Fresh off their sold-out Off-Broadway run, LATINA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL is
a critically acclaimed new hybrid holiday comedy that blends stand-up with theatrical storytelling starring three comedian friends: Sandra Valls (Showtime's "Latin Divas of Comedy"), Maria Russell (TruTVs "Tacoma FD") and Diana Yanez (Margaret Cho's "Sensuous Woman").
"A twist on Dickens! ...hilarious and
heart-wrenching...CRITIC'S CHOICE!"
— Los Angeles Times
"...a universally heartfelt, hilarious,
and insightful show."
— New York Daily News
"TOP SHOWS...add a little spice in
your eggnog!"
— Time Out NY Magazine
a COMEDY
for our times!
(PG-13)
a show for the
52 MILLION Latinos
in America & THE PEOPLE
WHO LOVE THEM!
Rewriting the holiday standard
with spicy originality!
A HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE
in the style of:
"Critic's Choice" and
"Things to do in LA!"
5 YEARS IN A ROW!
"...laugh-out-loud-trio."
— Alegria Magazine
"...Universal Appeal. A poignant play, a goofy spirited, lark...with just enough tears to offset the sweetness. — Theatermania
SYNOPSIS
Three sassy BFFs get together for a holiday gathering, down plenty of tequila and share embarrassing childhood photos. After a toast, Mexiunian (Mexican-Lithuanian American) Maria confesses to every hilarious detail of her overprotective and controlling Mexican mother’s behavior. Maria also reveals that she was heavily bullied as a child and, thanks to her fierce mother, that girl “stopped bullying me after my mom threatened her life… in church… with a machete.” Maria’s story inspires Diana to reveal her complex Cuban-American childhood. “Christmas at Casa Yanez was always haunting… disturbing...and traumatic.” She describes the sheer chaos of her childhood growing up with her traumatized parents who had barely escaped Fidel Castro’s deadly take-over. Big drama was a part of every holiday as illustrated by Diana when she tells one of her most hilariously disturbing memories - that Christmas her family was attacked by a giant flying cockroach! These high-spirited tales inspire Sandra to share her Christmas experience as a queer child growing up Mexican Catholic in a border town household in Laredo, Texas. Besides the usual yuletide anxiety experienced by most first-generation Hispanic-Americans - “We were nothing like the white people on TV” - young Sandra wonders if her parents will ever get it “that I liked boy toys NOT girl toys.” And when her mom was diagnosed with a rare terminal disease, it was this journey as a caretaker that gave Sandra a new perspective. She realizes that it’s not always “what we have to do, but what we get to do.” Having shared their stories, all three women connect with the universal truth that families and holidays are hard, but always full of joy, wonder, and hilarity.
LATINA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL fosters understanding among different Hispanic groups and promotes tolerance in America through humor and the sharing of the universal experiences of childhood.
"...laugh yourself silly! Continues to make audiences laugh, touch their hearts &...hold family close."
— LatinHeat.com
Think tequila, music, laughs and Feliz Navidad...my personal year-end favorite."
— NYC's Original City Guide
TRAILER
highlight clips 1
highlight clips 2
highlight maria
highlight DIANA
highlight SANDRA
BULLYING & DREAM
DANCER BARBIE
CUBA TO
MOON OVER MIAMI
LOVE & DYING
This is a small sampling of the positive press that LCS has received.
To see audience rave reviews,
please see our Facebook profile or check out Show-Score.com
"CRITIC'S CHOICE" "Hilarious and heart wrenching... (a) very special 'Special.'"
Go to link"...funny and intimate stories of childhood Christmas 'dramas' that make them uniquely American."
Go to link"A twist on Dickens!" "A Times Critic’s Choice in 2015, the show mines the performers’ very different backgrounds to dispel stereotypes of monolithic Latin culture."
Go to link"...Universal appeal.... A poignant memory play [and] a goofy, spirited, lark… a warm chocolate cookie and milk with just enough tears to offset the sweetness.”
Go to link"TOP SHOWS...add a little spice in your eggnog!
"...divertidísimas, íntimas, y conmovedoras historias navideñas!" (*...entertaining, intimate and poignant Christmas stories!")
Go to link"What to do this weekend in L.A. Critics Picks"
"...give yourself the gift of catharsis with three first generation Latinas."
"Spreading holiday joy, laughs...and a queer take on Christmas"
"...muy personales, divertidas, sorprendentes, y dramaticas." (*Very personal, fun, surprising and dramatic.")