PR Parade Season in NYC

A mix of photos capturing Puerto Rican Parade season in NYC from portraits to the welcoming celebrations of Oscar Lopez Rivera at Hostos Community College and La Marqueta in East Harlem. Just click on A Mix of photos for more.

#prsun

@ the Loisaida Fest

Click to view more photos:
A Sunday in Loisaida

#prsun

Support FIVE SESSIONS The Play

Support Five Sessions the play. I am glad to be part of this play by Jaime Estades. Play opens this Friday, March 10, at the Julia de Burgos Theater in NYC's El Barrio and runs until March 26. Support independent theater.

FIVE SESSIONS: A War in Therapy tackles issues of race, political correctness, class and passion

"Five Sessions" follows a 24-year-old recent Ivy League graduate and therapist, and her first client, a blue-collar political activist. Dealing with tensions of race, political correctness, socioeconomic differences, and passion, the two characters explore each other's personal challenges. Her supervisor's demands and Wall Street boyfriend contribute to their struggles.

WHO: "Five Sessions" by playwright Jaime Estades, a lawyer, social worker, social policy professor at Rutgers University, and cofounder and president of the Latino Leadership Institute, Inc. Edward Torres, theater professor at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, is the director.

WHAT: "Five Sessions" will showcase uptown in East Harlem, which is home to three beautiful theaters that are underutilized despite their great potential. "Five Sessions" will play at The Julia de Burgos Performance & Arts Center, an artistic, cultural, educational and civic space. A goal with this original play, as well as future theatrical projects, is to tell diverse stories by local writers and artists and to share the innovative and exciting work being produced uptown. "Five Sessions" writer, Jaime Estades, is a longtime East Harlem resident and community leader.

WHEN: March 10 to March 26.

WHERE: Julia de Burgos Performance and Arts Center, 1680 Lexington Avenue. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/five-sessions-tickets-31832980301 and at the Julia de Burgos ticket window. Net profits will benefit the nonprofit Latino Leadership Institute, which cultivates leaders in politics, policy and community organizing.

#fivesessions

Update: Five Sessions had successful run in El Barrio with standing ovations and sold out shows. Thank you. Here are some scenes from the closing show with cast and crew members.

Scenes from the Free Oscar Lopez Rivera Christmas Concert, Bronx

PRSUN Project: Salsa in the Bronx with Tito Rojas

Salsa great Tito Rojas entertains a massive crowd at St. Mary's Park as part of Summer Stage on July 14.



To view more photos, go here.

PRSUN Project: PR Parade

One of my favorite times of the year in New York City is Puerto Rican Parade season. It is not just because of the parade. It is also because of the festivities that lead up to the parade. This year I attended such events as the Gracie Mansion reception that Mayor Bill di Blasio and NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito hosted, the parade's 152nd Street Festival in the Bronx, and the Abrazo Boricua reception at Maestro Caterers in the Bronx.



To view more photos, visit my PR Parade in NYC album: https://flic.kr/s/aHskxrbUoC

Pope Francis in Central Park, NYC, 2015

Check out PRSUN Project: National Puerto Rican Day Parade '15

For the last few years, Puerto Rico Sun has assembled a group of photographers to cover the National Puerto Rican Day Parade through their lens. We don't have any other agenda but showcasing select images of the parade as seen by the photographers on our PRSUN team.

Here is the link to our online photo gallery of this year's parade and related activities:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/prsunprproject15

More images to be added soon.

This year's PRSUN team: Ismael Nunez, Miriam Quin and yours truly.

Enjoy.

Rita Moreno, Lin-Manuel Miranda and More to Lead National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2015

Cultural Celebration on Fifth Avenue to also Honor
Afro-Boricua Heritage and the State of Connecticut

Special campaign to raise awareness about Environmental Justice
for Caño Martín Peña in San Juan


The National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NPRDP) today announced its line-up of honorees, themes, special events, and initiatives, for the upcoming celebration annual celebration along Fifth Avenue.


Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony-winning entertainer Rita Moreno, will serve as the Parade's Grand Marshal, leading up the massive Parade of approximately 20,000 marchers and 2 million spectators, on June 14th. Salsa superstar Victor Manuelle will serve at the Parade's King. Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, star and creator of the upcoming Broadway musical "Hamilton", will receive the "Nuestro Orgullo" (Our Pride) Award for his inspiring contribution to the American stage.

In a press conference held at the New York Regional Office of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA), Lorraine Cortés-Vásquez, President of NPRDP, joined the Parade's Board of Directors to announce the continuation of "Un Pueblo Muchas Voces" (One Community, Multiple Voices), as the Parade's overall theme. A special commemorative theme has been added, "Celebrating Afro-Boricua Heritage", meant to coincide with the designation of the next decade as the "International Decade for People of African Descent", by the United Nations.

As part of this celebration NPRDP 2015 will honor Kennedy-Center Honor recipient Martina Arroyo, Opera Legend and Founder of the Martina Arroyo Foundation, Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, Founder of the Caribbean Cultural Center and African Diaspora Institute, novelist and educator Mayra-Santos Febres, musician and composer Cucco Peña, painter Carmelo Sobrino, and bandleader, musician and composer Miguel Zenón. Posthumous tributes will honor historian, author and activist Arturo Schomberg, and pioneer choreographer, actress and activist, Sylvia del Villard.

Following last year's successful awareness campaigns focused on the legacy of poet Julia de Burgos (commemorating the centennial of her birth) and the Oscar López Rivera case (the civil and human rights case that has grabbed the attention of activists internationally), NPRDP will has launched a new campaign in 2015 focused on the environmental, social and economic crisis at Caño Martín Peña, a 3.75 mile-long canal located at the heart of San Juan's metropolitan area, home to 8communities with over 25,000 residents.

"Part of the Parade's mission is to raise awareness about important issues that affect Puerto Rican communities across the board", Cortés-Vásquez said. "The situation at Caño Martín Peña is very similar to the environmental justice struggles faced by Puerto Rican and Latino communities in the United States. Our goal is to educate everyone about what is going on, in an objective way".

As part of the awareness campaign, a delegation from G-8 and Proyecto ENLACE (two local advocacy organizations) will march on Fifth Avenue. A video about the ecological state of Caño will be shown at events leading up to the Parade, outreach will be conducted through NPRDP's social media, and a special segment dedicated to highlighting the importance of Caño and its surrounding communities, will be shown on NPRDP's television broadcast.

NPRDP's 2015 State dedication was granted to Connecticut, home of one of the largest Puerto Rican communities in the United States. The Hartford Metropolitan Area has the 8th highest Puerto Rican population in the nation, surpassing 106 thousand people, according to the last Census.

Other 2015 honorees announced today include:

Darlene Rodriguez (Ambassador)
Tito El Bambino (Ambassador)
Yan Ruiz (Ambassador)
Elise Drew Leon (Rising Star in Performing Arts)
Lilliana Vázquez (Rising Star in TV & Media)
Amanda Brown (Rising Star in Music)

NPRDP in conjunction with The New York State Coalition of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Ignacio Veloz, Chairman), will host it's first Puerto Rican / Hispanic Business Summit in New York City, on Friday, June 12th, 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, at the Bank of New York Mellon. The event seeks to promote business development and collaborations in both Puerto Rico and the United States, and includes workshops and panels.

