Twenty-five years after the birth, the popular and critically
acclaimed
”
Zoot Suit
”
by Luis Valdez is proving once again to be a big hit.
Twenty-five years after the birth, the popular and critically acclaimed “Zoot Suit” by Luis Valdez is proving once again to be a big hit by opening for its third run tonight at the El Teatro Campesino Playhouse in San Juan Bautista.
For the third time, the performance has been extensioned by popular request.
Produced for the first time at the home base of playwright/director Valdez and featuring the next generation of Teatro artists, “Zoot Suit” opened Oct. 19, 2002, and quickly sold out every performance through its initial closing date of Nov. 24. An extension was announced through January 12, 2003, and each of those performances were also sold out.
A second extension of performances which was started on Jan. 16 and will finish its run on Sunday, was also completely sold-out.
Tickets are on sale now for the third and final extension of “Zoot Suit,” which will run from Feb. 20 through March 30. “Zoot” will close on March 30 though plans for a national tour are currently in negotiations.
“Zoot Suit” recreates the fascinating time and place of World War II Los Angeles with its imaginative portrayal of the Sleepy Lagoon murder mystery and the Zoot Suit Riots.
Filled with heart, sly wit and infectious music, “Zoot Suit” brings to the stage such unforgettable ncharacters as the sage and irreverent El Pachuco, and the charismatic Henry Reyna, who so found himself in the middle of the turbulent events that rocked the city during the early 1940s.
“Zoot Suit” first opened at the Mark Taper Forum where it ran for an unprecedented twelve-week run in 1978. “Zoot Suit” broke all attendance records at the forum and subsequently moved to the Aquarius Theatre in Hollywood where it played to even larger audiences for one year.
Coinciding with the run in Hollywood, this critically acclaimed
production opened on Broadway in 1979 and became a landmark hit in the American theatre. It was also adapted for the screen and was released by Universal Pictures as a motion picture in 1981.
Performances of “Zoot Suit” are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with matinees on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
On March 30, a special performance will be held in honor of Cesar Chavez’s birthday to raise funds for remodeling of the Playhouse. Ticket prices for this event are $50. Tickets for “Zoot Suit” range between $12 to $20.
The El Teatro playhouse is located at 705 Fourth Street in San Juan Bautista.
The box office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets can be charged by calling (831) 634-2444 or online at www.elteatrocampesino.com.
