'Mexodus' Off-Broadway review — lost history gets a stunning musical spotlight
Read our review of Mexodus off Broadway, a new hip-hop musical written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson at the Minetta Lane Theatre.
You know you’re in for a treat with new musical Mexodus as soon as the lights go down and the performers step on stage. Bursting with infectious, buoyant energy, creators and stars Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson have the crowd laughing, smiling, and doing call-and-responses from the get-go. But no amount of good vibes can adequately prepare audiences for the historical, sometimes hilarious, often heartbreaking journey they’re about to take us on.
The pair were inspired by the lost history of the southern routes of the Underground Railroad that allowed enslaved Black people to flee to Mexico. They share in the opening song that between 4 and 10 thousand people escaped slavery by crossing the Mexican border, though little is known about their stories. (“Did you know this shit? We didn’t know this shit!” Quijada and Robinson exclaim.)
Both performers step into many roles to make the stunning tapestry of Mexodus come together. Quijada and Robinson each play a character in their story: Carlos, a Mexican war veteran and farmer, and Henry, an escaped slave, respectively. But they also both narrate the story, offering asides, personal tidbits, and a light historical education for the audience. They also each play a staggering amount of instruments, all of which are live-looped to create layered songs that soundtrack the action in real time. It’s mesmerizing to watch Quijada and Robinson go from upright bass to piano, or from guitar to accordion, building their music brick by brick without missing a beat.
Mexodus, directed by David Mendizábal, comes just as packed with history and intention as it does with good music and good fun. It may just be the most fun you have at a show all year. But what makes this musical so likely to stay with its audience is the creators' focus on intersectionality: what solidarity between oppressed groups meant in the past, what it means in the present, and what it will mean in the future.
Mexodus summary
Based on their research on the people who escaped slavery through the Underground Railroad’s southern routes, Quijada and Robinson came up with the characters of Henry and Carlos to imagine what their search for freedom may have looked like.
Henry is a young enslaved man in Texas who is forced to flee for his life and his freedom across the Rio Grande. Carlos, a veteran of the Mexican-American war, takes him in but wrestles with his conscience about what to do with the fugitive in his barn. The men soon discover they have more in common than they thought.
What to expect at Mexodus
Visually and aurally, Mexodus first brings to mind the era of 1990s hip-hop. The costumes, and beats, and the raps seem designed to bring you back in time. But there’s so much more than initially meets the eye. As the musical progresses, the sheer amount of cultural influences make themselves known to anyone with an ear to listen. Spanish guitar, Mexican bolero, rap samples, African American spirituals — they all, and more, make up the fabric of the score.
Even the costumes (designed by Mendizábal) prove to be intensely versatile, transforming from '90s chic to 1850s period dress with just a tweak or two. Perhaps the best bit of costuming is when Quijada becomes 1850s Mexican farmer Carlos by, among other outfit tweaks, attaching spurs to the heels of his Adidas sneakers. The jangle they make as Quijada walks is just as imposing as the sight of them is funny.
What audiences are saying about Mexodus
Boasting a 97% audience approval rating on Show-Score, Mexodus is a crowd-pleaser. Audience members rave about the talent and creative ingenuity of performers Robinson and Quijada, and many praise the way the show shines a light on a little-known part of American and Mexican history.
- “Mexodus is a skillfully acted musical history lesson with 2 stars in the making!” - Show-Score user Brennalynne
- “It is an incredibly moving, rich, layered, and thoroughly inventive show.” - Show-Score user Richard 8260
- “The layering of the music was amazing. The storytelling was compelling and inspirational. A definite must watch” - Show-Score user Angelica V
Read more audience reviews of Mexodus on Show-Score.
Who should see Mexodus
- Music lovers will have a blast picking out the myriad cultural influences in the Mexodus music, as well as watching the live looping happen in real time.
- Theatregoers looking for a new, fresh, boundary-pushing musical will find a lot to love in Mexodus, which knows when to be reverent and when to be irreverent.
- Fans of Hamilton on Broadway will love Quijada and Robinson’s combination of hip-hop music and historical storytelling, especially as the creators here highlight an overlooked but fascinating slice of history.
Learn more about Mexodus off Broadway
You will laugh, you will cry, you will learn, you will reflect, and you will be sorely tempted to take Quijada and Robinson up on their invitation to “shake your ass” in the aisles of the theatre.
Photo credit: Mexodus off Broadway. (Photos by Curtis Brown)
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