In a press conference held last month in San Juan, NPRDP announced that the 2015 Puerto Rico township dedication will go to Añasco, a tourist attraction located west of San Juan. Other honorees announced in San Juan were:

Roselyn Sánchez (Parade Queen)
Andrés Jiménez (Godfather)
Ivy Queen (Godmother)
Ivonne Coll (Lifetime Achievement in TV & Film)
Alfonso Vélez Iturrín "El Fuá" (Lifetime Achivement in Music)
Raquel Sofía (Rising Star in Music)
Lynn Ponder (Rising Star in Social Media)
Luis Jiménez (Ambassador)
Katiria Soto (Ambassador)
Carmen Dominicci (Ambassador)

The only official NPRDP 2015 events are:

Education Leadership Awards - May 27th
152nd Street Festival in the Bronx - May 30th
Rising Stars Challenge - June 6th
Annual Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral - June 7th
Annual Gala of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade - June 12th
National Puerto Rican Day Parade (58th Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade of New York) - June 14th

The Parade will take place from 11am to 5pm on Fifth Avenue, from E. 44th to E. 77th Streets.

NPRDP 2015 sponsors include JetBlue, GOYA Foods, McDonald's Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, AT&T, Acacia Network, City University of New York, Healthfirst, Bronx Lebanon Hospital, Univision, NBC/Telemundo, Spanish Broadcasting System, Meredith Corporation and The New York Daily News.

Source: Content courtesy of The National Puerto Rican Day Parade

SummerStage to Celebrate its 30th Anniversary Season

SummerStage Celebrates 30th Anniversary Season Leaks 30 Artists Over 30 Days Culminating April 8th

The non-profit City Parks Foundation’s famed SummerStage performing arts festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary season this year.

To get fans pumped for the summer and to shake off a case of the late winter blues, SummerStage will leak the names of 30 artists performing at the citywide festival starting on March 9th. One artist will be announced daily over the course of 30 days, culminating in the full season announcement on April 8th. Artists will be broadcast via all three of SummerStage’s social media accounts, giving fans an interactive outlet to share their excitement for this season’s upcoming shows.

To stay up to date on the artists being announced, follow SummerStage via the below links and visit www.SummerStage.org for festival information.

PRSUN can't wait to find out the artists, especially the Latin music artists, who will entertain us this summer. Un verano en nueva york is certainly better with SummerStage, one of our favorite things to do in the summertime.

Memories of Puerto Rican Heritage Month '14

For Puerto Rican Heritage Month I attended a series of cultural and social events in New York, including Mayor Bill De Blasio and NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito's reception at Gracie Mansion, Mark-Viverito's celebration at the City Council Chambers, the Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.'s luncheon at Don Coqui in the Bronx, and a jibaro Mass in honor of Our Lady of Providence, patroness of Puerto Rico, at St. Luke's Church in the South Bronx. November is always a great Puerto Rican time in New York City. It ushers in the holiday season for sure.

(At the Puerto Rican celebration at City Council Chambers on Nov. 5, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito honored actress and TV personality Rosie Perez.)

Here is an album dedicated to Puerto Rican Heritage Month that I created with more photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel/sets/72157647098400453/




-- Clarisel

2014 National Puerto Rican Day Parade Will Honor Education, Arts And Culture

The revitalized organization announces schedule of events, dedications, partnerships, main office relocation and other important changes in preparation for landmark cultural celebration


The 19th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade (57th Puerto Rican Day Parade of New York) will take place on Sunday, June 8th at 11am on New York's Fifth Avenue. The event will be broadcast live on WNYW Fox 5. This year's parade will commemorate the centennial birthday of Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos, and will be dedicated to the soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as The Borinqueneers. The featured municipalities of this year's celebration will be the town of Guánica (63 miles southwest of San Juan, population 19,000), in commemoration of the centennial of its founding, and the city of Chicago, home to one of the largest Puerto Rican communities on the U.S. mainland.

