Sesame Street’s Emilio Delgado leads cast in the inspired, contemporary reimagining of Don Quixote
“…a fast-paced, bilingual romp that’s funny and touching” – Stark Insider
HOUSTON – The Alley Theatre and Artistic Director Rob Melrose are proud to present the regional premiere of Quixote Nuevo written by Octavio Solis, directed by Austin, Texas-based KJ Sanchez, and starring Sesame Street’s Emilio Delgado. Set in a fictional modern-day Texas border town, Quixote Nuevo is an inspired reimagining of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Quixote Nuevo runs January 17 – February 9, 2020 in the Hubbard Theatre. Tickets are available at alleytheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at 713.220.5700.
In the play, Quixote and his sidekick embark on an adventure in search of long-lost love. Infused with imagination, Tejano music, and true Texas soul, Quixote Nuevo shows the challenges of living in this modern world all the while in pursuit of a lost dream. The play is a co-production with Hartford Stage and Huntington Theatre Company.
“I’m so excited to welcome this wonderful cast to the Alley. I grew up watching Emilo Delgado on Sesame Street, so it was a special thrill to meet him for the first time at the opening of Quixote Nuevo at Hartford Stage,” said Rob Melrose. “Delgado does a brilliant job of leading this beautiful play. I have worked with Juan Manuel Amador and Hugo E. Carbajal at my former theater, Cutting Ball, in San Francisco and of course it is wonderful to welcome back Texas natives Orlando Arriaga and Ivan Jasso. Lots of old friends in this fabulous cast! I couldn’t be more excited about this show!”
Playwright Octavio Solis’ work – which includes Mother Road, Hole in the Sky, Lydia, and The Ballad of Pancho and Lucy – has been produced by theatres across the country. Solis is the recipient of an NEA Playwriting Fellowship, the Kennedy Center’s Roger L. Stevens Award, the National Latino Playwriting Award, the 2018 Imagen Award for his consulting work on the animated Pixar film Coco, and the 2019 Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award from the William Inge Theatre Festival. He is also the author of Retablos: Stories of a Life Lived Along the Border, a memoir of his life growing up in El Paso, Texas.
Acclaimed playmaker KJ Sanchez has directed reimagined classics, new plays, and her own documentary plays Off-Broadway and at theatres across the country. She has directed works by Dan Dietz, Kyle Schmidt, Heather Raffo, José Rivera, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and Kristoffer Diaz. Sanchez is the founder and CEO of American Records, which is dedicated to “making theatre that chronicles our time.” She is director, co-author, and producer of the critically-acclaimed reEntry, a searing look at the lives of Marines preparing to return home from combat, which has toured extensively across the country and abroad.
Actor Emilio Delgado, who stars as Quixote/Quijano, portrayed beloved handyman Luis on “Sesame Street” from 1971 to 2015. In 1972, Delgado was cast to understudy Raúl Juliá in Two Gentleman of Verona on Broadway. Additional stage credits include productions with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Round House Theatre, and Manhattan Theatre Source. More recently, he portrayed Claudius in Hamlet and Prince of Cuba at the Asolo Repertory Theatre. Delgado was a recurring cast member on “The Lou Grant Show” and has guest starred on numerous popular television series, including “Hawaii 5-0,” “Quincy,” “Police Story,” “House of Cards,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” and “Law & Order: SVU.”
The Quixote Nuevo cast includes Juan Manuel Amador (Between Riverside and Crazy…, San Jose Stage Company; Oedipus El Rey, Magic Theatre) as Sancho Panza/Manny Diaz, Orlando Arriaga (72 Miles to Go…, Alley Theatre; Don Pedro De La Cebolla, Symphony Space) as Cardenio/Padre Perez, Hugo E. Carbajal (The River Bride, Arizona Theatre Company; Freedomland, San Francisco Mime Troupe) as Papa Calaca, Gisela Chípe (Indecent, Guthrie Theater; Water by the Spoonful, The Studio Theatre) as Dulcinea/ Dr. Campos, Gianna DiGregorio Rivera (The Importance of Being Earnest, Aurora Theatre Company; Arcadia, Shotgun Players) as Antonia/Ines/Calaca, Krystal Hernandez (Miss You Like Hell, American Repertory Theatre; Laughs in Spanish, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre) as Juana/Rosario, Ivan Jasso (Deferred Action, Dallas Theater Center; Office Hour, Circle Theatre) as Bruno/ Young Quijano/Yard Sale Guy/Calaca, and Mariela Lopez-Ponce (Hamlet, Apollinaire Theatre Company; Living Out, Lyric Stage Company) as Magdalena.
