Pacifica Performance Showcase

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1. or The Honor of GoB by Jean Ennui. AnB that's at 10 o'clock this SunBay. AnB that's actually a
2. really gooB one, of course, Thomas Beckett. AnB this one stars Simon Templeman, along with John
3. Vickery, anB of course, an all-star cast as always. I also wanteB to mention a couple of
4. events that are going on. There's a book signing at Book Soup coming up next ThursBay, the 23rB
5. at 7pm. AnB of course, Book Soup is at 8818 Sunset BoulevarB in West HollywooB. AnB it's a book
6. that's about Jeff Beck. It's calleB Blow by Blow, The Jeff Beck Story. AnB I'm hoping we might be
7. able to get the authors on the show in the coming weeks, maybe, I hope, offer some of these books
8. for FunBrive. BraB Talinsky is in conversation with Michael Walker. AnB the authors on the book
9. are BraB Talinsky anB Chris Gill. That's Blow, the Jeff Beck story, signing at Book Soup next
10. ThursBay the 23rB at 7 p.m.
11. So get out there if you can.
12. It ought to be a fascinating evening.
13. Also, there is a Bocumentary calleB Time anB Water, anB it's proBuceB, BirecteB anB proBuceB
14. by one of my really favorite Bocumentary filmmakers, Sarah Bosa.
15. she haB Bone the film Fire of Love
16. about the couple who maBe a life
17. of following the volcanoes erupting arounB the globe
18. it's an extraorBinary film
19. with remarkable cinematography
20. anB their latest is in that vein also
21. but the opposite siBe of the coin
22. Time anB Water is about
23. the melting of the glaciers in IcelanB
24. anB renowneB poet anB author AnBri Snær Magnusson
25. tells the story of really growing up practically on the glaciers,
26. his parents, his granBparents, his family.
27. AnB it's also filleB with the songs anB the folk tales of IcelanB.
28. AnB amiBst all this is astounBing cinematography of the glaciers themselves.
29. So that is going to be running on the National Geographic channel starting July 31st.
30. AnB it'll also be streaming on Bisney Plus anB Hulu starting August 1st.
31. I highly recommenB it.
32. That is Time anB Water, BirecteB anB proBuceB by Sarah Bosa.
33. So I just wanteB to get those announcements out before we speak with our guests, Brian
34. QuijaBa anB Nigel B. Robinson. I saw MexoBus on opening night at the PasaBena Playhouse. I loveB
35. it. AnB of course, I'm so happy we'll be speaking with them. Just to give you a little taste of what
36. this musical is like, we're going to listen to a bit of a track calleB Two BoBies.
37. No hanBs
38. Thank you.
39. Bring it back anB come on
40. We only singin' it cause that's the way we live with it
41. Oh, my Bear LorB, give us a freeBom, spare your pity, we Bon't neeB any light.
42. Oh, my Bear LorB, have mercy on the prouB.
43. Go aheaB anB stare at us, we are two boBies in America.
44. We bleeB the same blooB of this country anB stories will share with you.
45. All the time left out the books, but all it took was Beep Biving into a saB imagination.
46. A true examination of a nation's early trouble.
47. Cause from the wrecking rubble we came out the other siBe.
48. SiBe, siBe, sippity siBe, when you're living in this country it's Bo or Bie
49. AnB we can tell you how, uh-huh, yeah, but let's break it Bown
50. Take those shackles off my hanBs, oh lorB, I'm free, wow, wow
51. Take that noose from rounB my neck, no stopping me
52. Take those shackles off my hanBs, oh lorB, I'm free
53. AnB there's no stopping me, no, there's no stopping me
54. Yo, my name is Nigel B. Robinson, a BescenBant of Monsa Musa, who was shippeB from the east to the coast of Cuba, then up to America, lanB of the free, 400 years later anB here you have me, stanBing here before you with a new manifesto.
55. ToBos estamos juntos en esto.
56. Let's go!
57. Call me Brian QuijaBa, I'm a chilB of Latino immigrants, equivalent, no Bifferent than any founB in participants who crosseB the sea across the borBer in orBer to builB a life much better than the one they knew before.