Following a recent meeting of the organization's new and expanded Board, the Parade's organizers also announced the schedule of events leading up to the 2014 Parade:

Educational Leadership Banquet - Wednesday, May 21st
152nd Street Cultural Festival - Saturday, May 31st
Annual Parade Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral - Sunday, June 1st
Annual Gala at the Marriott Marquis - Friday, June 6th

"On Sunday, June 8th, all roads lead to New York City, for the largest celebration of Puerto Rican pride and culture in the world", said Orlando Plaza of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. "We'd like to thank New Yorkers, the people of Puerto Rico, and others from around the globe for their enthusiastic support in our mandate to keep this iconic tradition alive."

The board also announced these additional milestones for the success of the upcoming Parade:

Headquarters for the parade has relocated to 145 W. 15th Street, 7th Floor, in Manhattan, obtained in-kind. The Board voted unanimously to terminate the lease in The Bronx, so that the funds previously allocated for rent can be used for parade operations.

A new website was launched, providing the latest information on the 2014 Parade and related events. Visit www.NPRDPinc.org for regular updates and applications for parade participation.

The board also announced that advancing educational achievement is a priority, with 10% of all net proceeds from the parade going to a scholarship fund. The goal for 2014 is to award up to $30,000 in scholarships, up from $10,000 in previous years.

In response to a request to make participation in the Parade more accessible to more individuals and organizations in the community, parade application fees have been restructured, from $500 to a range of $50 to $500.

source: NPRDP

Julia and Me

"yo soy la vida, la fuerza, la mujer". ("I am life, and strength, and I am woman.") -- Julia de Burgos

(photo by Milagros Gonzalez)

PRSUN Photo Team's Eileen McNamee at the PR Day Parade

This was the second year Eileen McNamee covered the National Puerto Rican Day Parade as part of the PRSUN photo team.
Our team was working on a photo project to document the 2012 parade through the lens of a diverse team of photographers and photojournalists. This was the third year PRSUN curated an online group exhibit. All team members received official press passes from the National Puerto Rican Day Parade to cover the June 10 parade from their perspective for PRSUN.
Eileen is a science teacher. She says she has found creativity between the arts and sciences. Her photography is mostly from the Bronx where she lives. She especially enjoys concentrating on the nature and history of the Bronx. But from time to time, she likes to go out to document a colorful parade.
View Eileen's beautiful photos from the parade here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmcnamee/sets/72157630068897849/with/7359927392/

To view the PRSUN photo team's exhibit from this year's parade, go to
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nyprparade12.

Most of Eileen's photography and art work is at

http://emmcnamee.com

@ the PR Parade

Here is a slideshow of photos I took at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, one of the largest cultural celebrations in the city:



Enjoy.

From Menudo to Evita, Ricky Martin Shines

By Rita J. Egan

I was in the sixth grade when friends and I prepared a skit around the music of the Broadway play Evita. I'm not quite sure how we came up with the idea, but I do remember the commercials and how badly I wanted to go to New York City and see the play.
I never did get a chance to see the original, and grew up to be a teenager who was a huge fan of the group Menudo. Through the years, I also became a great admirer of Ricky Martin.

Imagine how excited I was when rumors began circulating in 2010 that Martin was up for the part of Che in the Broadway revival. I waited in anticipation for the day I would finally see Evita.
Finally on March 24, my friend Silvia and I had the opportunity to catch one of the preview performances. It was the matinee and unfortunately Elena Roger (Eva Peron) doesn't perform Saturday matinees, but the show was a good one just the same. The scenery was breathtaking, and the ensemble numbers were exhilarating.
Christina DeCicco did a nice job as Evita, but it was Rachel Potter, Juan Peron's mistress, who left me teary-eyed after she sang "Another Suitcase in Another Hall." There's sweetness in her voice that I'm sure will touch many theater-goers as well as leave many lasting impressions. Michael Cerveris’s portrayal of Peron was perfectly understated relaying the message of how this powerful man was overshadowed by his charismatic wife.
And then of course, there was Martin. The character Che serves as a narrator of the story as well as Eva Peron's conscience of sorts. Many times Che observes the scenes from the sidelines. You would think a star such as Martin would be a distraction, but somehow he moves seamlessly along the edges when needed. And when it's time for Che to take center stage, Martin moves gracefully from observer to star. It seems the role was made for him, incorporating his talents for singing and dancing. During the number "High Flying Adored," where he sings of Eva achieving success at such a young age, Martin seemed to easily relate to the lyrics.
Martin also cleverly delivers Che's lines. He seemed to handle them with an ease that had the audience catching the sarcasm and chuckling with him.
With it being a preview, it seemed that there were a few kinks that needed to be worked out, but I'm sure nothing that the talented actors haven't already handled. As for Martin’s fans, they have all of 2012 to catch their favorite performer shining on Broadway as Che.
Rita Egan is a contributing writer to PRSUN. A freelance writer, check out Rita's columns in the Smithtown Patch at http://smithtown.patch.com/search/articles?cat=1998198867&contributor=70720. Rita’s email is rje229@gmail.com.

