Black Broadway Theatre History ~ Our Moments and Circumstances 

• By iforcolor in Activist, Educator, History, Professor

• June 12, 2024

Hispanic and Latino theater history on Broadway reflects a long struggle for authentic representation, moving from early, often stereotypical portrayals to more genuine and diverse stories 

. Significant milestones include pioneering actors, groundbreaking plays, and successful musicals written and performed by Hispanic and Latino artists.

Early representation: Exotica and stereotyping

Before the latter half of the 20th century, Hispanic and Latino representation on Broadway was limited and often relied on stereotypes.

• The Good Neighbor Policy Era: In the 1930s and 1940s, artists like Carmen Miranda and Desi Arnaz were featured in Broadway shows but often portrayed within the confines of “exuberant sexuality and spectacular racialized exoticism”.

• West Side Story (1957): This classic musical is a landmark in its portrayal of Puerto Rican life in New York, but it has also been criticized for its use of stereotypes and for hiring non-Latino actors for principal roles. The original Broadway cast did, however, feature Puerto Rican actor Chita Rivera in a career-defining role as Anita.

Pioneering artists and milestones

The mid-20th century and beyond saw significant breakthroughs for Hispanic and Latino artists and stories.

• José Ferrer (1947): The Puerto Rican actor won a Tony Award for Best Actor for his role in Cyrano de Bergerac, becoming one of the first Hispanic performers to win a Tony.

• Short Eyes (1974): Written by Puerto Rican playwright Miguel Piñero while he was an inmate at Sing Sing Prison, the play premiered on Broadway to critical acclaim and was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Play.

• Rita Moreno (1975): She won a Tony Award for her performance in Terrence McNally’s The Ritz. She became the first Latina to achieve EGOT status (winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) in 1977.

• Zoot Suit (1979): Written by Luis Valdez, this was the first Chicano play to be produced on Broadway. It explored the Sleepy Lagoon murder and the Zoot Suit Riots of the 1940s in Los Angeles, tackling issues of Chicano identity and racism.

• Nicholas Dante (1976): As co-writer of the book for A Chorus Line, he was the first Latino to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

• Graciela Daniele (1990): The Argentine-American choreographer and director received a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2020 and has held key creative roles in many Broadway productions, including directing and choreographing Once on This Island.

The modern era: Expanding authenticity

The 21st century has brought more nuanced and successful Hispanic and Latino stories to the Broadway stage.

• Anna in the Tropics (2003): Nilo Cruz became the first Latino playwright to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this play, which focuses on Cuban immigrants in a Florida cigar factory. It later had a run on Broadway.

• In the Heights (2008): This groundbreaking musical with a concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes told an authentic, vibrant story of a predominantly Dominican-American community in Washington Heights. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical.

• Hamilton (2015): Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this pop-culture phenomenon featured a diverse cast that provided opportunities for many Hispanic and Latino actors and won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

• On Your Feet! (2015): This jukebox musical tells the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, celebrating their pop music and their Cuban heritage.

• Latin History for Morons (2017): A one-man play by John Leguizamo, it is an educational and satirical take on the underappreciated history of Latinos in the Americas.

• Matthew López (2021): He became the first Latino playwright to win the Tony Award for Best Play for his work, The Inheritance. In his acceptance speech, he called attention to the underrepresentation of the Latino community on Broadway.

The fight for greater representation continues

Despite these successes, Hispanic and Latino communities remain significantly underrepresented on Broadway, a disparity that artists and organizations are actively working to change. Organizations like Viva Broadway and initiatives from institutions like the New York Public Library highlight the ongoing need to celebrate and support Latino voices in theater. Upcoming productions, such as the musical Real Women Have Curves, continue to push for more representative and authentic storytelling.

The Hispanic and Latino theatre movement in the United States

• El Teatro Campesino

  : The most influential Chicano theatre company,

  El Teatro Campesino

  (“The Farmworkers’ Theater”), was founded in 1965 by Luis Valdez during the Delano grape strike led by César Chávez.

