Synopsis
"When Cesar Chavez dies, the first person he meets is Ruben Salazar, a reporter for the L.A. Times.
Ruben is still sitting at a table at the Silver Dollar Cafe, where he was shot, some 23 years before.
Given Cesar's love of music, it's decided that the story of his life will be told in song.
As different songs come up (on the juke box at the Silver Dollar), Cesar is, at first a spectator, and then a participant, in different events of his life.
The play has been given the enthusiastic support of the Chavez family and the Cesar Chavez Foundation.
Cesar & Ruben first premiered at the El Portal Theater in 2003 and won a Nos Otros award and 4 Valley Theater awards.
The play has the enthusiastic support of the Cesar Chavez Foundation, as well as the United Farm Workers and Cesar's widow, Helen as well as his Children".
Musical Drama about Cesar Chavez nominated for Imagen Award
Los Angeles, Calif.
In August of (2006) Actor/Activist Ed Begley, Jr.’s musical Cesar and Ruben was nominated for an Imagen Award for Best Live Theatrical Production. The Imagen Awards were established to encourage and recognize the positive portrayal of Latinos in all media, and to increase Latino representation at all levels of the entertainment industry. Cesar and Ruben chronicles the life of civil rights leader Cesar Chavez through music, visual images and a conversation with slain Los Angeles Times reporter, Ruben Salazar, who frequently wrote about Cesar. Cesar and Ruben is a powerful way to educate current and future generations about Cesar's legacy. The emotional performance mixes humor and drama, music and dance, history and personal struggles. The Chavez Foundation and family collaborated with Begley on Cesar and Ruben's historical content to further endow this brilliant and moving story that places Cesar squarely among the ranks of world figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, and Mother Teresa.
The musical features songs in both English and Spanish by Sting, Ruben Blades, Peter Gabriel, Joni Mitchell, Carlos Santana, Enrique Iglesias, David Crosby and Carmen Moreno.