By Victoria Infante
03 Oct 2024, 1:00 PM EDT
On one occasion, after a concert, a short, friendly man approached Asdru Sierra—one of the founders, lead vocals and musician of the indie band Ozomatli—to give him a letter. The man had a request for Asdru; But between the daily grind and travel, the artist lost the letter.
On another occasion, the same short, friendly man appeared again.
“He told me, ‘in case you lost the letter, here I bring it again,’” Asdru said with a bit of embarrassment. “And I read it in front of him; “He said if he could put music to a play.”
It was the play ¡Pasaje!, written by J. Quiroz, a graduate of South El Monte High School—located in the city of the same name—and which would be presented for the first time in a theater with professional actors. The man who insisted Asdru so much was Christopher “Chip” Healy, a math teacher at the same high school who was not only proud of the work of one of the former students, but wanted to enhance a piece whose story takes place in South El Monte. with everything and its Latin community.
“That’s when I got into making music,” Asdru said. “I was touched by what ‘Chip’ was doing for his students.”
Finally, after years of planning and a long interruption due to the pandemic, ¡Pasaje! will have its world premiere at the Sierra Madre Playhouse this weekend. The musical work will have an orchestra that will play live the almost 30 songs that Asdru composed for it.
Like Asdru, other people donated their time and talent to bring ¡Pasaje! to the stage! Literally, it is a labor for the love of art.
“It must be clarified that it is something very humble and with people from the community. And they are people who became fond of history. “This is how the maestro ‘Chip’ inspired us all,” said the vocalist. “He wants to make his students’ dreams come true.”
In detail
That: Passage!
When: from Friday, October 4 to November 3, from Friday to Sunday
Where: Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre
As: tickets from $12
Information: sierramadreplayhouse.org