The Hyde Square Task Force will present "El Barrio: Boston Latin Quarter’s Musical," this Saturday, May 20, with two shows at 2 and 7 p.m. on the Blessed Sacrament Campus at 361 Centre St. in Jamaica Plain. The musical features more than 50 teen artists with an original script, dance choreographies and music. The show is free and open to the public.
El Barrio tells the story of how the residents of Jamaica Plain's Hyde-Jackson Square neighborhood came together over the past decades to address a crisis of violence, drugs and gangs while creating a supportive, caring network. During the show, the audience will move around to several different stages on the campus as they gain the perspective of members of the local Latino immigrant population.
“We are very excited to present El Barrio to the community, as it was the community that inspired us to take on this project,” said Brenda Rodriguez Andujar, director of arts and cultural programs at the Hyde Square Task Force. “Our talented youth and team of resident artists from the music, dance and theatre disciplines have been collaborating for months so that they can relate a story that needs to be heard,” she added.
El Barrio is part of an overall initiative led by Hyde Square Task Force youth to brand Boston’s Latin Quarter. A year ago, the Boston City Council voted unanimously to officially designate Hyde-Jackson Square as Boston’s Latin Quarter. Currently HSTF and the City of Boston are working with the Massachusetts Cultural Council to designate the area as a Massachusetts Cultural District. A major component of the Latin Quarter vision is to make the area a “Hub of Afro-Latin Art” in Greater Boston, and El Barrio is one of many cultural events that will take place this year.
Contact Ken Tangvik for more information at ken@hydesquare.org.