Evita is playing on Broadway. For more information, visit http://evitaonbroadway.com.

(Photo of Rita Egan posing in front of the poster of Ricky Martin (Che) outside the Marquis Theatre.)

Puerto Rican Culinary Arts

Featured community event

Do you love your rice and beans? Are you passionate about your Puerto Rican food? Check out this event that puts a spotlight on Puerto Rican Culinary Arts.

“El amor entra por la cocina: Cooking and Cultural Identity amongst Puerto Rican Women Living in New York”

A multi-media presentation based on a research project about culinary traditions of the Puerto Rican Diaspora conducted by Dr. Nilsa Rodríguez-Jaca in 2010. She interviewed over twenty senior women of our community who have lived in New York City for at least two decades and recovered their stories about food consumption and sharing, and also how this has helped them to maintain a sense of community and cultural identity for over sixty years. Guests Deborah Quiñones (the Coquito Contessa) and Chef Julio Rodríguez will also share their culinary experiences. FREE

Puerto Rican Culinary Arts

Thursday, April 4^th – 6-8:00 p.m.

Hunter College, 68^th & Lexington Avenue

Centro Conference Room 1442

East Building, 14^th Floor

If you have any questions or wish to RSVP contact Evelyn Collazo at evelyn.collazo@hunter.cuny.edu or call 212-396-6545.

Saborea Puerto Rico 2012 Highlights Our Cuisine to the World

With dancers moving to salsa music on a colorful set reminiscent of Old San Juan, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company showcased the island's many tourist attractions at the recent New York Times Travel Show at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan.  

But they were also there to market Puerto Rico's traditional, diverse and exciting cooking scene, which they say is the best and most important culinary destination in the Caribbean. Gearing up for its fifth anniversary, they told attendees about Saborea Puerto Rico, a festival that will feature new and exciting activities highlighting Puerto Rico's culinary scene. The 2012 edition of this annual event, organized by the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association (PRHTA), will be April 21^st and 22^nd at Escambrón Beach in San Juan, PR. 

Chef Giovanna Huyke, who is known for her educational cooking TV shows on the island and is now the executive chef at Mio Restaurant in Washington, D.C., was at the travel show talking and demonstrating Puerto Rican cuisine to people from many different parts of the world. A goal, she said, is to elevate the perception of Puerto Rican foods in the culinary landscape, and Saborea Puerto Rico is helping to do that by highlighting chefs from Puerto Rico to a local and international audience.

Puerto Rican food, Huyke said, is also worth sharing with a worldwide audience because it is delicious with a lot of flavor, and it is not spicy. It can be healthy too, depending on how you cook and serve it, she said. "Not everything needs to be fried," she said, adding that many people have the misconception that Puerto Rican food is not healthy. Many Puerto Rican meals are based on vegetables.

In addition, she said, Puerto Rican food is very much influenced by the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the Puerto Rican people. Fusion has always and continues to very much be a part of Puerto Rican cuisine.