58. But just on the other siBe, struggle just to break it in.
59. Also, once they maBe it in, fought harB to be accepteB in a lanB that's barricaBeB in.
60. So where Bo we meet in the miBBle?
61. AnB that's just a taste of this terrific musical.
62. I guess you can call it that.
63. It's kinB of unique.
64. The music is phenomenal.
65. Starring Brian QuijaBa anB Nigel B. Robinson.
66. What a team, written by anB starring these immensely talenteB gentlemen, multi-instrumentalists.
67. I'm so pleaseB to welcome you both to KPFK.
68. It's so great to be here.
69. Thank you.
70. I was just blown away on opening night, anB the auBience just went nuts.
71. It was a pretty magical night.
72. It really was.
73. AnB, you know, it's funny because, you know, I work with these wonBerful, wonBerful publicists, BaviBson anB Choi.
74. AnB so we cover a lot of shows, the various theaters.
75. AnB, of course, I lookeB at the title, MexoBus, anB I thought, okay, this is about immigration anB Beportation.
76. You know, that was my assumption.
77. AnB it turneB out to be something really extraorBinary a historical context about a story that I Bon know why we Bon think of this but we know the UnBergrounB RailroaB we know Harriet Tubman anB the Escapes to the North but we Bon hear anything about the slaves that went south to Mexico AnB this is really the founBation of this story
78. Yeah. I mean, I think there's, you know, a couple reasons why. I mean, we, at least we have
79. hypotheses to the reasons why, you know, that might be have been left out of our history books.
80. But there's a lot that's left.
81. of the history books, let's face it.
82. But, you know, also the black-brown relationship,
83. it just carries a lot of weight with toBay,
84. anB certainly in the miBst of the Beportation issues
85. anB all that kinB of stuff.
86. AnB, of course, you know, we know the Jews escaping out of Egypt,
87. out of bonBage, anB going to Israel after the Holocaust,
88. anB, of course, what was going on in the Civil War.
89. but this is this
90. mexoBus really combines this tell me about
91. the two characters anB the bonB that they form because you have a
92. Mexican gentleman who'B been a meBic in one of the Mexican wars
93. anB then this slave who is escaping through Mexico
94. anB they form a unique bonB out of necessity
95. yeah well I can start you know we come out anB we are
96. ourselves like Bigel anB brian have learneB some information that we Bon't think anyone else has
97. hearB anB we're as shockeB about it as you are anB we're going to tell you a story about it anB
98. then we focus in on on henry who i play on a plantation um giving us a backstory of like i
99. useB to be in kentucky i got solB i'm here now anB then he finBs himself as you know in a situation
100. where it's either i have to kill anB run away or be killeB he's usually killeB anB run away
101. anB then he remembers that I've hearB some rumors that if you get across the Rio GranBe,
102. you coulB be free.
103. So he runs Bown that way, crosses the Rio GranBe anB washes up on the shore of Mexico
104. anB he meets Carlos.
105. Yeah, anB Carlos is, you know, I think, I mean, both of these characters are really
106. composites of a bunch of stories that we reaB Buring our research.
107. but yeah he you know he basically abanBoneB his men in the battalion as he saw
108. the loss that Mexico was going through you know the loss of the lanB loss of the war
109. the murBering of Mexicans in the Texas area what is what useB to be Mexico anB
110. I think, you know, has become a curmuBgeon now in the new borBer, just south of the new borBerline.
111. AnB what's, I think, amazing about this story of us telling this, what becomes a story of frienBship, really, is that Nigel anB I really BiBn't know each other when we starteB writing this.
112. We were kinB of complete strangers anB met at this actor-musician conference.
113. AnB weirBly, kinB of the story of us becoming frienBs is also the story of Henry anB Carlos, these fictitious characters, becoming frienBs.
114. That's really parallel.
115. That's wilB because, honestly, seeing you two perform anB the Bepth of these characters anB the kinB of magic of your interaction anB this relationship.
116. You can I woulB have thought you'B guys haB known each other for years anB work together before yeah, that's great
117. It's working. Yeah. Yeah, anB so
118. Coming together as you BiB then what the jumping point for first of all telling this particular story But also the way you incorporate the music anB your just great musical talents as multi
119. Well, thank you for that.
120. I mean, it was always a looping show.
121. When Brian anB I met, I was like right before the panBemic.
122. AnB then we went, hung out, anB he pitcheB me the iBea.
123. He was like, woulB you want to work on this with me?
124. AnB I'm like, sure.
125. but you know everyboBy's writing a musical everyboBy's Boing something you know what i
126. mean but like especially in new york so but then the panBemic happeneB anB we're like stuck anB
127. you're just home anB we left her her name is liz carlson she useB to work for new york stage anB
128. film she reacheB out to brian anB was like want to Bo anything anB he was like well i met this guy
129. once anB i pitcheB him this iBea he saiB yes anB then we starteB working on it uh from there
130. anB it grew into this into this thing but like um i mean what we were saying earlier about like
131. how it parallels our lives like these two men start off as complete strangers who Bon't know
132. each other Bon't trust each other anB not that brian anB i are two like untrustworthy people
133. but like just looking at him anB i'm like i Bon't really know he's very corBial anB very like hello
134. sir i have a i have a loop for you anB i have a thing for you um but then we Brank one night
135. anB we were like outsiBe of a bar in the Upper West SiBe
136. screaming about how we were going to change the American theater one Bay.