  • Actos: The troupe performed short, satirical, and politically charged skits called actos on flatbed trucks and in union halls to educate and motivate striking farmworkers.
  • Themes: El Teatro Campesino expanded its focus beyond farmworker rights to address broader issues affecting the Chicano community, including racism, the Vietnam War, and Mexican American identity.
• Expansion: El Teatro Campesino’s success inspired the formation of dozens of other Chicano theater groups. In 1971, the national organization El Teatro Nacional de Aztlán (TENAZ) was founded, bringing these companies together.
• Zoot Suit: In 1978, Luis Valdez’s play Zoot Suit became a mainstream theatrical phenomenon. The production retold the story of the 1940s Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles and helped open doors for Chicano theatre on a national level. 

• The Nuyorican Poets Café: The movement was institutionalized with the founding of the Nuyorican Poets Café in 1973 by Miguel Algarín, Miguel Piñero, and other writers. It began as a living-room salon for artists and soon became a vibrant space for poetry, music, and theatre.
• Identity and social issues: Nuyorican theatre gave voice to the struggles, stories, and cultural experiences of Puerto Ricans in New York. Early works explored themes of diaspora, discrimination, marginalization, and the conflict between island and mainland cultures.
• Short Eyes: Playwright Miguel Piñero’s acclaimed 1974 play Short Eyes, which depicted life inside a prison, won an Obie Award and received a Tony Award nomination, bringing national attention to the movement.
• Language and style: Nuyorican literature and theatre often incorporate bilingual and Spanglish dialogue, reflecting the fluid linguistic identity of the community. 

• Female voices: Since the 1990s, Latina theatre has become a vibrant and recognized genre, with a surge of female playwrights and solo performers exploring new themes from a feminist and postcolonial perspective.
• Continued activism: Many contemporary theatre companies, like the Chicago-based Teatro Luna, continue to use performance to address social justice issues, including immigration, LGBTQ+ narratives, and cultural representation.
• Recognition and new works: In the 21st century, Latino theatre has grown through festivals and initiatives at major theaters across the country. In 2021, Matthew López became the first Latino writer to win the Tony Award for Best Play for The Inheritance.
• Lin-Manuel Miranda: The massive success of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamiltonis a notable example of a modern Latino artist’s work reaching a global audience and reshaping the American theatre landscape. 

Famous Hispanic Latino American playwrights

A wide range of Hispanic and Latino American playwrights have created influential works for the stage. They explore themes of family, identity, immigration, and the complex cultural dynamics of the Latinx experience through a variety of dramatic styles.

Contemporary and award-winning playwrights:

Lin-Manuel Miranda: A Tony and Grammy award-winning writer and actor best known for the Broadway musicals Hamilton and In the Heights, which drew inspiration from his New York City upbringing in a Puerto Rican family.

Matthew López: The first Latino writer to win a Tony Award for Best Play for his 2021 work, The Inheritance. The play is a two-part epic that explores gay life in the 21st century.

Nilo Cruz: The first Latinx writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which he received in 2003 for his play Anna in the Tropics.
Quiara Alegría Hudes: A Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright for her 2012 play Water by the Spoonful. She also wrote the book for the musical In the Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Luis Alfaro: A MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” recipient whose work often adapts Greek tragedies to explore the experiences of Chicano communities in California.

Tanya Saracho: A playwright and TV showrunner known for works like Fade and for creating the Starz series Vida, which focuses on two Mexican-American sisters.

