8-7DGRuben-Cesar

God bless Ed Begley Jr. for his undying devotion to the cause of keeping the memory of Cesar Chavez alive! When his musical tribute to the legend Cesar and Ruben, currently playing through September 9, 2007 at the NoHo Arts Center, first premiered in 2003 on the El Portal Mainstage in NoHo, the workshop production cried out for rewrites. It has taken the ever-busy Begley almost 4 years to remount the production, but his changes and the new venue make this latest incarnation more vibrant and appealing than the original. Many critics thought that Hispanic music should be at the core of the musical. Begley has added the song “Barrio Viejo” by Lalo Guerrero at the play’s opening and closing moments. Since the theme of Cesar and Ruben is about journeying backwards in time to learn from his mistakes and successes in order to enable Chavez to move forward, the strategic placement of the song and its message of simplicity work well. So well for me, in fact, that I was convinced that there were more numbers in Spanish in the current production. “Barrio” along with “Nunca Te Olvidare” and “Heroe” both by Enrique Iglesias and numbers by Carmen Moreno, Ruben Blades and Guillermo Portabales strengthen and enrich the Hispanic flavor of the piece.
After all, despite his love for all kinds of music, Chavez did speak Spanish and fought long and hard to keep his Latino culture intact and accessible. Before I talk about the cast, just a few words about the NoHo Arts Center. I love the antiquity of the classic El Portal, but somehow certain shows get lost on its vast stage and Cesar was one of them. Yes, Cesar Chavez the man, the giant, was certainly bigger than life, like Ghandi and Martin Luther King, but he was also a human being. His humanity transmits more fully to the audience in an intimate space, and the NoHo stage serves that purpose quite admirably.	Ed Begley Jr. - Danny Bolero
The first cast was terrific and so is the newest one. Danny Bolero brings great suffering and longing to the role of Chavez. Mixing insecurities and doubts equally with strengths, he plays him rightfully as a man, not a saint. Playing the part of Ruben Salazar, the LA Times reporter who was murdered in 1970 by police for trying to aid the plight of the migrant workers in Los Angeles, Mauricio Mendoza avoids pitfalls and plays him totally straightforward and honest. Crissy Guerrero is beautiful as the long-suffering and supportive wife Helen Chavez, and Danielle Barbosa returns triumphantly as the feisty Dolores Huerta (alternating with Sandra Purpuro). Praise as well to Gustavo Rex, Al Coronel, Jack McGee, Rachelle Carson-Begley and to the rest of the dedicated ensemble. Begley’s direction remains tight and Frankie Anne’s choreography, fast and furious like Chavez’ own life story. Cesar and Ruben has a built-in cinematic vision and would make a terrific film. In its current form as a stage play, bring it out to the high schools and colleges and educate the kids! They need to preserve the memory of Cesar Chavez and make his philosophy of nonviolence a stronger force for mankind. Comments? Write to us at: Letters@ReviewPlays.Com