LA OPINION Dan Guerrero With unique style and charm, Dan Guerrero tells his life story in a one-of-a-kind monologue. The experience of a Latino homosexual can only be described by Dan Guerrero in “Gaytino!”, the title he has given his new show. The theatrical monologue by Guerrero performing this weekend at Highways, weaves a story from his youth in East Los Angeles to his stage career in New York and on to a return to his native and beloved city of Los Angeles. Blending his unique successes with personal experiences, Guerrero paints a portrait rich in color and laughter. Dan Guerrero began his life in the heart and center of the Chicano world. As the son of the legendary and renowned Lalo Guerrero, known as the “Father of Chicano Music”, Dan quickly learned how to be the center of attention from early childhood. At 20 years of age, Guerrero decided to leave L.A. for the excitement of New York. Combining his passion for music and theatre, he began his career off-Broadway and in summer stock performing in musicals like “Bye, Bye Birdie”. The actor/singer prospered in the Big Apple but eventually turned his efforts to actor’s representative (Broadway agent). But, memories of the West Coast, his family and friends along with his ever-questing soul and curious mind for new vistas and challenges, finally seduced him into returning to Los Angeles and a career as a casting director and later, television producer. “You get to a certain age and you begin to miss your family, your roots. I was fortunate enough to return to my hometown and continue my career. More specifically, I wanted to contribute, to participate in the growing and vital Latino market. In my vision, I saw it coming and its eventual importance. I knew how interesting it was going to be with its enormous diversity and I wanted to be a part of it. I had to be!” His decision to move into television production proved a lucrative move. Some of his projects include “The Paul Rodriguez Show”, “The Maria Conchita Alonso Show” and the PBS special, “Vikki Carr: Memories/Memorias”. Now that he has proved the
value of his experience as actor and producer, Guerrero launches into
a new type of show counting solely on his talent as comedian and raconteur. “I feel blessed to have Lalo Guerrero as my father and Carlos Almaraz as my best friend, each in his own original way a leader and pioneer in the Chicano world. I wanted to celebrate them both and in so doing, remind people of the contributions from these two very special men.” Although “Gaytino!” deals primarily with Guerrero’s personal experiences, the show’s aim is to embrace all those who have for one reason or another, been made to feel different or inferior, as well as those who want to approach another way of life in order to better understand it. Guerrero smiles as he adds, “I dare say that includes more than gays and Latinos.” Guerrero, in his very original style, tells of meeting a member of the audience who revealed he never thought he’d watch a gay Latino tell of his life’s experiences on a stage. But, the gentleman described by Guerrero as “a Jewish attorney in his 50s”, quickly added, “I loved the show!”. “The message is universal. Everyone suffers from an identity crises at some point and asks the same question. ‘Where am I going with this life?’ I believe this show reaches everyone,” says the charming Guerrero. Maybe it’s the way Guerrero describes his very personal experiences to his audience without fear or restrictions. Perhaps it’s the way he recalls performing before President Nixon at a White House dinner without a trace of ego that elicits such positive reaction to “Gaytino!”. “I am completely open. I reveal a lot of things in “Gaytino!”, but that’s never been a problem for me. In my life, I do something, I accept it and then I learn from that experience and move on. There are no skeletons. I am proud of who I am.” |