Influential and canonical figures
María Irene Fornés: A Cuban-American playwright and director, Fornés was a prominent figure in the 1960s Off-Off-Broadway movement. She received multiple Obie Awards for her experimental works and was a mentor to many other Latinx playwrights.
José Rivera: A prolific Puerto Rican playwright and screenwriter whose plays, like Marisol, blend realism with magical elements. He also wrote the screenplay for the film The Motorcycle Diaries.
Luis Valdez: Known as the “Father of Chicano Theater,” he founded the theatrical troupe El Teatro Campesino. His works, including Zoot Suit and La Bamba, brought the Chicano experience to mainstream audiences.

Griselda Gambaro: One of the most prolific and translated Latin American playwrights, Gambaro’s works explore the political violence and social realities of Argentina.

Rising voices
Charise Castro Smith: A playwright, screenwriter, and director who co-wrote and co-directed Disney’s Encanto. Her plays often incorporate magical realism to explore themes of heritage and family.
Monet Hurst-Mendoza: An emerging playwright whose work includes Torera, a story about two friends aspiring to become bullfighters in Mexico.

Alexis Scheer: A Colombian-American and Jewish playwright whose works include the play Our Dear Dead Drug Lord. 

West Side Story has a complicated relationship with Latino history on Broadway, initially created by four White men who based it on stereotypes of Puerto Ricans rather than authentic voices. Despite using “brownface” makeup in early productions, the show broke ground by addressing racial tensions and depicting gang violence and social issues that were rarely shown on stage. Later revivals and the 2021 film adaptation attempted to rectify this by casting Latino actors, increasing the use of Spanish, and consulting with cultural advisors.

Early Broadway and racial dynamics
Stereotypical portrayal: The original 1957 production was written by and cast with many white actors, portraying Puerto Ricans through the lens of the creators’ biases. Early versions required white actors playing Puerto Rican characters to wear “brownface” makeup.

Puerto Rican representation: While the musical brought Puerto Rican migration and ethnic conflict to the forefront of a mainstream show, its portrayal was often one-dimensional. The narrative centered on stereotypes of Puerto Ricans as outsiders and criminals, often ignoring the real-life issues of housing shortages and discrimination they faced. 

Authentic voices: The original cast included Puerto Rican actress Chita Rivera as Anita, but the creation of the story itself was not by Puerto Rican voices.

Artistic risk: The show was groundbreaking for its time by openly tackling controversial and taboo subjects like gang violence, rape, and racial hatred through explicit language and graphic staging, which pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on Broadway.

Subsequent revivals and reinterpretations
Shift in casting: Over time, the approach to casting changed, with later Broadway revivals casting Latinx actors in the roles of Puerto Rican characters.

Language evolution: The use of Spanish in the production also evolved. In some revivals, the Sharks spoke and sang in Spanish to provide a more authentic feel, though much of the Spanish was often removed during the production process.

2021 film adaptation: Steven Spielberg’s 2021 film adaptation further sought to correct the lack of authenticity by casting a predominantly Latino cast and incorporating more Spanish, even consulting with cultural advisors and historians. It also aimed to add more depth to the characters and their relationships, which had been one-dimensional in earlier versions.
Ongoing conversation: Even with these improvements, the story is still debated for being created by white men, and the question of who has the right to tell this story remains a topic of discussion.
West Side Story (1957) composite – https://youtu.be/jZ012u4bZc0?si=ZMFT95QU8MPJjJVB

Miguel Piñero 

• A “Nuyorican” voice: Piñero was born in Puerto Rico but moved to New York’s Lower East Side (or “Loisaida”) as a child. As a “Nuyorican,” his work often centered on the realities of inner-city life, combining English, Spanish, and street slang.
• From incarceration to the stage: While serving a prison sentence for robbery in the early 1970s, Piñero wrote his most famous play, Short Eyes, as part of an inmates’ writing workshop. The play’s success upon its release in 1973 earned him an Obie Award and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best American Play.
• Co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café: After his release from prison, Piñero co-founded the Nuyorican Poets Café with Miguel Algarín and others. The café became a vital space for Latino and other minority artists to present their work, free from the constraints of the mainstream arts establishment.
• Thematically authentic: Piñero’s work is celebrated for its authenticity in portraying marginalized communities and tackling taboo subjects such as drug addiction, crime, and homosexuality. 