"Puerto Rican food is evolving, and we are working to making Puerto Rican cuisine go to the next step," she said. "There's more openness, and there is a movement to raise awareness."

While chefs "are going beyond the traditional," Huyke said sofrito continues to be used as the base in many Puerto Rican dishes whether they are traditional or have a new twist. 

Chefs always play a pivotal role in Saborea, and this year will be no different. Students from local culinary schools and universities will have the opportunity to show off their skills, styles and creativity at The Next Culinary Wave. There’s also the always-popular Tasting Pavilion, where Puerto Rico’s best restaurants offer some of their finest creations to the public. And through the demo kitchens, top local and international culinary personalities will reveal their secrets and interact with fans. The 2012 chef’s roster already reads like a “who’s who” of dream gastronomic experts from the U.S., the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. 

After-hours events will also play a big part of this year’s gastronomic fest. On Friday, April 20^th, the opening reception, A Privileged Taste of Saborea, will feature 19 renowned chefs hosting individual 12-14 person tables and preparing unforgettable dinners expertly paired with wine. And on April 21^st, the “Sabor Puertorriqueño” sunset beach party will bring together local flavors, live music and varied entertainment with tapas-style fare in a casual ambiance. 

This year's Saborea Puerto Rico also brings a wealth of new, flavorful events such as the Libations Station, which will offer tastings of local and international beers and spirits. Guest vintners from Napa Valley will regale visitors with tastings of that region’s best and favorite harvests, while local treats and homegrown coffees will be the main event at Sweets & Brews. There will also be an area dubbed “Mercado Boricua” for local vendors to present both agricultural and artisanal products. 

“These additions have been designed to enhance Saborea’s local and international flavors while providing visitors with even more variety,” said PRHTA President & CEO Clarisa Jiménez. “Like the world of flavors it explores each year, Saborea Puerto Rico will continue to adapt to welcome new trends and ideas in the culinary landscape.”

Despite trends and new ideas, one of the most popular dishes among the tourists is mofongo even though chefs are making it in different ways, she said with a smile. 

"We really want to put an emphasis on the food," Jimenez said. "We really want to showcase Puerto Rico's cuisine and our competitive advantages.

"We want people to come and see the warmth of the people of Puerto Rico, the wonderful places to visit on the island and enjoy our wonderful food," she said. "They will have an unforgettable experience. Saborea Puerto Rico is a way to help people finally understand the richness of Puerto Rican cuisine."

For more information, visit www.saboreapuertorico.com. 