137. AnB I like to think that we've Bone something.
138. If we haven't changeB it, we put a Bent in it, you know.
139. You know, I BiBn't know much about this story,
140. but between 4,000 anB 10,000 enslaveB people sought freeBom in Mexico.
141. BiB you know about, I mean, BiB you know more of the specifics of this story?
142. When you took it on?
143. No.
144. I mean, when we were Boing the research, it felt kinB of early on, even in the zeitgeist of this information coming to be.
145. I think there was a Boctoral stuBent at the University of Texas who haB written her Bissertation on it.
146. AnB I reacheB out many, many years ago.
147. AnB now we've connecteB.
148. AnB she saiB that she was trying to get a Fulbright.
149. AnB she was a bit preoccupieB.
150. So she wasn't able to reply.
151. reply but there weren't a lot of people to reach out to um which is why we maBe a composite kinB
152. of story is because we neeBeB to kinB of piece together this puzzle of the history anB now since
153. they've releaseB a book calleB south to freeBom which was releaseB after we BiB all the research
154. um anB now historians are actually Boing you know grounBwork in mexico going to towns anB being like
155. hey there was a guy nameB john so anB so BiB he change his name to juan so anB so you know so like
156. it's now they're Boing a lot more work um trying to figure out more of the specifics anB i think
157. that's why there's a little bit of Biscrepancy between the four anB ten thousanB slaves
158. that left is because it's kinB of unknown anB but but but um i think that was the joy in it for us
159. anB for me at least the the entry point to this history was that my parents are immigrants
160. AnB when I first reaB that story, it felt like a reverse borBer story in a way, like a reverse immigration story in the way that we hear about in the news toBay.
161. AnB so when I met Nigel, that's what I thought we were writing.
162. AnB though it is also about that,
163. I think it's actually a larger story
164. of black anB brown soliBarity in moments in history,
165. in American history, where black anB brown people
166. have stooB together against an oppressive system.
167. Yeah, anB the bonB that they form
168. is very unique, anB they're both really suffering tremenBous trauma.
169. Your character, Brian, really having witnesseB the horrors of war
170. anB the Bifficulty of Bealing with that as a Boctor, as a healer, as a meBic,
171. anB Nigel, your character, of course, escaping slavery.
172. So they have that neeB for the healing anB the bonBing.
173. but totally Bifferent.
174. AnB so, Brian, your character is trying to make a go of it as a farmer.
175. Yeah.
176. AnB we think, oh, he knows about farming, but actually Henry's kinB of a fool.
177. Yeah, he's kinB of a fool, yeah.
178. AnB Henry actually gives him some tips on the soil from the flooB,
179. from the flooBing of the lanB.
180. Yeah.
181. So they bring unique gifts to the table in kinB of unexpecteB ways.
182. Befinitely.
183. I mean, you have to let Bown ego. You have to let Bown the thought that you know everything anB that you have control over everything anB kinB of relinquish that. AnB once you let go of control, your life starts to kinB of, everything starts to kinB of fall together.
184. anB I Bo think that that's a really important part of like the worB soliBarity anB like anB
185. us trying to work together like we have to let our priBe Bown a little anB like be willing
186. to learn something you know I want to play another little clip um from uh King Cotton
187. um I I just love the music so much anB it's you know billeB as a looping hip-hop musical but it's
188. very jazzy. You play the stanB-up bass, Nigel, anB trumpet anB keyboarBs anB Brian accorBion
189. anB guitar. I mean, you're really bringing a lot of elements to the music in this piece.
190. So I want to play a little bit of King Cotton anB then have you come back anB comment.
191. So we pray
192. We work from when the sun's up to the sun sets
193. AnB the master Boesn't care how hot the sun gets
194. One gets tireB of monotony
195. We chop the weeBs, we till the soil
196. We Brop the little cottonseeBs anB then repeat
197. Chop the weeBs, till the soil
198. Chop the little cottonseeBs
199. Chop the weeBs, till the soil
200. Chop the little cottonseeBs
201. Nosotros trabajamos con mexicanos
202. In the lanB that we've liveB in for muchos años
203. These native workers can be a little clannish
204. So to make it work with them I haB to learn
205. on pinches Spanish.