The creative team of Quixote Nuevo includes scenic design by Takeshi Kata, costume design by Rachel Anne Healy, lighting design by Brian J. Lilienthal, and music and sound design by David R. Molina and Eduardo Robledo. Jesse Sanchez serves as the Music Director, Ted Hewlett as the Fight Director, Rob Chikar as the Stage Manager, Robert Ramirez as the Vocal and Dialect Coach, and New York casting is by Alaine Alldaffer.
Performances of Quixote Nuevo are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: Tickets to Quixote Nuevo are now on sale and start at $30. Discounted tickets are available for military, seniors, and any student, regardless of age, with a valid student ID for designated performances. Tickets can be ordered online (alleytheatre.org) or by phone (713.220.5700).
PHOTOS: Click here for photos.
VIDEO: Click here for b-roll.
SPONSORS: The Alley Theatre is supported by the 2019-20 Season sponsor United Airlines, the official airline of the Alley Theatre.
ALLEY IN CONTEXT: The Alley Theatre will present a post-show discussion following the Saturday, January 25 show at 2:30 p.m. with members of the community discussing the themes of the play. Following the 7:30 p.m. performance on Tuesday, January 28, the cast will hold a post-show discussion.
DESIGNER TALK: On Sunday, January 19 at 1:30 p.m. before the matinee performance, a member of the artistic staff will lead a discussion with the production’s creative team to give audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the design process. These pre-show talks will offer audiences an exclusive opportunity to ask questions about the designer’s work and learn how they brought the script to life. Designer Talks will take place in the Texas Room.
ACTOUT: Join the hottest LGBTQ theatre event in town! ActOUT is in its eleventh season with a variety of events and productions that will once again have Houston’s LGBTQ community talking. Patrons enjoy fabulous pre-performance mixers with music, socializing, complimentary cocktails and appetizers. The place to see and be seen, ActOUT is sure to be a great night on the town.
The ActOUT event for Quixote Nuevo will be on Thursday, January 30. This pre-curtain event starts at 6:00 PM and is FREE with your ticket. To buy ActOUT tickets, required for this event, purchase online, or call the box office at 713.220.5700, then enter 1. For more information, please e-mail tinab@alleytheatre.org or call 713.315.3399.
LATINIDAD COMMUNITY NIGHT: The Alley Theatre will host a Latinidad Community Night on Friday, January 17.
CONNECT WITH US: #AlleyNuevo – @alleytheatre
ABOUT THE ALLEY THEATRE
The Alley Theatre, one of America’s leading nonprofit theatres, is a nationally recognized performing arts company led by Artistic Director Rob Melrose and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden. The Alley produces at least 16 plays each year in its newly renovated Theatre, ranging from the best current work, to re-invigorated classic plays, to new plays by contemporary writers. The Alley is home to a Resident Acting Company. In addition, the Alley engages theatre artists of every discipline – actors, designers, composers, playwrights – who work on individual productions throughout each season as visiting artists.
The 2015 renovation of the Alley’s Hubbard Theatre created a new 774-seat state-of-the-art performance venue. Matched with the newly rebuilt 296-seat Neuhaus Theatre, the Alley offers nearly 500 performances each season. The Alley Theatre reaches over 200,000 people each year through its performance and education programs. Its audience enrichment programs include pre-show and post-performance talks, events, and workshops for audience members of all ages.