Pursuing a comedy career comes with challenges all its own, but as an openly gay entertainer in the 1980s, Marga Gomez had an additional set of hurdles to overcome. “Latin Standards” is Gomez’s 12th solo show.
Plus, San Antonio’s American Indians bring attention to the recent discovery of human remains on the property of the Alamo.
‘In The Entertainment Industry Of The Dominant Culture...I Don't Look Like Those People. I'm A Brown Girl.’
Gomez was one of the first openly lesbian performers in the nation. As her career was beginning to launch, she was often told to keep that part of her identity off the stage. But as the daughter of immigrant entertainers, Gomez was determined to follow in her parents' footsteps into show business.
“Latin Standards” recalls Gomez’s childhood in Manhattan’s Washington Heights and portrays the colorful characters she encounters in her journey, from her youth in 1960s New York to present day San Francisco.
It’s also a tribute to her father, Willy Chevalier. Chevalier, named Wilfredo Gomez at birth, was a Cuban comedian, producer, composer and vaudevillian, who performed in the golden era of New York’s farandulas — Latino variety shows.
“Latin Standards” debuted off-Broadway in New York’s Public Theater in 2017 and has since been performed across the U.S., including Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Gomez brought the show to San Antonio in September.
Human Remains Discovered At The Alamo Unearth Local Tribes' Frustrations Over Cemetery
The Alamo is the cradle of Texas liberty, but it’s also the site of a Catholic cemetery. The famous battleground served as a mission to area Catholics for many years before it was secularized and memorialized in Texas history.
American Indians in San Antonio used Indigenous Peoples Day to draw attention to the recent discovery of human remains on the site.
Norma Martinez can be reached at norma@tpr.org and on Twitter @NormDog1 and Lauren Terrazas can be reached at lauren@tpr.org and on Twitter @terrazas_lauren.
