wife, Dona Gabriela (Nicol Razon) to compel his friend Don Arturo (Jared Lesa) to stay a while longer, even though Perdida’s imminent birth painfully reminds him of the recent loss of his own wife in childbirth. Lesa’s vocal presence is powerful; his voice is deep and beautiful, and he plays Arturo with strength and gentleness. Razon plays Dona Gabriela with a clean purity that is almost disarming. Her entreaties to Don Arturo to stay result in a tender change of heart, but unfortunately, lead her husband to wonder about their innocent exchange.
The Spirits (played by Cameron Analee Aragon, Amber Michelle Jones, Michelle Lynn Thompson, and Amy Ware) act on Leopoldo’s weaknesses, and he begins to question the timing of his friend’s arrival nine months earlier and the advent of his wife becoming pregnant soon after, even though she had not conceived ever before in their marriage. Aragon, Jones, Thompson, and Ware are omnipresent throughout the show. Their beautiful movement (expertly choreographed by Frida Moses) glance gracefully off the actors, and manipulate their actions, emotions, and decisions. They embody and invoke the mystical influence of the Magical Realism.
Despite assurances from Dona Gabriela, accusations of infidelity fly, and Don Arturo is called on to defend his honor with the sword. The two men fight, and a friendship is destroyed in the process. Leopoldo, in a fit of anger, banishes his now-laboring wife to the cellar to have her baby alone. Despite his insistence that the child will be a boy, Dona Gabriela and the maid, Carlota (Ellie Gallagher) are pleased to discover their intuition was correct; the child is a beautiful girl. Gallagher is exact and on-target with her portrayal of the “touched” maid who converses with the Spirits and sees their devious ways. Her vocal performance is flawless and powerful.
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Dona Gabriela names her child “Perdida,” which means “lost” in Spanish, in hopes of prompting her lost husband to find his way back to loving her and loving their child. When Leopoldo finally calls for her, she returns to him and presents their daughter, continuing to hope for a change of heart. Leopoldo is not swayed, however, and demands his manservant, Gonzalo (Jorge Luis Galez) take the child to the river and dispose of her. Galez plays the part of the beaten clown well. Galez’s accent is the thickest in the show, and it did take me a bit to understand him, but once I settled into it, I was able to enjoy his well-intentioned bumbling and erstwhile cowardice. Gonzalo tries to be obedient, recognizing that he is a very small person in the world he occupies, but cannot stomach the idea of leaving the child to die and takes her away with him.
The second act brings us forward 18 years in time, again during the time of Dios de los Muertos, and the 18th birthday of Perdida (Jillian Joy), being raised by her “father” Gonzalo as a servant in the house of Don Arturo. Rafael (Dayne Cade (Romero)), the son born to Don Arturo, is a precocious 18-year-old boy, arrogant and spoiled, and not a friend or a fan of his father. Don Arturo is not a fan of his son either, still holding anger over the loss of his wife, and lack of communication with his flighty teen. Rafael’s pursuit of the servant Perdida is not appreciated by Don Arturo, or Gonzalo for that fact, who is still not sure of Perdida’s parentage himself. Triado and Romero are delightful as young people discovering love. Triado’s voice is clear and beautiful, and her treatment of Perdida is honest and pure. Romero is playful and witty, and his voice matches Triado in clarity. Their interactions are engrossing. Their duets are delightful.
What follows, I leave you to discover. Trust me, it is powerful and beautiful. The message is forgiveness and love. How powerful are the act of forgiveness and the action of love? Can they overcome the mess made by angry men? Are they greater than death? On the Day of the Dead, what can the Spirits conjure? Whatever the answer, you will not regret its discovery. Perdida is a beautiful show, visually, musically, artistically, and thematically. Do not miss this precious moment. It is rare to have original works in Utah Theater.
On the ride home, my husband (whose mother is from the Mexican state of Michoacán) remarked that he wished his mother had still been here visiting so she could have seen this show. She would have loved it. We loved it. I am hoping to return with my children. Stage Director Emilio Casilla, states in his Director’s Note, “If a single Latino feels a single percentage more confident living their culture – be that language, or faith, or cuisine, or dress – then Perdida will have been a success.” Congratulations, Sir. Mission accomplished.
The Grand Theatre presents Perdida; books and lyrics by Kathleen Cahill, music by Deborah Wicks La Puma
The Grand Theatre, 1575 South State, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
October 12-28, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 7:30 PM; Saturday matinees 2:00 PM
Tickets: $20 adult/$17 seniors online, at the door, or grab the app (The Grand Theatre SLC)
Contact: 801-957-3322
The Grand Theatre Facebook Page
Perdida Facebook Event
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