By Sofia Krusmark | Arizona Republic
Painful memories recently played out in front of Tony Valdovinos on a New York City stage. It was one of the first times he watched a portrayal of the moment he was rejected by the Marines at the same time he found out he wasn’t a United States citizen.
Valdovinos had needed to walk out of prior performances. This time was different. He was ready to face the show, however deep it cut into his reality over the past 10 years.
“¡Americano!,” an Arizona-born musical that tells Valdovino’s powerful story, was preparing for its off-Broadway run.
That performance was his first time watching the show in New York. It was also his last. “Too painful,” Valdovinos said but the significance of what was happening was beautiful.
“It’s a miracle we are here,” Valdovinos said.
‘¡Americano!’ opens off-Broadway May 1
On May 1, “¡Americano!” begins its run at New World Stages in New York City. The theater has 499 seats, one short of the 500-seats required to be a Broadway theater.