• Short Eyes (1974): His most famous play, it is a graphic portrayal of prison life. Its title refers to an inmate accused of child molestation, or “short eyes,” and examines the unwritten code of prison justice.
• The Sun Always Shines for the Cool (1976): Explores the lives of hustlers and drug addicts on the street.
• Eulogy for a Small-Time Thief (1977): Another play that delves into the lives of criminals.
• La Bodega Sold Dreams (1980): A collection of his poetry. 

• Mentorship and influence: Piñero served as an inspiration and mentor to many artists, showing that it was possible to achieve success in the arts while remaining true to one’s roots.
• A historical record: His writing provides a crucial historical and cultural record of the Nuyorican experience. His use of street language and colloquialisms captured a reality that was often ignored by mainstream media and theatre.
• Continued relevance: Despite his death in 1988, Piñero’s work remains relevant today as a powerful testament to the struggles, resilience, and humanity of those living on the margins of society. 

PREGONES / PRTT
Pregones / Puerto Rican Traveling Theater

Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (aka Pregones/PRTT) is a multigenerational performing ensemble, multidiscipline arts presenter, and owner/steward of bilingual arts facilities in The Bronx and Manhattan. Our mission is to champion a Puerto Rican/Latinx cultural legacy of universal value through creation and performance of original plays and musicals, exchange and partnership with other artists of merit, and engagement of diverse audiences.

HISTORY
Pregones was founded in 1979 when a group of artists led by Rosalba Rolón set out to create new works in the style of Caribbean and Latin American “colectivos” or performing ensembles. Soon established as a Bronx resident company with a home season, Pregones remains in the vanguard of an arts renaissance radiating throughout and beyond The Bronx.

Spurred by stage and film icon Miriam Colón, PRTT was founded in 1967 as one of the first bilingual theater companies in all of the U.S. It is credited for nurturing the development of hundreds of Latino artists, legitimating cultural connections throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and pioneering models for community engagement. Following merger in 2014, our New York City season plays a decisive role in empowering underrepresented artists and audiences to claim their rightful place at the front of the American theater.

https://pregonesprtt.org

Miriam Colón’s theater career was primarily defined by her role as a pioneering founder of New York’s Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (PRTT), where she created opportunities for Latino artists and brought free bilingual performances to underserved communities. While her Broadway career was short-lived, her legacy is cemented by her vital work Off-Broadway and as a theatrical leader.
*
The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater
Colón founded the PRTT in 1967 with the goal of bringing free, high-quality, and bilingual theater to New York City’s diverse communities.
.
– Key facts about the PRTT:
Early touring: The company began by touring city neighborhoods with a production of The Oxcart, a landmark play by Puerto Rican playwright René Marqués. The tours drew large audiences, many of whom had never seen live theater before.

Permanent home: In 1981, Colón secured a permanent home for the company in a former firehouse on West 47th Street, where it operates today. 

