POP, ROCK & JAZZ
ESEQUIEL AGUILAR PHOTOS
MARIACHI FESTIVAL
Ángela Aguilar
5:30PM - 6:30PM
at
NIGHT LIZARD BREWING COMPANY
Join Santa Barbara Independent’s senior editor, Tyler Hayden, as he dives further into this week’s cover story.
independent.com/extra
anging out on the Fiesta flatlands of State Street last weekend, it could seem that an unofficial mariachi festival was unfolding. But Saturday night brought this great American music in a fuller, high-end form with the 24th annual Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival at the Santa Barbara Bowl. This year’s affair featured the polished sounds At the Santa Barbara Bowl, of Mariachi Garibaldi de Sat., Aug. 3. Jaime Cuéllar, Mariachi Aztlán, and Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea, joined by bold-piped singers Shaila Dúrcal, the striking 15-year-old Ángela Aguilar (daughter of Pepe Aguilar) and seasoned heroine/ranchera queen Aida Cuevas. This festival was sold out, with proceeds funding scholarships for area Hispanic youths. Though timed during Old Spanish Days, the festival is really more about Old Mexico — mariachi is a rich and evolving
THE ADDAMS FAMILY include a hilarious bit requiring Fester to cross an entire row of seated audience members. George Walker gives a dazzling performance as Gomez Addams. This fast-talking Latin patriarch has great dance moves, a supple singing voice, and a dilemma that’s the logical outcome of his proudly uxorious nature: an inability to stand up to his wife. As Morticia Addams, Melinda Parrett gives a performance that grows more complex and interesting with each scene. Stunning newcomer Jisel Soleil Ayon makes a glamorous and lively Wednesday. There’s great fun to be had when George Walker and Melinda Parrett Wednesday tortures her brother, Pugsley (Stephanie Roman), and there’s strong hanks to PCPA, we can now snap fin- chemistry in her scenes both with Gomez gers along with America’s First Family and with her boyfriend, Lucas Beineke of Goth as the stars of a musical com- (Tiago Santos). edy. This excellent production succeeds Andrew Philpot and Jennie Greenthanks not only to a superb cast but also berry start out providing contrast as to a magnificent collaborative effort by the Mal and Alice Beineke, the conventional parents who come to dinner, but director and his team of choreographers and scenic and costume after Pugsley slips something Presented by PCPA. designers. from Grandma’s stash into Alice’s At the Solvang Tyler Matthew Campbell nar- Festival Theatre, drink, Greenberry lights up the rates as the Sat., Aug. 3. Shows game of “Full Disclosure” with her genial, gen- through Aug. 25 honest abandon. Congratulations der-ambiguto the entire crew on creating this ous Uncle Fester. His dark and delicious entertainment. & ENTERTAINMENT comings and goings — Charles Donelan
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REVIEWS
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THE INDEPENDENT
AUGUST 8, 2019
INDEPENDENT.COM
musical tradition with roots in 19th-century Jalisco, and a robust, always sharply dressed modern-day culture. Deep respect for tradition is the norm, but there can be occasional detours, as with Aguilar’s periodic “pop-iachi” moves, a surprise heavy-metal moment in the Mariachi Aztlán set, with an electric guitarist wailer making a cameo, and Latin jazz asides in the Cuevas/Garibaldi set. Among the newer developments in the genre is the matter of gender rejiggering. At Saturday’s festival, the all-female (and all-powerful) Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea were on hand, and the other bands at least included a few women in the ranks. And it was a woman who left the most lingering memory: Cuevas doled out hits; sang a semiposthumous duet with late ally Juan Gabriel (d. 2016), who sang his part via pre-recorded video; and generally owned the Bowl for a night. Her set was a little Fiesta of her own devising. — Josef Woodard
THEATER
LUIS ESCOBAR REFLECTIONS PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
Wednesday AUGUST 14
H
Shaila Dúrcal
Aida Cuevas