Kickstarter campaign ends in 10 days for Mexico Beyond Mariachi’s new show: SUGAR SKULL! A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure Touring the USA from September 26-November 20, 2019

Mexico Beyond Mariachi (MBM), has 10 days to reach its $20,000 goal on it’s Kickstarter campaign to help get its newest live show, SUGAR SKULL! A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure, ready for its upcoming two-month cross country tour, which will hit 30 cities and 14 states from September 26-November 20, 2019. Rewards include a Mexican-style party with the cast, exclusive invitation to view a preview of the show, hoodies and vinyl die cut stickers featuring original art-work from Scott Lilly, and more. Go online for more information here: www.kickstarter.com

Sugar Skull! is a beautiful story about a first generation Mexican-American kid who (thanks to a charismatic Sugar Skull coming to life!) learns the true meaning of Dia de los Muertos, the importance of family traditions, and embraces the richness of her cultural identity. It boasts a cast of 3 actors, 2 dancers, and 3 musicians and features culturally authentic storytelling.

“Now more than ever it is important to share stories that celebrate our diversity and the beauty of other cultures rather than perpetuate negative stereotypes that divide us,” says Peter Bogdanos, the project founder and director of Mexico Beyond Mariachi.

The development for Sugar Skull began in November 2017 with the script written by playwright Gregory Van Acker and musical arrangements by Sinuhe Padilla, a fully costumed workshop was staged in Jersey City in February of 2018, and the production completed an inaugural two week, 9 city tour in the fall of 2018 to critical acclaim.

“The Mexico Beyond Mariachi program appeals to the non-Latino community as an introduction to a culture that, like the country of Mexico, is just beyond the horizon of mainstream American culture. Using a judicious mix of Spanish and English, the program creates cross-cultural impact.” —Timothy G. Hart, Division Director, Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission.

Now, in preparation for the upcoming 2-month 33 city tour in the fall of 2019, the production needs further improvements. The funds from the Kickstarter campaign will be used to rebuild the set and costumes to withstand the wear and tear of a 2-month tour, hire a director to elevate the production, cover the rental of rehearsal space and pay the artists for rehearsal time, as well as to cover the visa costs of a musician who specializes in regional music of Mexico.

Mexico Beyond Mariachi was founded in 2002 with a mission to break down stereotypes around Mexican music, dance, and culture through live performances and arts-in-education offerings for children, schools, and families in the New York City metro area. Audiences are immersed in the magical realism that is ever present in Mexican culture, igniting their imagination, leaving them with an enhanced awareness of our global community.

Elena Araoz is a stage director of theater and opera as well as an actress and writer. She will be directing the upcoming national tour of SUGAR SKULL! A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure. The New York Times has praised Araoz’s productions as “striking,” “primal,” “wild,” “stirring,” and “refreshingly natural.” Time Out New York mentions, “Elena Araoz is a director with deep wells of imagination; she seems drawn to magical realist work.” As her productions are critically acclaimed for superb acting, she regularly teaches acting at universities and young artist programs and is on faculty at Princeton University.

Peter Bogdanos is co-founder of Mexico Beyond Mariachi and Executive Director of Rhythm of the Arts LLC. Professional musician turned producer, Peter’s expertise in the studio and on the road with acts ranging from scrappy world music bands, to established jazz & rock bands, to Motown R&B groups to Grammy award winners, informs his every decision and valued relationship. His personal mission is to contextualize cultural content to enrich audiences lives. He is a producer on SUGAR SKULL! A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure.

Leah Keith is a performing arts professional with a 15 year history spanning artist/tour management and booking, marketing and fundraising, outreach, and performance. Leah’s approach balances the artist’s process with the needs of any performance or non-traditional venue. She has a constant eye towards connecting with new audiences and communities. Leah is the agent for Mexico Beyond Mariachi at Columbia Artists. She is a producer on SUGAR SKULL! A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure. Leah holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Northern Colorado and an MFA in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College.

Gregory Van Acker is a playwright, lyricist, and educator, and the playwright for SUGAR SKULL! A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure. Other projects include The Book of You (Durango Arts Center), Thurgood Grows Up (Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling), Noplace (with Joel Esher, composer), And So I Ran. He is an alum of the University of Northern Colorado’s Musical Theatre program.

SUGAR SKULL! A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure is slated to tour the following cities from September 26-November 20, 2019: Jersey City, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; State College, PA; Galesburg, IL; Bloomington, IL; Des Moines, IA; Houghton, MI; Winona, MN; St. Cloud, MN; St. Paul, MN; Decorah, IA; Cedar Falls, IA; Mason City, IA; Emporia, KS; Dallas, TX; Clovis, NM; Albuquerque, NM; Tucson, AZ; Mesa, AZ; Lancaster, CA; Oxnard, CA; Modesto, CA; Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA; Costa Mesa, CA; Folsom, CA; Eugene, OR; Portland, OR; Tacoma, WA; Edmonds, WA.

The Kickstarter campaign for SUGAR SKULL! A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure ends on July 3, 2019.

MEDIA CONTACT
Leah Keith, Agent & Manager
212-841-9620
lkeith@columbia-artists.com