Theater performs 'Nunsense' in Spanish

Arizona Broadway Theatre proves that laughter is the universal language when it presents a Spanish version of Nunsense on Sunday.

The Peoria dinner theater is taking a break from its regular English performances of the musical comedy about the misadventures of the Little Sisters of Hoboken, which runs through Sept. 21, and partnering with Valley-based Spanish-language theater company Bru's Musical Theatre, which will provide the cast for the Spanish version.

"We wanted to teach our cast Spanish, but there just wasn't enough time," Arizona Broadway Theatre's Joe Martinez said with a laugh.

The show will benefit Advocates for Latin Arts and Culture, which director Gerardo Bru founded to promote Latino arts locally.

"We're trying to raise funds to build a cultural center for Latinos in the Valley," Bru said. "There will be a special dinner with Cuban music, as well as an art show in the lobby of the theater featuring Latino art and sculpture. Then we'll perform Nunsense with English supertitles above the stage. And because it's a benefit, there will be plenty of prizes and raffles."

Bru said the comic musical, which his theater has been staging since 2006, is a natural fit in Spanish.

"It is pretty close to a direct translation, even the jokes are the same," he said. "It was adapted by Manolo Fabregas, he was called 'Mr. Broadway' in Mexico. He did it in the '90s and it was a huge hit."

Although the Catholic humor resonates with Latinos, Bru said Nunsense's appeal to Mexican audiences is simply that it's a musical comedy.

"Mexicans love American musical theater," he said. "A lot of people don't know that Mexico City is the fourth largest theater town in the world, behind New York, London and Toronto. That's one of the reasons I founded Bru's Musical Theatre. I'm trying to keep the traditions, but I really want to show that Mexican culture is more than mariachi and norteño music."