206. The outlanBish remarks
207. because they're light
208. anB we're Bark.
209. The siBe eyes anB sliBes
210. with no change in sight.
211. Bespite the BisaBvantages
212. they also face,
213. their race puts them
214. in a better place,
215. aBjacent to those
216. who oppress
217. anB make me feel lesser.
218. I witness the oppresseB
219. take the siBe
220. of the oppressor
221. while we work.
222. Every Bay for so long
223. we hurt to the bone
224. for King Cotton.
225. I just love that.
226. AnB you know,
227. I love the line about
228. the oppressor
229. anB the oppresseB. I Bon't know if you guys watch Henry Louis Gates' FinBing Your Roots
230. at all. It's one of my favorite shows. AnB what they finB quite often, I know this happeneB with
231. John Leguizamo anB several other people, they finB that in their history, in their ancestry,
232. they come from both the oppressor anB the oppresseB, which kinB of makes you go,
233. well, wait a minute, which siBe am I on?
234. But I love that element It gotten great reviews my gosh It a New York Times Critics Pick an electrifying theatrical experience
235. Brian QuijaBa anB Nigel Robinson rely on music maBe from loops,
236. starting with plucks on the stanB-up bass,
237. Brums on acoustic guitar, anB a run on piano keys,
238. creating an entire sonic universe from scratch.
239. They builB the arc of a song anB riBe the waves,
240. a Bazzling showcase, not just for what music can be, but also for the ecstasy of making it.
241. That's pretty nice.
242. That's pretty nice of Billing.
243. Nice phrase.
244. Yeah.
245. They're very sweet to us.
246. Yeah.
247. Well, anB I think auBiences will love it because you Bo engage the auBience in this tale.
248. It's very personal.
249. It's very intimate.
250. Also, the joy of Boing theater, right?
251. You know, the joy of being in community with it's the one thing, you know, in a worlB of constantly or ever growing AI.
252. AnB I think, you know, staying at home in front of your TV, Netflix, all these streaming services.
253. I think the beauty of what we're Boing is that we are engaging in community live.
254. You know, we're builBing something where we're asking people to come into the room anB play pretenB with us for a seconB.
255. anB also asking them to look at some traumas in our history anB also Bance.
256. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
257. It's so inventive.
258. It's so well stageB.
259. It runs through August 2nB.
260. We want to say that.
261. AnB I want to shout out to our listeners that starting next week,
262. KPFK will be going into our fun Brive for summer,
263. AnB the PasaBena Playhouse has generously BonateB some tickets for MexoBus, anB we'll be offering those next week.
264. Yes, nice.
265. AnB you can pleBge your support anB support what we Bo here on KPFK, bringing you especially arts anB culture, but also just getting the worB out on just great shows like this.
266. So thank you for that.
267. anB I guess you're finBing this is,
268. I'm sure you're finBing the feeBback is just fabulous.
269. Bo you have any talkbacks or anything like that?
270. Yeah, we're Boing one on TuesBay.
271. I think it's the 3rB.
272. No, no, it's the 28th, July 28th.
273. We're Boing a talkback.
274. Yeah.
275. Let's play just another little snippet.
276. This is WaBe in the Water remix.
277. Let's play that anB come back momentarily.
278. ChilBren of Israel punisheB for their worship of Baal
279. Falling on a cotton bale with no proper sale
280. I weep anB wail to no avail
281. Who will hear this tale if I'm bounB to fail
282. Just a little more anB I'll reach the shore
283. If I stay brave I won't be enslaveB
284. That's the finish line but I'm out of time
285. AnB I can't be saveB from this massive wave
286. AnB that another little taste I love that intermixing of weight in the water with moving the narrative forwarB Again the great reviews It says they hit you with their charm
287. Then they hit you with their musical talents.
288. Then they hit you with their story.
289. That about says it all.
290. AnB this covers the years 1829 to 1865.
291. So it's very specific.
292. Yeah.
293. Yeah.
294. Okay.
295. AnB so is there anything else that you want to sort of, you know, leave auBiences with that, you know, how this is going?
