His hope of being a marine died because he was undocumented. Now a “Dreamers” life is a musical that Phoenix Theatre Company aims to take to broadway.
By Kerry Lengel | Arizona Republic
OVERTURE: I DREAMED A DREAM
Move over, “Hamilton.” A revolutionary musical promises to break down barriers and give voice to hundreds of thousands of young people fighting to be heard: the undocumented immigrants known as “Dreamers.”
Based on a true story, “¡Americano!” opens Jan. 29 at Phoenix Theatre as the first step on the road to Broadway — at least if the would-be impresario who has invested nearly half a million dollars into the show has anything to say about it.
With no experience in the theater other than clapping at the curtain call, this first-time producer put together a diverse creative team and recruited a Broadway heavyweight (with the Tony hardware to prove it) to serve as chief strategist. There’s a concept album in the works, and there was even an ad on the jumbo screen in Times Square — right where the ball was set to drop on New Year’s Eve a few days later — to trumpet a Spanglish folk-rock musical opening 2,000 miles away:
“¡Americano! Because we’re all Dreamers.”
