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On today’s episode, Matt Tamanini is in conversation with Sean Ewing who stars as real-life activist Tony Valdovinos in the new Off-Broadway musical “¡Americano!” beginning performances tonight at New World Stages.
In the conversation, Matt and Sean discuss the importance of the show’s timely message, the pressures of playing a real-life figure, and the value of Latinx creators telling this story.
“¡Americano!” is the true story – the life, the challenges, and the trials – of Tony Valdovinos, a DREAMer brought to America by his parents when he was two years old. Inspired by 9/11, on his 18th birthday Tony walked into a Marine Corps recruitment office to enlist, only to discover his parents hadn’t told him he was an undocumented immigrant.
But Tony did not give up on his dream to serve the only country he had ever known. Instead, he discovered alternatively powerful ways to serve and inspire by combating voter suppression and galvanizing a community to fight for representation in government. “¡Americano!” casts a deeply human light on what it means to be a DREAMer, at a time when America’s ongoing debates over immigration and disenfranchisement continue.
Purchase tickets to “¡Americano!” at AmericanoTheMusical.com.
Connect with Sean:
Instagram: @seanrewing
Connect with Matt:
[email protected]
Twitter: @BWWMatt
Instagram: @BWWMatt
For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the episode name.