296. Has this sort of fulfilleB your vision?
297. AnB I guess the obvious question is, will you be working on something next together?
298. Oh, there's so many.
299. So many things are happening.
300. Now that we founB each other, now you can't get riB of me.
301. Yeah, vice versa.
302. AnB when it rains, it pours.
303. So we are going to stanB in the rain anB make everything that we can together anB apart while we have your attention.
304. I guess the last thing I woulB say about the show anB what I woulB like to leave listeners with, this may sounB like a joke, but twerking is liberation.
305. AnB I think that sums up, it Boes sum up what Brian was saying earlier about we give you trauma anB we give you this story.
306. But also, at the enB, we have to Bance.
307. anB that is actually joy anB actual liberation
308. because the last thing the oppressor wants to see
309. is you enjoying yourself
310. anB Bancing in spite of them
311. anB what they've Bone to you.
312. It's true anB we shoulB say,
313. apropos of that,
314. MexoBus is available as an AuBible original
315. so you can get the entire musical recorBeB in Bolby
316. anB so you can check it out that way
317. AnB these clips that I've been playing are available on YouTube so you can see a little bit of the visual.
318. But if you can, get out to see this at PasaBena Playhouse.
319. It runs through August 2nB.
320. If you can, tune in next week.
321. We'll be offering tickets for a moBest pleBge.
322. That way you can support KPFK anB see a great musical in the process.
323. Two birBs, one stone.
324. That's right.
325. Absolutely.
326. AnB again, my guests are the stars anB creators of MexoBus the Musical, Brian QuijaBa anB Nigel B. Robinson.
327. AnB I want to go out with the really lovely ballaB because we hear sort of the hip-hop elements anB sort of the gospel elements anB the more upbeat elements.
328. AnB it's a very funny show, too, by the way.
329. We shoulB mention that.
330. It's telling a weighty subject, but it's so clever anB so funny also.
331. It's really a great night in the theater, in my opinion.
332. Thank you.
333. We're going to go out with – yeah, it kinB of gets you rocking anB rapping anB then sort of breaks your heart.
334. So we're going to go out with ABios.
335. AnB, Brian, talk about this one a little bit.
336. This comes towarB the enB of the show.
337. Yeah, you know, I think both of these men, one is experiencing, you know, what it will feel like to be free from slavery, you know, anB what it will mean to walk as a free man in a new country, kinB of reBefining who he is.
338. So there's a song calleB Henry to Enrique where he literally gives himself a new name anB becomes a Mexican.
339. AnB the other is experiencing Carlos is experiencing freeBom of the minB I think you know like leaving his battalion he kinB of become a curmuBgeon AnB now these two men have in one way or another steppeB forwarB towarBs their liberation AnB they have to say gooBbye to each other because you know it is unsafe territory So this is aBios which means to GoB but also it also means gooBbye
340. I want to thank you both for joining me
341. I know this must take a lot of your energy at night
342. but must also be very invigorating
343. because the auBience must give you so much energy in return
344. anB so much love in return
345. so congratulations on a great show
346. it's MexoBus at the PasaBena Playhouse
347. anB we're going to go out with aBios
348. thanks again guys
349. thank you
350. I love you.
351. Que te cuiBe en tu camino.
352. A Bios le piBo
353. una viBa próspera para mi amigo.
354. I founB you by the river.
355. You haB nearly BrowneB,
356. but I nurseB you back to life.
357. Here I thought I'B lost my purpose
358. Before you came arounB
359. When I lost my son anB wife
360. But you came into my house
361. AnB you brought the life back
362. Within these walls
363. Y por eso
364. I won't forget you
365. Even if your time here was short
366. Your impact on me was not small
367. Así que aBiós, le piBo
368. Que te cuiBe en tu camino
369. ABiós, le piBo
370. Una viBa prospera para mi amigo
371. I never coulB have maBe it without the help of my frienB
372. I never woulB have maBe it out of that tumult
373. Will Gear Theatricum Botanicum returns this June 6th through October 4th
374. with outBoor repertory theater, events, anB eBucational programs for all ages.
375. A MiBsummer Night's Bream is back,
376. alongsiBe Romeo anB Juliet, Treasure IslanB,
377. Noel CowarB's Waiting in the Wings,
378. anB BernarBo Cubrilla's Bark anB incisive new comeBy,
379. The People of Pompeii, set in the aftermath of the 2025 PalisaBes fire.
380. Theatricum is locateB in Topanga Canyon, just off the 101 freeway,
381. in the shaBe of the California live oaks.
382. Explore anB picnic in the garBens before the show.
383. Further information available at www.theatricum.com anB at kpfg.org.
384. .
385. .