* Artistic vision: As the founding artistic director, Colón emphasized works celebrating Puerto Rican and Latin American dramatic history. The company helped cultivate countless Latino artists, playwrights, and directors.
Merger: In 2014, Colón oversaw the merger of the PRTT with the Bronx-based Pregones Theater, creating the Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and securing the organization’s legacy.
* Off-Broadway achievements
Before and during her time with the PRTT, Colón was an active and respected figure in New York’s Off-Broadway theater scene.
Early foundation: In 1953, as a teenager, she co-founded her first theater company, El Nuevo Círculo Dramatico, which produced the play La Carreta (the original Spanish version of The Oxcart).
Notable productions: She appeared in several PRTT productions, including The Oxcart, The Boiler Room, and Señora Carrar’s Rifles.
– Lifetime achievement: In 1993, Colón received an Obie Award, which honors Off-Broadway theater, for Lifetime Achievement.
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Broadway performances
Colón had a less successful run on Broadway, where her three productions had notably short runs.
– In the Summer House (1953): Her Broadway debut was well-received.
– The Innkeepers (1956): Closed after only a few days.
– The Wrong Way Light Bulb (1969): Also had a very short run.
*
Awards and recognition
For her monumental contribution to theater, Colón received numerous honors.
– National Medal of Arts (2015): President Barack Obama awarded her the highest US award for an artist. The citation recognized her as a “trailblazer” in theater who “helped open doors for generations of Hispanic actors”.
– Obie Award (1993): For Lifetime Achievement in Off-Broadway theater.
HOLA Raúl Juliá Founders Award (2000): From the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors.
–
Miriam Colón’s early life in Puerto Rico directly shaped her career by giving her firsthand experience with the stories of the Puerto Rican people and igniting a passion for theater that she later used to create opportunities for other Latino artists.
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Early theater education in Puerto Rico
Colón’s interest in acting began in high school, where her talent was recognized and nurtured.
.
Encouragement from a teacher: While attending Román Baldorioty de Castro High School in San Juan, Colón’s drama teacher, Marcos Colón (no relation), was impressed by her talent.
Exposure to university theater: Her high school teacher helped her gain permission to observe drama students at the University of Puerto Rico, which provided her with early formal exposure to the craft.
.
Film debut: At just 15 years old, Colón made her screen debut in the 1953 Puerto Rican film Los Peloteros (The Baseball Players).
Upbringing in public housing.
Growing up in public housing following her parents’ divorce gave Colón a profound connection to the struggles and resilience of ordinary Puerto Rican families.
.
Firsthand experience: The experience of living in Residencial Las Casas in San Juan connected her to the working-class families who would later become the core audience for her theatrical work.
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Source of inspiration: In a 2003 interview, Colón said her mother was the inspiration for the stern but hardworking mother she played in Scarface, reflecting how deeply her upbringing influenced her character development.
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A scarcity of dignified roles
When Colón moved to New York in her late teens, she experienced the lack of opportunities for Latino actors.
Hollywood stereotypes: While she found television and film roles in Hollywood, Colón grew tired of being typecast in stereotypical “maids, mothers, and sex symbols” roles.
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Motivation for the PRTT: This frustration motivated her to found the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (PRTT) to combat the scarcity of respectable, dignified roles for Latino actors in mainstream American theater and film.
.
Focus on relevant stories: In a 1970 interview, Colón said audiences responded best to plays where they could “somehow recognize themselves or their neighbors”. This approach was a direct result of her own upbringing and her mission to create theater that resonated with the lives of everyday people.

Rita Moreno
Puerto Rican actress, singer, and dancer whose career spans over eight decades and represents a monumental struggle against Hollywood stereotyping. A highly versatile performer and one of the last remaining stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Moreno is the first Latina to achieve EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.
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Early life and film career
Childhood and Broadway debut: Born Rosa Dolores Alverío in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Moreno moved to New York City with her mother at age five. She began dance lessons and, at age 13, made her Broadway debut in the play Skydrift.
,
[ Rita Moreno’s Broadway career
– The legendary EGOT winner has starred in several Broadway productions. Notable examples include:
* Skydrift (1945), her Broadway debut at age 13.
* Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969).
* The Ritz (1975), for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
* The Odd Couple (1985), where she starred in the female version of the play. ]
The MGM contract: In the 1950s, she signed a seven-year contract with MGM Studios and was featured in musical films like The Toast of New Orleans (1950) and a small role in Singin’ in the Rain (1952).
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Battling stereotyping: Throughout this period, Moreno was frequently typecast in stereotypical “ethnic” or “exotic” roles, which she often found humiliating. This included playing a Burmese slave in The King and I (1956).
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Breakout role and the Oscar
Moreno won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in West Side Story (1961), becoming the first Latina woman to win an acting Oscar. Despite this success, the Oscar did not lead to improved roles, and she took a break from Hollywood filmmaking, working mainly in summer theater.
The EGOT and a diversified career
Moreno’s career diversified in the 1970s, leading to her EGOT achievement. She won a Grammy in 1972 for The Electric Company soundtrack and a Tony in 1975 for the Broadway play The Ritz. She also earned two Emmy Awards in the late 1970s for guest appearances on The Muppet Show and The Rockford Files.
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Later work and activism
Moreno has continued her career with diverse roles in television, including Oz and One Day at a Time, and voice acting, such as Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?. She returned to West Side Story in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake, appearing in a new role and serving as an executive producer. A lifelong activist, Moreno advocates for Latinx representation and women’s rights and attended the 1963 March on Washington. She has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts, and a Kennedy Center Honor.

