After Pulse: Zoe Colon

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Advisory: Please note that this post is about the Pulse Nightclub Massacre on June 12, 2016. It may contain sensitive and difficult to read content. Post written with narrator’s consent.  

Zoe Colon is co-founder of Proyecto Somos Orlando and she is a director of the Hispanic Federation‘s chapter in the South East.

Zoe was supposed to go to Pulse on the the night of June 12, 2016. She had been doing voter registration and was supposed to do voter registration at the clubs. She and the canvases were all ready to go. Ricardo, a canvasser who  had recently arrived from Puerto Rico called and he said that the club had advised that it was probably not a good night because Gay Days had just ended and it was going to be super packed. Zoe was upset. It would have been a great opportunity to even set up in the parking lot.

The next morning Nancy Rosado called and asked if Zoe had seen the news. Ricardo, the canvasser had decided to go on his own. He texted at 4 AM saying they should not go to Pulse. He had no shoes on and he was in someones car. There was a shooting and his credit card was still inn the club.

Co-workers from New York began to text asking if she was OK. The magnitude of what had happened hadn’t sunk in. Every radio was tuned to the news. The world stood still. As the names were published, she realized how many were Latino. Zoe decided to go to the Center. She spoke to Christina there about how Spanish speaking counselors  would be needed. That is how it all started. There were people inn the club that night who were undocumented. Family might not come forward to file a claim for fear of deportation. She was concerned that people might be re-victimized if they were paired up with someone who did not fully understand them or empathize with them. Clergy could also do more damage than good. Nancy Rosado brought in an amazing wealth of knowledge and years of experience.

After the Center, she went to the Hampton Inn with Christina, and Nancy. Families up to this point had not been able to talk to anyone in Spanish. At least 10 people at the Inn wanted to help bring about advocacy. That night they called a press conference. It was held at the Hispanic Federation inn the court yard. There were about 60 people there. They wanted the Latino community to know the phone numbers they needed to call.

Somos Orlando started out as a hashtag. It means Latinos, Latin X, LGBTQ, we all are Orlando. This was a movement about not being invisible.  She went to the Hispanic Federation and asked what could be dome to move things forward. The Federation has a relationship  with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jennifer Lopez. They ended up creating a song which raised money for Somos Orlando. Things happened so fast. It was emotionally draining. Love Makes the World Go Round.

El Wiz

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UCF Celebrates the Arts presented El Wiz as a staged reading at The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Based on a book by Paul Castañeda, the show was  originally conceived by Juan Cantu and Paul Castañeda. Paul sat house right reading stage directions for the staged reading.

The show was based on the Wizard of Oz but set in Puerto Rico just before Hurricane Maria hit the island. The Narrator, (Josh Ceballos) introduced the familiar cast of characters on the island. Chico, the scarecrow (Emile Doles) was a quiet and socially awkward man who had an eye for details no one else would notice.  Juanito, the tin man (Eric Parafan) had loved a man but had his heart broken. He felt he could never love again. Eddie, the lion, (Joe Llorens) just wanted some cajones. Dorothy (Crystal Lizardo) fell into a deep sleep before the hurricane hit. She woke or so she thought in a strange new place.

In this new world she was given a very blingy pair of Nike sneakers with red white and blue sequins. Her dog Toto was a puppet who came alive when she held him in her arms. From the start she wanted to return home to her Mami and Papi but she was instructed to go to the Emerald city for advice on how to get back home. The journey was fraught with dangers.

For me the most powerful number in the show was Vas A Ver, or You’ll See in  English. Sung by Esperanza, (Paul Padilla) the song was about how the strength of family can overcome any hardship. He performed with just the right amount of resolve and throaty growl. His face grew so red as he sang that I was concerned he might burst a blood vessel. It was an amazing performance.

The joy of this show is that it takes itself lightly. There were many references to  Lin Manuel Miranda since the playwrights clearly were inspired by his musicals. The plot moved effortlessly and the actors playfully joked and teased one another. I have only studied Spanish in a cursory fashion on Duolingo, but I was able to follow every bit of the show.

When Dorothy finally got back to her home island it has been destroyed. She took the lessons learned in her dreams to gain strength in the belief that family can endure any difficulty. The cast and creative team deserved a standing ovation.

Hamilton at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

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 On November 15, 2018 tickets went on sale for Hamilton. With ticket prices upwards of $175 to $385, I really didn’t think I would be sketching this show. When tickets went on sale the Dr. Phillips Center was plagued by technology
failures. People called in and had to wait for hours only to wind up empty-handed. Social media lit up with frustration and annoyance from people who could not get ticket. Unknown to me, Pam and another member of her staff were among the first to call in for the tickets. On Christmas day she let me know that we would be going to the show. It is my understanding that the shows are all sold out but, there is still a lottery for the trickle of tickets that become available.

