'Mexodus,' a live-looping, hip-hop history lesson, reenergizes the American musical

The American philharmonic has been searching for a way forward. Broadway has settled into parody mode aft suffering immoderate mega collapses. “Mexodus,” a live-looping, hip-hop philharmonic astir an enslaved idiosyncratic who seeks sanctuary southbound of the border, offers encouraging signs of beingness for the creation form.

This two-person musical, written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, arrives astatine Pasadena Playhouse straight from its award-winning off-Broadway run. And it’s hands down the astir charming, innovative and warmly embracing caller philharmonic I’ve seen successful the past year.

Brian Quijada, left, and Nygel D. Robinson successful “Mexodus” astatine the Pasadena Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

“Hamilton” looms ample arsenic an power successful this amusement spun from a lesser known section of American past — the communicative of the Underground Railroad that led southbound to Mexico. But “Mexodus” is simply a much intimate and idiosyncratic experience. Quijada and Robinson invitation america into the process of making their musical, constructing the show’s soundscape and philharmonic people successful existent clip by signaling philharmonic phrases into a looping presumption and layering successful sound.

Musically and vocally gifted, they wring harmonies and beats from an assortment of instruments, mixing genres and styles with an eloquence that surpasses the exposition sprinkled into the lyrics.

Robinson plays Henry, an enslaved idiosyncratic moving connected a plantation successful Texas who’s wrongly accused of raping his master’s wife. While being beaten wrong an inch of life, helium defends himself and kills his attacker, aft which helium has nary prime but to fly crossed the borderline via the treacherous Rio Grande.

Nygel D. Robinson, left, and Brian Quijada successful “Mexodus” astatine Pasadena Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

He hardly survives the stream journey. In fact, helium apt would person died had it not been for Carlos (Quijada), a erstwhile service medic, who rescues him from the stream and tends to his wounds. Carlos, a farmworker, brings Henry backmost to the barn, wherever helium lives, and determination Henry dilatory regains his strength.

As the enslaved betwixt the 2 men grows and Henry works the onshore beside Carlos, their evolving narration is potently conveyed done the euphony Quijada and Robinson marque together. Hip-hop is their communal language, but Robinson is besides fluent successful blues and spirituals portion Quijada speaks forcefully done Mexican people rhythms.

After a flood, the 2 men excavation their mode retired of the disaster. Guitars instrumentality the spot of shovels, arsenic Henry present repays Carlos’ kindness by helping to prevention the onshore that Carlos assumes is ravaged.

Nygel D. Robinson successful “Mexodus” astatine Pasadena Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

Quijada and Robinson follow the masks of their characters arsenic freely arsenic they momentarily acceptable them speech to straight code the audience. We larn a spot astir the backgrounds of some actors, arsenic they situate themselves successful the American communicative they are seeking to expand.

“Mexodus” proceeds similar a philharmonic parable. The communicative of Henry and Carlos is outlined successful condensed lyrical strokes. The euphony fills successful what the penning leaves blank. (The libretto structures but doesn’t assemblage retired nonliterary means of expression.) This is simply a fictional story, provoked by humanities estimates that, from 1829 to 1865, betwixt 4,000 and 10,000 enslaved persons sought state successful Mexico. But past is being deployed for the contiguous time intent of alliance-building and antiauthoritarian renewal successful a politically challenging time.

The production, directed by David Mendizábal and choreographed by Tony Thomas, is simply a joyous affair. Riw Rakkulchon’s ingenious set, suggestive of some a barn and a furniture of orchestral wonders, allows “Mexodus” to relation simultaneously arsenic a suspenseful melodramatic yarn and a jam session.

Brian Quijada successful “Mexodus” astatine Pasadena Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

Mextly Couzin’s lighting ushers successful old-fashioned Broadway pizzazz erstwhile needed. Johnny Moreno’s video and projection plan artfully augments the production’s imaginative world. And Mikhail Fiksel’s looping systems architecture and dependable design, portion beyond my method comprehension, added to the unsocial magic of a people that is discovering itself successful existent time.

But the existent magic of “Mexodus” is the spiritual kinship betwixt Robinson and Quijada, a enslaved that is expressed done their dazzling philharmonic virtuosity and their shared committedness to realizing the belated committedness of American freedom.