"Ironically, the show is most engaging when its characters are doing everyday, all-American things like prepping for a picnic or dancing in a high school gym—which runs against the message the show tries so passionately to convey. '¡Americano!' wants us to take its immigrant characters’ real problems seriously, but the more serious they become, the less real they seem. "
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"Tony’s powerful story of immigration and aspirations to become a Marine alone elicits necessary conversation. On stage '¡Americano!' feels like a trial run for a show still in development. But even with numerous storylines, the making of a dance-heavy, vocally moving story of one person’s dream as a Dreamer deserves to be told."
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"'¡Americano!' proves to be a delight. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't pretend to. It's just a good old-fashioned musical about a promise America really ought to keep already."
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It's inherently the stuff of drama and, told straightforwardly or in documentary theatre form, it might have much to add to the national conversation about our mixed-up immigration policies. But ¡Americano!'s creators have gone the populist route, leaving no musical theatre cliché unemployed. Sadly, their decision to adopt a conventional, old-fashioned approach distracts from their timely message. Even when ¡Americano! becomes moving, as it does in the second act, it does so at the expense of reality. And even sympathetic audiences may be distressed by its obvious manipulations; those merely looking for an engaging show may be turned off altogether.
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"Is there such a thing as aggressive optimism? Because that is what came to mind while I was in the audience of '¡Americano!' ... in a whirlwind of bursting-at-the-seams plot, high-powered music and dance, and a message of grass-roots political activism."
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Tony Valdovinos who grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, was 18 before he found out that he was an undocumented immigrant. The new musical ¡Americano! is based on the true story of his life and challenges. Impassioned and spirited with an animated cast that seems to be living their roles rather than acting them, the show is a superior musical entertainment. Staged with vigor and energy by Michael Barnard, artistic director of The Phoenix Theatre Company where the show premiered in 2020, and choreographer Sergio Mejia, ¡Americano! is both poignant and entertaining, moving along with the speed of an express train with never a minute wasted in its urgent storytelling.
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"An ambitious work, full of energy and zesty music—with hats off to a cast that works hard and with intense commitment to deliver maximum impact. They’re a talented group, fully inhabiting the many characters they portray, a boon to a piece that’s very much hit or miss."
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"There is an unexpected twist in the story that I can’t reveal, and as I looked around, the entire audience was crying. The roaring applause at the end of the production proved those who wish to be inspired by a true story with a delightfully happy ending would want to see ¡Americano! The Musical before it moves on."
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