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Regional Reviews: Minneapolis/St. Paul River Road Boogie: The Augie Garcia Story
Structurally, River Road Boogie: The Augie Garcia Story resembles Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, which has had several highly successful runs at the History Theatre, deftly blending the saga of the musician's personal journey with knock-out musical performances. River Road Boogie opens with Augie's return from service in the Korean War to his loving family home in the West Side Flats, a Latino neighborhood in Saint Paul. Augie buries traumatic war memories by throwing all of his energy into resurrecting his garage band and their rollicking early rock and roll sound, burnished with a hint of their Hispanic heritage. The group is a mix of Augie's old hometown friends and some new recruits, and the combined sound, coupled with Augie's explosive energy, propels them to ever increasing success. They land a standing gig at a major venue, the River Road Club. During a performance, Augie meets one of his fans, Nancy, and electricity strikes. Before long, the group pools their money to cut a record, which helps them gain even more success. A radio DJ, Joe Zingale, heavily promotes their music, and lands them a slot as the opener for Elvis Presley at a 1956 concert in Saint Paul, a performance which proves to be another rousing success, to the displeasure of Presley's promoter, Colonel Parker. The result pushes the Augie Garcia Quintet to even greater and wider renown. At first this is all too good to be true, but Joe pushes the group to reach for more, lining up a gig in Chicago and the prospect of being seen by producers from the coasts. This leads to conflicts among band members who have different levels of commitment to pursuing success beyond their hometown. Augie must sort out his loyalty to friends, the prospect of fortune and fame far beyond his home, the values instilled by his family, and the repressed demons of his war memories. A tragic event that forces the River Road Club to close its doors further complicates the decisions Augie must make. Because we know going in that Augie Garcia did not leap to the national stage, did not follow Buddy Holly's trail launch from hometown hero to nation-wide rock and roll icon, the decisions Augie makes are not a surprise. What does surprise, and is handled very well both by Minjares' script and Vázquez' performance, is the inner journey Augie takes in the course of making that decision, as he faces his desires, his values, and his fears, head on. The play's resolution is powerfully poignant, and reveals more about Augie's character than is often the case in musical bio-dramas. Among a strong cast, Ricardo Vázquez shines, easily justifying being the recipient of the Ivey's 2013 Emerging Artist Award. His singing and dancing are so pumped with energy, talent, and charisma, that from the first time out we know Augie has what it takes to soar high. Vázquez's Augie is shy and awkward, and then romantic with Nancy, both goofy and driven with his bandmates, anguished as he relives his war experience, naïve dealing with music promoters, rebellious against his parents' traditions, respectful toward his beloved Tio Frank, and self-assured in taking hold of his own destiny. Vázquez knits these facets together to create an original and eminently likable full-blown character. The other five band members are played by Shawn Hamilton, Riley Jacobson, Matt Rein, Corey Stampley, and Benjamin D. Wagner, and all are terrific. Their singing, playing, and dancing complement Vázquez as they create a band that actually sounds like they have been gigging together for years, yet all portray their particular characters as individuals, with issues and ambitions of their own. While Augie's journey is always in front, each of the band members makes a unique and heartfelt contribution to the whole. Lara Trujillo brings maternal love and wisdom to her portrayal of Mama Garcia, Pedro R. Bayón is a loving Papa Trujillo, somewhat beaten down by the world but standing by his son. Eric Knutson creates two very different portraits as River Road Club owner John Gospeter, discovering to his surprise that he likes this new rock and roll, and Colonel Parker, imperious promoter of Elvis Presley. In addition to playing band member Mike Continelli, Mike Rein creates a sly Joe Zingale, the DJ whose initial support for the group conceals his self-serving ends. Only Kelly Matthews as Nancy seems to play at a lower energy wattage than the rest of the cast. (To be fair, Nancy Garcia herself was in the audience at the performance I attended, so perhaps this affected Matthew's performance.) Raúl Ramos directs with a deft and sensitive touch that shifts between raucous rock performances and deeply felt dramatic scenes with no loss of momentum. Choreographer Regina Peluso invents lively jive moves for the musicians, and joyful kinetic images as the ensemble dances into a rock and roll frenzy. Tom Mays' set design is a wonder: a giant cutaway image of a guitar that lights up around the edges, superimposed with a replica of the Robert Street Bridge, spanning the Mississippi to connect the West Side flats with the rest of Saint Paul. The bandstand on which the group practices and performs slides out from under the bridge's distinctive arches. Slides projected over both sides of the stage help to identify specific locations. This highly creative, evocative and functional single set piece is abetted by Karin Olson's evocative lighting, especially crucial in creating the scenes of war remembrance. Cana Potter's costumes accurately capture the styles of the 1950s. Minjares has written the play with frequent references to the Twin Cities, mentioning neighborhoods, popular beers, schools, and hang outs, which play well to the local crowd. However, the story is a universal one which, like Augie's music, should be welcomed far beyond its Minnesota origins. Augie's story deserves to hit the big time even if he never made it there himself. In the meantime, for an evening of dramatic heft, a window into a little known piece of local history, and totally entertaining music, check out River Road Boogie: the Augie Garcia Story at the History Theater. River Road Boogie: The Augie Garcia Story continues at The History Theatre through May 31, 2015. 30 East 10th Street, Saint Paul, MN, 55102. Tickets from $25.00 - $40.00; students 6 —18, $15.00; senior (age 60+) and under 30 discounts available. For tickets call 651-292-4323 or go to historytheatre.com. Writer: Joe Minjares; Director: Raul Ramos; Musical Director: Sarah Hohenstein Burk; Choreographer: Regina Peluso; Scenic Designer: Tom Mays; ; Costume Designer: Cana Potter; Lighting Designer: Karin Olson; Sound Designer: C. Andrew Mayer; Properties Designer: Kirby Moore; Production Manager/ Stage Manager: Janet L. Hall; Assistant Stage Manager: Laurie Flanigan Hegge; Assistant to the Director: Lucas Skjaret; Technical Director: Gunther Gullickson. Cast: Pedro R. Bayón (Papa Garcia, Ensemble). Shawn Hamilton (Willie Brown, Ensemble), Riley Jacobson (Jessie Lopez, Ensemble), Eric Knutson (John Gospeter, Colonel Parker, Ensemble), Kelly Matthews (Nancy, Ensemble) Matt Rein (Mike Continelli, Joe Zingale, Ensemble), Corey Stampley (Jimmy Cornbread Harris, Ensemble), Javier Trejo (Tio Frank, Ensemble), Lara Trujillo (Mama Garcia, Ensemble), Ricardo Vázquez (Augie Garcia), Benjamin D. Wagner (Donny Rustad, Joe Leon, Ensemble). Dancers: Samuel Castillo-Freberg, Nakita Kirchner, Roni Paige, Noah W. Ratgen.
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