Arts & Entertainment Compass

“Monarch: a Mexican-American Musical” at the Midtown International
Theatre Festival 2026
Music, Book, and Lyrics by Alfonso Molina
Book and Lyrics by Mayu Molina Lehmann.
Starring Marco Salazar, Jose Juan Hernandez, Carmen Gozz, Horacio Castelo, Ana Regina Cuaron, Tony Corrales, Maria Ayuso, Diego Cortes, Diego Tenorio, Triana Marina, Bernardo Figueroa, and Eugenio Hernandez.

Frankly, I was shocked when I heard that there would be an ICE musical at the Midtown Festival. Theatre is inherently political, I just didn’t expect anybody to go up against this goliath so soon. It was like reading a newspaper article, turning around, and somebody has already published a book about today’s events.


This musical compares itself to “Les Miz,” which is probably not the most welcoming invitation. More accurately, this musical reminds me of “In the Heights.” We get to meet the friendly neighborhood handyman paisan, working hard to make do with the hand he’s been dealt. He harbors a not-so-very-secret secret: that he and his daughter came to
this country without going through a formal immigration process, and they have no papers. The villain, an Immigration officer named Castelo, haunts our leading man Luis through the whole story.


The production was hit by some stroke of bad luck, and the microphones never made it to the theatre that day due to a car accident. Unfortunately, the band played just as loudly as if the cast was still
amplified, making it very difficult to hear the lyrics. I kept looking up toward the musicians, desperately hoping they would realize they
were overplaying. Because of this, I didn’t see the show under ideal circumstances, but I still had a wonderful time. The ensemble did an amazing job, and I was so impressed by the level of talent represented here.

The stars of the show were Marco Salazar, playing our gallant kind handyman Luis, and his pursuant, the dastardly Officer Castelo, played by Jose Juan Hernandez. Excellent voices, amazing acting, clearly ready for an open ended run. These two characters had minimal interaction onstage, but they were the bookends of this whole production.

Another standout was Maria Ayuso’s “Yatz” who had an exciting rap number “Puro Mexico-Americano.” Maria was a grungy Gen Z who takes the unapologetic response to her protesting. Instead of being scared for her future, she will throw herself on the barricade.

I loved the use of the storyteller / narrator / shaman mystic named Nagual, played by Horacio Castelo. I think this character is especially important for explaining the plot to the younger audience in the room. I was fortunate to sit behind children who were intrigued and mystified by this wizard’s appearance. His grey robes left a
little something to be desired - I think I would have preferred beautiful colors like the butterfly he preached about. But his makeup was spot on: helping us as listeners buy into the magical tale.

The dancing and choreography are credited to both Melva Olivas and Miranda Garcia. I wanted to give them a special recognition here, because I was surprised at the amount of dancing! This was definitely the most dance and movement heavy production I saw at the Midtown Festival. These actors were working hard! Never did I feel like they were in over their heads. And that is credit to these excellent choreographers.

The Mother Ana, played by Carmen Goz, was wonderful in her role. However, when the actress transitioned to add to the ensemble, I didn’t like that she hid her face under a ballcap. These are conventions in the theatre that we understand that there are limited actors involved in the show. I would much rather have seen her smile.

The role of Luis’s daughter Amanda, played by Ana Regina Cuaron, was a heavy one to bear. Amanda is a Dreamer - one of those who only identify as American, but don’t have official citizenship. When Amanda is captured by ICE, Officer Wright played by Tony Corrales has a suddenly drastic change of heart. This deus ex machina and his choice
to free her were a little hard to accept. Perhaps they could have had a bit more dialogue or a song where he changes his mind.

I am in love with the characters in this show, but the ending needs work. I’m not happy to share with you that Luis died in the end. I’m not certain how, but I believe he may have taken his own life instead of allowing himself to be captured by Officer Castelo. I have a lot of feelings about this, and I’m sure you do too. Personally, I thought the ending was a bit too traumatic for the young eyes in my vicinity. I also wasn’t certain what actually happened. I believe intervention
from the shaman and storyteller Nagual to explain or help us understand would have helped here. For me, this was a very important story, but this ending was too abrupt and did not leave me feeling
hopeful. Personally, I don’t believe this man would have taken his own life.


The sorrow of witnessing this undoubtably tragic loss for this community causes Officer Castelo to finally have a change of heart. I wish all immigration officers could see a piece of art as meaningful as Monarch. I hope this show can go on tour, because people all across the world need to hear this story.