"Latin History for Morons" Comes to the Ahmanson

FOLLOWING ITS HIT BROADWAY RUN JOHN LEGUIZAMO’S “LATIN HISTORY FOR MORONS” IS COMING TO LOS ANGELES

Written & Performed by JOHN LEGUIZAMO

Directed by TONY TACCONE

“Boisterous, joyful and politically urgent, there couldn’t be a better time for ‘Latin History for Morons.’ Keeping an entire theater enraptured through his own musings, impressions, and literal pratfalls, Leguizamo gives us a space to cheer and cry, to laugh and listen.” – David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly

Following its Tony-nominated hit Broadway run seen by tens of thousands, Tony Award winner John Leguizamo’s one-man play “Latin History for Morons” will be presented by Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from September 5 through October 20, 2019. Opening is set for Sunday, September 8.

The WOW Agency brings “Latin History for Morons” to Los Angeles as part of a North American tour that premiered at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York and has traveled across the country including engagements in Atlanta, Dallas, Durham, Hartford, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and San Antonio among others. For more information on upcoming city engagements, please visit LatinHistoryOnTour.com.

“Latin History for Morons” is inspired by the near total absence of Latinos from his son’s American History books. John Leguizamo embarks on an outrageously funny, frenzied search to find a Latin hero for his son’s school history project. From a mad recap of the Aztec empire to stories of unknown Latin patriots of the Revolutionary War and beyond, Leguizamo breaks down the 3,000 years between the Mayans and Pitbull into 110 irreverent and uncensored minutes above and beyond his unique style.

Ben Brantley of The New York Times called “Latin History for Morons” a “surprisingly poignant one-man play that slyly poses sharp and timely questions of what culturally defines American identity and who, in the nationalistic age of Trump, has ‘the right’ to be here.”

Steven Suskin of The Huffington Post concluded, “John Leguizamo is back, as smart, provocative, bracing – and wise – as ever. In this dazzling comedic-philosophic evening of laughter, his Latin lesson is a treat.”

“Latin History for Morons” concluded its successful run on Broadway on February 25, 2018. The original 16-week engagement was extended an additional three weeks on opening night, November 15, 2017. The production was the first play of the 2017-2018 season to recoup its entire capitalization.

“Latin History for Morons” marks theatre’s most prolific modern Latino playwright, John Leguizamo’s sixth one-man venture onto the stage, following success on Broadway with “Ghetto Klown” (Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award), “Freak” (Drama Desk Award), “Sexaholix…A Love Story” (Tony nomination) and Off-Broadway with “Mambo Mouth” (Obie Award) and “Spic-O-Rama” (Drama Desk Award). “Mambo Mouth,” “Spic-O-Rama,” “Freak” and “Ghetto Klown” all went on to be filmed for presentation on HBO.

Fresh off the celebrated and financially successful Broadway run of “Ghetto Klown,” Leguizamo began his acclaimed work on “Latin History for Morons.” The play had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre followed by its New York premiere at The Public Theater. Directed by Tony Taccone (“Wishful Drinking,” “Bridge & Tunnel”), the Tony-nominated production of “Latin History for Morons” is written and performed by Leguizamo, featuring scenic design by Rachel Hauck, lighting design by Alexander V. Nichols and original music and sound design by Bray Poor.

“Latin History for Morons” is produced by The WOW Agency, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and The Public Theater.

For more information, please visit LatinHistoryOnTour.com.

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading nonprofit theatre company, which, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Ritchie, Managing Director Meghan Pressman and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, programs seasons at the 736-seat Mark Taper Forum and 1600 to 2100-seat Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the 317-seat Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to presenting and producing the broadest range of theatrical entertainment in the country, Center Theatre Group is one of the nation’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics and circumstance to serve Los Angeles.

Tickets are available online at CenterTheatreGroup.org, by calling Audience Services at (213) 972-4400 or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles). Tickets range from $35 – $145 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Ahmanson Theatre is located at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.

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August 29, 2019

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