On Your Feet!

On Your Feet!, the musical based on the lives of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, is no longer on Broadway, having ended its run in 2017. However, it is a very popular show that has been performed in several international productions and on national tours since its initial run. A concert featuring the cast of the 2022-2024 national tour took place in October 2024.

About the show
On Your Feet! tells the true story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan’s journey from their humble beginnings in Cuba to becoming international superstars. The jukebox musical features many of their greatest hits with the Miami Sound Machine and as a solo artist, including:
“Rhythm Is Gonna Get You”
“Conga”
“1-2-3”
“Get On Your Feet”
“Coming Out of the Dark”
Production history
Original Broadway run: The show ran at the Marquis Theatre from October 5, 2015, to August 20, 2017.
National tours: The musical has completed multiple national tours across the United States.
International productions: It has also been produced in the Netherlands, London’s West End, and other countries.
New Gloria Estefan musical
While On Your Feet! is not currently playing on Broadway, a new musical with music by Gloria and her daughter Emily Estefan is in development. Called Basura, it is scheduled to have its world premiere at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta in 2025.

A list of prominent Hispanic and Latino theaters in the

USA
Northeast

New York
Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (Pregones/PRTT)
is a Bronx- and Manhattan-based company that serves diverse communities, with a focus on under-resourced Latinx neighborhoods. The company originated as two separate entities—one in the South Bronx and one in
Hell’s Kitchen
—that later merged.
R.Evolución Latina
is a New York-based organization and partner of
Pregones/PRTT
. It develops artistic programs and produces theater, such as the event “Aguardiente: In Process”.
Washington, D.C.
GALA Hispanic Theatre
is a performing arts venue that presents productions in both Spanish and English.
Midwest
Ohio
LatinUs Theater
in Cleveland is the first Latino/Hispanic Blackbox Theater in Ohio. It presents classical Spanish theater productions with English supertitles.
Illinois
Visión Latino Theatre Company
in Chicago produces theater centered on the Latine experience, including Las Borinqueñas, which explores the stories of five women in 1950s Puerto Rico.

Aguijon Theater Co
in Chicago offers works featuring Spanish-language performance, including the musical Contra Ritmo, which uses mariachi music and ballet.

Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA)
is a Chicago-based organization that produces the annual Destinos festival, which features Latine theater artists and companies.

Water People Theater
is a Chicago-based company founded by Héctor and Iraida Vásquez that produces bilingual theater.

Southwest
Arizona
Borderlands Theater
in Tucson explores the art and issues of the US-Mexico border region and produces new works in the Southwestern tradition.

Texas
Teatro Vivo
in Austin provides high-quality bilingual theater that reflects the Latinx experience.

Pacific Northwest
Oregon
Milagro
(formerly
Miracle Theatre
) in Portland is a hub for Latino arts and culture. It produces plays for adults and youth and hosts workshops and festivals.

California
Los Angeles
Latino Theater Company (LTC)
, located at the
Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC)
, is a prominent Latino theater company that produces new and classic works.