Glenda
Frank
The
Phenomenon at “Mexodus” a two-person, live-looped, new musical There’s a lot of what sounds like hype about “Mexodus,” but it’s all true. It is high octane, high quality, poignant and funny. The combination of history and original music, “Mexodus” was probably inspired by “Hamilton,” but it is definitely next generation, not musical theatre although it’s theatre with 16 integrated songs, not audience participation although the audience is part of the process, not much of a story line although story is its thread. At its heart are two talented tricksters, writer-performers who touch dozens of emotions without even losing their sense of the absurd and tongue-in-cheek humor. Its energy is contagious and just when it threatens to dip a little, the writers introduce a new twist, in music and plot, that makes it soar. Warning: “Mexodus” is woke, but how else do you tell the story of the slave ( Nygel D. Robinson as Henry) who flees south of the border to find his freedom and the Mexican War army deserter who redeemed himself (Brian Quijada as Carlos) by saving Henry’s life. The title refers to an exodus to Mexico by 4000- 10,000 slaves (which abolished slavery in 1829 ).
Let’s start with the music: bass, piano, trumpet, guitar, drums, accordion and probably some instruments I’ve forgotten are placed around the stage. All are played, but as the musicians walk away to forward the storyline the musical bridge continues. It’s a live-loop, the performance is taped and replayed, which creates questions about sound recordings in performances and makes us wonder if it matters. It’s a wink. The music range from ballads and lots of rap to a little gospel and songs in Spanish. They all spring from the emotional narrative, which is somehow about both the 19th century and us, not know how to do something and having to teach ourselves fast, making friends with strangers, learning to trust, and struggling our way into new lives. Universal themes that feel universal.
The script is divided into key-word titles: King Cotton, Wade in the Water (Rio Grande), Herida (Wounded), the Flood, and Bounty Hunters, but what stand out are the small moments, the integration (“Todos estamos juntos en eso”) of two lives. Carlos carrying trays of food to the wounded Henry and being annoyed when Henry rings the bell summoning him. Henry, an experienced farmer, telling the despairing Carlos, a medic turned farmer, that the flood that ruined his crops is a blessing, bringing new nutrients to the soil Henry, bounty hunters on his trail, struggling to learn Spanish fast so that a free community up in the mountains will welcome him.
The stage effects too are integrated into the whole. The visuals by Mextly Couzin (lighting) and John Moreno (projections) bring us an interior world, somehow magnifying not just the faces and bodies of the performers but also their emotional states. The stage of the Minetta Lane Theatre is alive with visual and audio nuances, complements of the narrated stories and the sharp, witty direction by David Mendizábal. [GF]
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