Tony-winning Hamilton, by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tells the story of
founding father Alexander Hamilton with a multi-racial cast and
energetic music. Since opening on Broadway in 2015, it has become
cultural phenomenon.chaos and frustration of the original sales date.

I stripped down my sketch kit and left the cell phone at home knowing that security would be tight at the Performing Arts Center. We put my kit in Pam’s purse thinking it might slip through more easily there. My pencil sharpener was still in my pocket as it always is. It raised suspicions since the guard wasn’t sure of why someone might need that analog technology. She let me through the metal detectors but then asked to look at the sharpener one more time as I waited for Pam to get through security.

In the theater I quickly blocked in the stage as people filed in to take their seats. When the play started the house lights went black. I needed Pam’s cell phone set to a very dim setting to see my sketch page. Painting would be impossible, so once the sketch was complete in ink I waited for an intermission.

All the hype for this show is well deserved. Joseph Morales plays the title character in the touring production of Hamilton. The show’s score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, RandB, and Broadway. The lyrics are fired off at a break neck pace, so it would be a good idea to listen to the show soundtrack before seeing the show in person. I caught the emotional broad strokes however of everything going on.

Besides being prolific in writing, and aggressive in politics, Hamilton was always striving for more. He worked as if running out of time, a candle burning bright. Aaron Burr (Nik Walker) acted as a lifelong political foil, being jealous of of Hamilton’s quick rise to power.  He married Eliza Schuyler (Shoba Narayan) as her sister Angelica (Ta’Rea Campbell) suppressed her feelings for the sake of their happiness. However his always restless heart gets him in trouble and he breaks Eliza’s heart. Amazingly she finds forgiveness in the second act and she is the one who keeps Hamilton’s name alive after he is gone. The final song of the show, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” is a reflection on legacy and what we leave behind. It is why we create art. Can we ever do enough in this lifetime? Though the emotions might bring tears, it was the beast Christmas gift in years.

In The Heights at Shakes

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When I worked as an illustrator in NYC I lived for 10 years in Washington Heights. Rent was cheap and I had a large railroad style apartment a few blocks for the George Washington Bridge. In the Heights based on a book by Quiara Algria Hudes and with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda is set in my old stomping grounds. The corner bodega in Jim Hunter‘s set could very well have been the spot I went each week to get milk and eggs.

I had seen In the Heights once before and I love the shows guttural energy. The show opens with Usnavi (Ernie Pruneda) opening his corner bodega early in the morning as the Heights come alive. The lyrics are delivered in fast paced rap and before long I was addicted to the beat. Sonny (Zach Infante) is Usnavi’s sassy, superficially lazy, yet ambitious younger cousin. Abuela Claudia (Alina Alcántara) is the loving matriarch of the barrio who knows everybody and is like a
grandmother to all. She looked after Usnavi when his parents died. He was born on the long passage to America, and he was named by the first American sign his parents saw, US Navey.

Across from Usnavi’s shop is a taxi dispatch office called Rosario’s. Mr Rosario (Juan Cantú) has invested in his daughter Nina’s (Iliana Garcia) college education so she can have a better life than his. She becomes a shining hope for the entire neighborhood that it is possible to live the American dream. She returns to the Heights and is welcomed by everyone. Benny (Deon’te Goodman) is working dispatch although struggling since his Spanish is weak. In a playful way, Nina teaches Benny how to brush up on his Spanish. There is clearly chemistry between them. Nina confesses that she could not keep up with the work load to pay for books she didn’t have time to read at college. There is chaos in the Rosario household when this bomb shell hits.

Usnavi and Nina’s stories run parallel with aspirations to live the American dream seemingly stifled in their North Manhattan neighborhood. They both come to realize however that the vibrant culture of where they are is as important as their dreams and aspirations and both are important for their future.

In the Heights from September 12 through October 7, 2018 don’t miss it.

Shakes (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803)

Tickets are between $22 and $42

21 Chump Street at the Fringe.

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Located in the round patrons room (Purple venue) in the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (810 Rollins Street Orlando FL), 21 Chump Street written by Lin-Manuel Miranda creator of
‘Hamilton’ and ‘In The Heights’, turned out to be a high energy musical about being entrapped by love.  The show is based on a new report on NPR’s This American Life. A male high schooler falls desperately in love with an undercover cop. He would do anything to win her affection and a though he doesn’t use drugs, when she asks him to get her a fix, he asks everyone how to get the drugs she wants.  He doesn’t want her money he wants her love. She can’t convict him unless he takes the money. She sealed the deal with a kiss and slipped the money in his hand. Frozen and elated he couldn’t refuse.

Was the undercover agent just doing her job or did she arrest and convict an otherwise good kid? The music was edgy and hip. Short and sweet, this could be fleshed out to become an amazing show. It was well worth the admission price.

Venue: Purple | Length: 15 Min

Price: $7 (Disc: FA)

Rating: 13 & Up – Language