My overall impression
The show jumps back and forth from the past (how the legend came to be) and the present (a modern-day family who gets caught up in it). The tale of the legend is in Spanish while present day is in English. I was much more enthralled with the Spanish portion than the English and I don’t even speak Spanish fluently. The actors are much stronger and even if you can only catch a few words here and there, their gestures and inflections make it fairly easy to know what’s going on. The present day moments seemed to drag the show’s pacing as many of the actors kept stumbling on their lines and lacked the energy and passion of their Spanish-speaking counterparts, although Amanda Newman (playing the role of Nicolaza) did breathe life into her scenes and held her own.
Despite some shaky performances and somewhat odd song transitions, this show is different from any other Fringe show out there right now. It has many strong moments that are worth watching, particularly the interactions between the leads, Martina Medina (Maria) and Joaquin Camilo (Valentino). They are truly mesmerizing.
I also must give a shout-out to the very talented Jahel Corban Caldera (Rafael), who brings a refreshing youthful energy to his role. Just a joy to watch.
