BY ROSALBA ROLÓN
¡Saludos! As you may have heard, and seen, PregonesPRTT launched 2026 with plenty of celebrations and events, and now we can’t seem to stop!
Receiving an OBIE AWARD, launching a dynamic 21 Islands International Film Festival, Artists Residencies, and a superb 18th edition of MARCH IS MUSIC Series at Pregones Theater, our Bronx gem, anchored the New Year beautifully. These events set an enthusiastic tone for the launch of our Spring season, with a creative menu that reminds me of a wedding celebration of sorts. There’s a reason for it, though!
Remember the traditional rhyme that symbolizes good luck for brides on their wedding day? Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue… and what better way to bring this notion to the stage than with THE WEDDING MARCH, set to run at our Puerto Rican Traveling Theater stage from April 9th – May 3rd!!
SOMETHING OLD – a connection with the past
The Wedding March originally premiered in 1991 at our theater venue at the time, on the grounds of historic St. Ann’s Church, in The Bronx. Yes! 35 years ago. When I first laid my eyes on Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood, I opened the book and could not put it down. Written by Judith Ortiz Cofer (1952-2016), the book is a collection of stories and poems dedicated to the nuances of womanhood, memory, and cultural identity. I became restless, and that is usually an indication of…well, enough to say that, working with our amazing ensemble, we traced the roadmap for a staged adaptation of the book. I worked on the staged adaptation of portions of the book, testing the material with a company actress, two actors, composer, and musicians. And The Wedding March was born. On its opening day, the Author and her daughter came to see the production. She had been supportive and excited about this exploration of her stories. “For a moment, I forgot I had written those words”, she said, after receiving an ovation from the attending audience. She was kind, grateful, and supportive.
We are indebted to that original team, which included actress Judith Rivera (a warm first-name coincidence), playing the central role, actors César Rodríguez and Rafael Decena (RIP), musicians Cristina Hernández in its first round, Ricardo Pons working arrangements of classical works, further developing the score with Desmar Guevara, and fellow ensemble members Alvan Colón Lespier and Jorge B. Merced. The piece called for strong storytelling, movement and musical instrumentation.
SOMETHING NEW – optimism and new life
Here we are, in 2026, breathing new life into the same text, on a different stage, and a mix of new and original creative voices. The effortless way would have been for me to direct the play again, and for Desmar Guevara, our Musical Director, to reproduce the compositions and arrangements from 1991. But we needed to push further. So, what’s new in 2026? In comes Rosal Colón, who grew up within the company, is a member of our Ensemble, and who saw the piece for the first time when she was a toddler. Today, she is a magnificent stage and film actress, making her directorial debut this time around. With creative guidance from Jorge on various fronts, and Desmar re-approaching the music via a string quartet, the fierce talents of a new generation of performers, including understudies, and our Creative Team, we are staging ‘something new’. Jenyvette Vega anchors the production with her excellent performance and voice, generating a chain of memories and movements in tandem with actors Gabriel Leyva and Ismael Castillo moving into each other’s space effortlessly. They discover, re-discover, discard, recover, they are a blast!!
SOMETHING BORROWED – ohhh those old family photos
On a quiet evening, Rosal pulled out old family photos—four generations back–, taking snapshots of pictures taken in the early 1900s, with her 2026 iPhone. She seemed to see something in them she had not seen before. And that is because theater gives us an opportunity to experience borrowed memories, in new and exciting ways. We see a bit of ourselves –sometimes a lot – with theater works such as The Wedding March. We hear these days something similar all over the world ‘ debí tirar más fotos’. It takes a work of art to take us ‘there’, and then bring us back, giving us a chance to celebrate what we’ve just re-discovered. Rosal, too, was ready, just like the rest of the team.
SOMETHING BLUE – purity, lasting love
Text, music, movement, lights, visuals. All these production elements respond to each other when we have a powerful source such as Judith Ortiz Cofer’s. We see it. We know it. Almost right away. When we see something different, provocative, inspiring. It takes a meaningful, powerful source such as Silent Dancing… Yes, it can be a nostalgic reaction at first. And then it moves further. You can’t help but laugh out loud because … “was Mamá right after all?” The town’s gossip, the town’s loca, the town’s magic. Lasting memories. Lasting love…something blue.
We are carrying 2026 with enthusiasm, optimism and hope. We are not ignoring the challenges that surround us throughout the country, and around the world. But we know that the consistency of our work, the work of hundreds of arts organizations –large and small -, and the resilience of thousands of creative souls around the world, continues to build collective strength. We hope you can join us and experience this unique musical theater production that is The Wedding March. Running at our Puerto Rican Traveling Theater from April 9th – May 3rd. Here is the link: The Wedding March – Pregones/PRTT
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! – No One Can Do It Alone
While The Wedding March runs in Manhattan, we will be working towards the creation of TORCHED! – In Concert. Yes! We are working on adapting this popular production into a staged Concert, where the stories about the infamous Bronx fires of the 1970s become center stage once again, at Pregones Theater in The Bronx!! May 28th – June 3rd .
As for next Season? Stay tuned for our 26-27 Season Announcement. Coming soon!