INTERVIEW: Rafa Reyes explores musical ties between Mexico, U.S. in new cabaret show
Rafa Reyes is in a celebratory mood, and that can be evidenced by his new cabaret show, A Mexican Affair, which will play April 8 and 20 at the Metropolitan Room in New York City. The evening of music, stories and romance includes songs by Mexican and American composers. With Reyes at the microphone and a five-piece band at his back, the show promises to be celebration of two cultures and a transporting experience to another era.
“When I started working on this project, I wanted to find something that was unique and special,” Reyes said recently in a phone interview. “So audiences from the show can certainly expect a selection of beautiful songs written by Mexican and American composers, but they will listen to them in a totally new way.”
The composers who will be featured include Maria Grever, Agustín Lara, Frederick Loewe, Alan J. Lerner, Jimmy Kennedy, Michael Carr, Consuelo Velazquez and Ben Weisman, among others.
“Since I was a kid, I remember listening to these songs in Spanish from different artists but also in English,” Reyes said. “For example, there is this song that I am a huge fan of, ‘You Belong to My Heart,’ which in Spanish is ‘Solamente Una Vez.’ … I saw this movie, ‘Los Tres Caballeros’ (‘The Three Caballeros’). The song is in the movie in English as well, so it’s one of those things that I adore of these songs. … They have gone beyond borders from Mexico into the U.S. And they have become so popular, and people have fallen in love with these songs in English as well, which has created such a beautiful bridge for Mexican music to come here to the United States.”
When Reyes was in high school, he started to become immersed in the theater world. He was enamored of singing, dancing and playing music, and one day he took his passion from a hobby and made it a profession.
“After I finished college as an industrial engineer, I graduated, and I completed my degree,” he said. “I was looking for job opportunities and where to take my professional career, and circumstances led me to audition to a musical theater school here in New York. I went AMDA, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, and they took me in. I got a scholarship, and it was a quick transition at the moment. But it was, I think, the best decision that I could have done.”
Over the years, Reyes has built a long résumé of shows and roles at many different theaters. He has performed in Man of La Mancha, Once on This Island, Carousel and West Side Story, among others. A Mexican Affair came from his time as producing fellow with Convergences Theatre Collective. The show, which is directed by Jeremy Williams, premiered in January of 2016, and it has seen several performances in the metropolitan area.
“Certainly it is a lot of work to carry the show, but I have always felt very supported by everything — the director, the band,” he said. “Everyone in the band has been really supportive. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but I don’t think it’s ever been exhausting. It’s one of those feelings when you are tired, but you are tired for the best reasons. And the adrenaline that it gives me to do the show, it’s fantastic. I love it. I can never get enough of it. I wish I could have more performances more often, and I’m working toward that because I can never get tired of this show.”
Backing up Reyes are Felipe Fournier, music director and vibraphone; Guillermo Barron on percussions; Dan Martinez on bass; Joel Mateo on drums; and Hugh Moreno on trumpet. The hope is that the band can stay together beyond these Metropolitan Room concert, tour the show around, record an album and produce music videos.
“The creative team of this show and I are working toward more performances here in the city,” Reyes said. “There’s a lot of dance that I want to include in this project. There’s a lot of stories that I want to tell through these music videos.”
As far as the audience is concerned, Reyes hopes they leave the performances humming the recognizable tunes and reliving some of their own memories. “I would hope that they leave feeling like they want to dance more, and they want to listen to these songs again that have been classics,” he said. “The older generations who are in the audience can have so many beautiful memories of when they heard these songs a long time ago, and the younger generations can have a really cool approach to the music. So I would like them to leave humming these songs and leave aware as well of the many links there are between the cultures of Mexico and the United States, and also to think about how important it is to keep them alive and keep them strong.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Rafa Reyes will perform in A Mexican Affair Saturday, April 8 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, April 20 at 9:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room in New York City. Click here for more information, and click here for tickets.