El musical sobre el pelotero Roberto Clemente obtiene un jonrón

Teatro

Por Antonio Bones

En su empeño por llevar al público lo más selecto de su repertorio, la Sociedad Educativa de las Artes (SEA por sus siglas en inglés), continúa presentando el éxitoso musical “DC-7: La historia de Roberto Clemente” en su sala teatral, ubicada en el centro cultural Clemente Soto Vélez del bajo Manhattan, Nueva York.
Adicionando el Festival Puertorriqueño Borimix a su temporada 2011-2012, la compañía de histriones emprende una nueva jornada teatral que conforma a un equipo, por igual, selecto de artistas y técnicos. Todos comprometidos a encumbrar la escena local con una historia cargada de valijas, ritmos trepidantes, memorias, y sucesos que plantaron huellas en la historia del continente americano, El Caribe y otras latitudes.
Concebida por el ingenio del teatrero, educador y cineasta puertorriqueño, Luis Caballero, la pieza teatral exalta la unificación familiar, la disciplina atlética, el choque cultural de los inmigrantes, la barrera idiomática, el menosprecio del negror epidérmico, la disparidad racial, el exceso de brutalidad policiaca, el perseguimiento de metas, la incondicionalidad del amor pero, sobre todo, el menester humanitario.
Inmediatamente que ingresamos a la sala teatral se nos revela un campo de béisbol con su zona cuadrangular, que servirá de soporte a los juegos de pelota base, a las equilibradas coreografías y a las situaciones que durante dos horas mantienen a la audiencia en expectación. Pienso que es un perspicaz elemento que establece el objetivo honroso de rememoración. Al fondo una enorme pantalla que sirve de mediadora entre el pasado y el presente, entre lo infausto de la vida y lo afortunado de la misma. Una pantalla que se convierte en fiel testigo de la podredumbre y la lucha que libramos en este “valle de lágrimas”.
Durante el velatorio del pelotero carolinense, Vera Clemente (su viuda), Matino (el hermano y Ramiro Martínez (camarada de la familia), departen. La temporalidad los arrastra junto a los espectadores hacia el ayer que habitó la niñez y adolescencia del astro. Ajadas fotografías y recortes de publicaciones recorren el blanquecino fondo escénico. Es allí en donde nos percatamos de las hazañas que el pelotero realizó y que quedaron grabadas en los anales deportivos de la isla de Puerto Rico.
Modesto Lacén encarnó el personaje de Roberto Clemente con marcada sobriedad. Su personaje se representó con elevación histriónica y no recayó en el vicio habitual de la imitación. La mesurada dicción y movimientos enérgicos lo catapultaron a la sublimidad de los aplausos. Arrojo y buena onda lo acompañaron durante el trayecto escénico y puedo testificar que anotó una carrera con todas las de la ley.
Josean Ortiz como el hermano mayor de Clemente, Matino, nos acercó a la sobreprotección que, a veces, es necesaria para orientar el destino de los seres amados. La presencia escénica del actor es vigorosa y su recia voz mantiene una narración fluída. Una de las escenas que más nos impactó fue cuando su personaje y el de Lacén se confundieron en una consagración hasta sacra. La simbología de la escultura renacentista “La Pietá” de Michelangelo Buonarroti, se recreó en el diamante; mientras simultáneamente, muere el sueño de los afroamericanos, Martin Luther King, Jr. Morir es entregar con sacrificio su preciado legado a las generaciones. Lacen muestra un estilizado cuerpo de ébano que es la idealización de la belleza y la juventud del mártir, características propias de “La Pietá”. Ambos actores ofrecieron un contundente batazo interpretativo.

