‘American Mariachi,’ at Two River Theater, is a tale of music, rebellion and healing

T,.CHARLES ERICKSON

The cast of “American Mariachi” performs the play’s grand finale, at Two River Theater in Red Bank.

“Proper women don’t go into bars,” a young woman’s father tells her in “American Mariachi,” which is currently being presented at Two River Theater in Red Bank. Federico (Martín Solá) is a mariachi musician himself, but fights the attempt of the play’s main character, his daughter Lucha (Addie Morales), to learn the art form. Which doesn’t sit well with her or her frequently wisecracking best friend and cousin, Boli (Heather Valazquez).

“It’s the ’70s, man,” Boli says. “News flash: ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves.’ Hello? Women’s lib?”

T. CHARLES ERICKSON

Addie Morales, left, and Maggie Bofill co-star in “American Mariachi.”

In this 2018 play — set “somewhere in the American Southwest” and directed, here, by James Vásquez, with a 14-member cast — Lucha and Boli do indeed assemble a mariachi band of their own. Not to perform in bars, but solely to be able to play a song written long ago by Federico for Amalia (Maggie Bofill), his wife and Lucha’s mother, who is now suffering from dementia.

It is a love song that Amalia used to listen to over and over again. Amalia’s vinyl record — the only recording of the song, made by Federico just for her — has been broken, in a tantrum, by Federico, who is now estranged from her. But Lucha and Boli believe that if they can learn how to play music and then perform it for Amalia, it will break through her dementia fog.

“This is our only chance to do something a little crazy before we grow old and turn into stone faces,” Lucha tells Boli. “My dad doesn’t have to know.”

And so they put together a band, piece by piece. First they find Isabel (Marina Pires), who has a powerful voice, but whose jerk of a husband Mateo (Jordan Arrendondo) isn’t exactly sympathetic to women’s lib. Then, the insecure Gabby (Erika Zade), who doesn’t have a husband or even a boyfriend, but is promised that once she joins the band, “men will go wild.” And finally, Soyla (Crissy Guerrero), who is older and sassy and becomes something of a mother figure to the other four.

T. CHARLES ERICKSON

From left, Addie Morales, Erika Zade, Crissy Guerrero, Heather Velazquez, Marina Pires and Bobby Plasencia in “American Mariachi.”

Under the tutelage of Lucha’s godfather Mino (Bobby Plasencia), they do ultimately coalesce into a solid, professional-sounding outfit. I don’t think I’m giving away too much to say that. This is a comedy — with nostalgic dream sequences and elements of soap opera-like melodrama, yes, but still a comedy — so that is practically guaranteed.

But even before they get there, there is lots of first-rate mariachi music in this production, played by Arrendondo and four musicians — Christopher Casado, Edgar Jamil Mata, Emilio Hernandez and Jared Martinez — who perform in the mariachi group, Mariachi Internacional Tapatio de Alvaro Paulino, in real life. This sharply dressed mariachi quintet functions like something of a Greek chorus, popping up from time to time to add a sense of tradition and musical atmosphere to a story about neophytes trying to dive into that culture and become part of it.

The band also helps make “American Mariachi,” as a whole, feel festive. So does the gorgeous set (see top photo) by the scenic designer known as Diggle. Boldly bright, intricately detailed and adorned with lush flowers, it almost seems to have a life of its own.

As handsome as the production is, and as polished as the acting is, I found González’s story itself to be a bit flimsy. “American Mariachi” offers lots of messages, having to do with the way music can heal or evoke memories, and the sense of empowerment that Lucha and her bandmates feel by entering the male-dominated field of mariachi. But to build all that around a story that is, ultimately, about a group of people coming together to play one song, for one person, who won’t even necessarily get anything out of it … it’s a nice fantasy, I guess. But I felt that there wasn’t all that much at stake, and that González ultimately tied all his story’s loose ends together a little too neatly.

Two River Theater in Red Bank will present “American Mariachi” through Oct. 20. Visit tworivertheater.org.