"Escaping Queens" Revival Brings Family History, Music, and a New Hero to the Stage
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
Joe Ortiz's funny, edgy, ultimately hopeful musical memoir opens this Friday, July 3, and plays through August 2. Conceived and written by the talented Capitola songwriter/restaurateur based on his published memoir Pastina: My Father's Misfortune, My Mother's Good Soup, the musical had its World Premiere at Cabrillo Stage in 2012, and returned again to sold-out houses in 2013. Since then, the creative team of Joe Ortiz and director Greg Fritsch have continued to develop the production. We are very excited that this new version is making its debut at Actors' Theatre, and interviewed Joe to get his thoughts on this summer's production of "Escaping Queens."
AT: Escaping Queens premiered at Cabrillo Stage in 2012, and was brought back the following year as well. What's changed between that first version and the show that's happening at AT now?
JOE: After doing concert readings at Queens Theater, Hillbarn Theater, and Shelton Theater, we strengthened the climax scene where Mama finally throws her husband, Herman, out of the house for good. So she becomes the true hero of our story,
AT: Has your view of the autobiographical material shifted or grown since the first production? What is it like seeing aspects of your childhood life unfolding on stage?
JOE: Yes, through much therapy and writing the memoir version of the story (Pastina), I discovered that some of the primal bad feelings that surface for me in present day were merely remembrances of experiences I may have repressed in my childhood. This was very freeing for me emotionally,
AT: How much is fiction for the sake of the drama?
JOE: I’d say that 85% of the story is true and 15% is fiction.
AT: You have some original cast members coming back for this revival. What did/do you enjoy about working with them? How close is their portrayal to the real people in your memoir?
JOE: It’s been an uplifting experience to have worked with Lori Rivera, Adam J. Saucedo, Greg Fritsch, and Max Bennett-Parker on many iterations of the show. All of them are consummate professionals and we are all emotionally very close as dear friends. Lori and Adam do a bang-up job portraying the real characters, even down to the accents and attitudes.
AT: What do you want audiences to come away with when they come see the show? Do you think the message is different now, given the current state of the world, or much the same?
JOE: To break the cycle of abuse, someone has to stand up and make a hard decisions. And take action. In our musical, that person is Mama. Our message has more focus now that Mama has become the hero.
AT: Is there anything new with the music in this version?
JOE: Several songs were dropped out and none were added. Greg Fritsch did a wonderful job of sharpening some of the lyrics for many of the songs to emphasize the concept that Mama is the hero of the story,
AT: You've been collaborating with Greg on this show and others for 25 years. What do you like best about working together? How do you each inform the other's work and vision?
JOE: We’re like family. We have our disagreements and our mutual inspirations. We’ve had some of the same experiences in our youth and family life. And we love to tell stories.
AT: Anything else you'd like to add?
JOE: Remember that our willingness to delve into our past experiences can help us forge new present-day revelations about our joy of life.
"Escaping Queens," by Joe Ortiz and directed by Greg Fritsch and Cathy D. Warner, runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm and Sundays at 2 pm from July 3 through August 2. Tickets for all Thursday performances are two for the price of one (use the code 2for1). Get tickets HERE.
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