América Tropical

América Tropical tells the universal story of a family fighting to stay together against forces intent on tearing them apart. Rita Rey, a young Mexican American, must save her family against Repatriation, the Depression-era policy where US citizens of Mexican ancestry were deported. Based on real people and events, our heroine uses her wits to outsmart a corrupt cop to get her family back. The show’s title comes from a controversial mural created by Rita’s love interest, David Siqueiros, the famous Mexican artist and communist revolutionary. América Tropical, the mural, is whitewashed but decades later manages to re-emerge, a metaphor for the resilience of Mexican Americans. In the end Rita understands the truths revealed in Siqueiros' mural cannot be whitewashed or covered up, and América Tropical still speaks powerfully of acceptance and equality. The writers are mindful that audiences, particularly in a post-pandemic world, want to be entertained not lectured to. While the underlying themes in América Tropical are vital, the overarching tone is upbeat and lively—similar to Cabaret and Chicago.

In April of 2020, NMI sponsored a Zoom reading with actors and a small, invited audience, where the first half of the show was read. In September of 2020 América Tropical was selected by McCoy Rigby Entertainment (MRE) as the winner of the Raise Your Voice script competition sponsored by Inclusion Media Group. In January of 2021 América Tropical was selected as a semifinalist by the O’Neill Theatre Center’s National Musical Theatre Conference. On March 1, 2022, McCoy Rigby Entertainment produced a concert reading of the show at the La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts. In October of 2022, América Tropical was selected by Musical Theatre West to be featured in their New Works New Voices Festival, and given a concert reading on November 13, 2022, at the Assistance League in Long Beach, CA. Also in November 2022, the American Theatre Wing selected América Tropical as a 2022 Finalist for the Jonathan Larson Grant. Theater Resources Unlimited selected América Tropical as the winner of their TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Series for 2025. The show was live streamed from Streaming Musicals Studios in NYC in February of 2025, and is offered On Demand, May 4-8 of 2025.