Por su parte, la actriz y cantora Lorraine Vélez en su encarnación de Vera Clemente, nos ofreció una tesitura sin parámetros. La artista sabe utilizar con gracilidad y potestad sus atributos vocales. Nos envuelve, nos arrebata, nos consume y eso nos dejó sedientos de su elixir. ¡Otra carrera anotada!
El productor de la obra teatral, Manuel Morán, también nos sedujo con su capacidad vocal y en las repetidas incursiones que tuvo durante la acción nos obligó a creer en las interpretaciones que de Ramiro Martínez y Don Oscar realizó.
Deseo rescatar las participaciones de María del Mar González, Anthony Cotto y Shawn Beck-Gifford. González impacta con sus rollizas piernas y marcados pasos coreográficos sobre el cuadrangular dispuesto sobre el plano central del escenario. Su elegancia y belleza exótica añaden femeneidad y lozanía a la escena. Cotto hace buena utilización de su maestría en Bellas Artes y Actuación de la Universidad Pace, además se adueñó de la coreografía poseyendo indiscutible dominio. Resulta un banquete visual experimentar diversos desdoblamientos con potestad: José, judador de pelota, oficial del órden público y dependiente en una tienda por departamentos. Le auguro una digna carrera actoral a Cotto. Beck-Gifford se lució en el personaje del policía; recreó el abuso de poder con eficacia. De otro lado, Johanna Rodríguez convence a la audiencia en la utilización de lenguajes que aborda durante el desarrollo de la obra. Es buena actriz, cantante y no baila mal. ¡Este equipo se anota otra carrera! Xiomara Rodríguez y Fidel Vicioso también añadieron ingredientes precisos para el realce de la obra. Rodríguez pudo conmovernos con una maternal naturaleza que no pudo reprimir el lagrimeo de los espectadores.
Mención aparte, amerita la banda que tiene a su cargo la díficil tarea de hilvanar melodías a las diversas escenas que se suceden. Once melodías en total fueron magistralmente interpretadas por los maestros: Harold Gutiérrez, Larry Nissman, Jaime Mancera, Juan Gerena y la corista Ana Campos. “Los jugadores” y “La maleta” son números musicales que levantan el ánimo a cualquier alicaído. La acertada coreografía de Luis Salgado, los recursos luminotécnicos por Morán y Shuhei Sei, vestuario a cargo de Harry Nadal y la asistencia de dirección en la persona de Yaremis Félix crearon una burbuja encantada en donde el público se transportó al pasado. Finalmente, felicito al director Caballero por una arrolladora, armónica y acertada dirección teatral. El éxito de la producción se debe a la persistencia y ardua tarea con la que movilizó cada aspecto del espectáculo. DC-7 es un ejemplo de dignidad y constancia a la búsqueda de un sueño. Es una lección que se otorga al que ambiciona fortuna en suelo ajeno. Es testimonio de los encontronazos vivenciales y del estoicismo que todo ser humano debe emplear. Es una producción que sobrepasa los límites de la teatralidad y el buen gusto. ¡DC-7: La historia de Roberto Clemente metió un jonrón!
El astro puertorriqueño, Roberto Clemente, fungió como jardinero derecho en el equipo de béisbol Piratas de Pittsburg. Durante la década de los años 60´s el pelotero sumó a su carrera 3,000 bateos y fue receptor de doce premios Guante de oro -que se otorgan a los jardineros más destacados dentro de las Grandes Ligas-. En el año 1966 se le honró con el premio de Jugador más valioso y en el 1971 con el galardón MVP de la Serie Mundial. Su ascenso al Salón de la Fama fue realizado postrimero a su deceso en el 1972. El atleta pereció a causa de un accidente aéreo que realizaba para socorrer a las víctimas de un terremoto en la República de Nicaragua.
La pieza se mantendrá en cartelera hasta el día 4 de diciembre del 2011 en el Teatro SEA, sito en el 107 de la calle Suffolk en el este del bajo Manhattan. Para reservar e informarse sobre cómo llegar a la sala teatral puede ingresar a la página www.teatrosea.org o llamando al 212-529-1545.


Antonio Bones es un periodista independiente y miembro de la comunidad PRSUN.

(foto de Modesto Lacén como Roberto Clemente por Abey Charron/cortesía de Teatro Sea)
(foto de la producción/cortesía de Teatro Sea)

'Shadow of the Fathers'

The Reading Corner

Join Journalist Robert Friedman this Sunday for a reading and discussion of his novel "Shadow of the Fathers" at a bookstore in NYC's Lower East Side.



Friedman's novel is set in Puerto Rico and is based on a true story that happened in PR. Friedman lived in Puerto Rico for over 20 years, and has been reporting on Puerto Rico for the San Juan Star for over two decades.

Here is a blurb about the book:

In the 1930s an American doctor sent by the Rockefeller Institute to do research in Puerto Rico wrote a letter claiming he had purposely killed eight of his patients. Dr. Cornelius Rhoads said he was doing his part to exterminate the island's 'degenerate' population. He later said the letter was just 'a joke,' but doubts remain. San Juan Star Washington correspondent Robert Friedman uses this factual incident as an inspiration for his fictional account of the aftermath of the event. "Shadow of the Fathers," a suspense mystery, explores the United States-Puerto Rico relationship and U.S. colonialism, from the Cold War to Vietnam to Vieques.




Robert Friedman reads from and discusses his novel Sunday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m., at a free event at Bluestockings, 172 Allen St.

Editor's Note: You can also purchase book at: