![\"John](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/03_Ahmanson_Season_2019_2020.jpg\")
<\/a>John Leguizamo. Photo by Matthew Murphy.<\/p><\/div>\n
On top of that nescience, I usually shun one-person productions. But I\u2019m such a fan of the Ahmanson Theatre that I never want to miss any of their presentations, so I had<\/em> to see Latin History For Morons<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0And I\u2019m glad I did.\u00a0\u00a0Even though I\u2019m far from Latin, I sometimes am<\/em> a moron!\u00a0\u00a0So this was definitely for me. (On a side note about the theatre, I brought a friend who had never been there before. She was enchanted by the entire evening, from observing the impressive Music Center with virgin eyes, to seeing the many opening night celebrities so up-close and personal, to taking snaps of the lobby photo ops, to admiring the excellent sound system, to the show itself. So I thank the Ahmanson for making me look so good to my pal!)<\/p>\n I had been pondering how I was a tad familiar with John Leguizamo\u2019s name and penchant for solo endeavors when I’ve never seen his work. And then I remembered–it’s because he won a Special Tony Award last year, (which is the same way I heard of James Corden before he<\/em> became really famous.\u00a0 It pays to be smart enough to watch the most under-viewed, and under-valued, awards telecast!)<\/p>\n In case you also<\/em> are new to John Leguizamo\u2019s wit, Latin History for Morons<\/em> is presented as a lesson for the audience, complete with blackboard and colored chalk, (which you know I love!) A more fun time in a classroom I cannot imagine. He incorporates just about every type of humor imaginable–stand-up, skit, blue, impressions, accents, ethnic, performance art, even musical. And the guy can dance<\/em>!!! How can one person be so talented?!<\/p>\n John Leguizamo. Photo by Matthew Murphy.<\/p><\/div>\n And, like few teachers I ever had in all four of my colleges, he makes it fun. (Duh\u2014on Broadway, it was nominated for a Tony, so of course<\/em> it\u2019s fun!) The amazing thing is that he\u2019s really giving us fascinating facts that have been, shamefully, left out of American history books. But I was laughing so hard that I didn\u2019t get that upset about the world\u2019s injustices when he was apprising us of them. And then it hit me later, big-time. I hope everyone who sees this show has that reaction. And keeps<\/em> having it!<\/p>\n I\u2019m ashamed to say that even with my 147IQ and two college degrees, I\u2019ve learned the most about real<\/em> American History not from school<\/em> but from recent Los Angeles theatre<\/em>! Last year, Allegiance<\/em> taught me about Japanese internment camps, and just last week I was informed about the plight of Chinese-Americans in The Chinese Lady<\/em>. And the very next night, John enlightened me about what the Latin people have gone through, including the Colombian Holocaust and the Indian Removal Act. God bless theatre, man! And, shockingly and appallingly, it\u2019s all happening again now! We really do need to desperately try to stop the horrors that are being perpetrated upon yet another<\/em> group of immigrants to this country by the unbelievably insane and unfit head of our government even as I write and you read. Shame on America, then and<\/em> now! (Whew\u2014I can understand why John gets so riled-up while discussing this topic!)<\/p>\n At the core of this two-hour monologue is a story of bullying, which always breaks my heart. John tells us up front about the bullying of his son, who he says is graduating from middle school, which would make him fifteen at the time. (Well, fourteen, if like me, he skipped a grade back then.) In real life, the son is nineteen now, so John most likely worked on this piece for at least two years before he first presented it! That\u2019s true dedication.<\/p>\n John Leguizamo. Photo by Matthew Murphy.<\/p><\/div>\n The narrative goes that, in trying to help his son choose a hero for a school project, John realizes that there are few Latin<\/em> ones featured in existing history books. So he begins his own search for a Latin hero to share with his son. And with us. And the facts he comes up with are far from anything I\u2019ve ever learned in school! I always dig into subjects I learn about in these shows, and John has given me at least a whole month\u2019s<\/em> worth of research to do! I never knew about any<\/em> of it! (Also, I notoriously took my naps during history class, so I didn\u2019t even know the Caucasian<\/em> versions of these events. Just enough to run the category on Jeopardy<\/em>!)<\/p>\n But to enjoy Latin History for Morons<\/em>, you really do not need to have any knowledge on the subject. Or even a quest<\/em> for knowledge. I\u2019m sure he hopes you get some awareness out of this presentation, but it is a show<\/em>, after all, so entertainment is the real goal. And that it totally delivers on.<\/p>\n On opening night, John got laughs from the get-go, (as I\u2019m sure he does at every<\/em> performance.) And I had been wondering how one guy was going to fill that gigantic Ahmanson stage\u2014silly me!<\/p>\n He speaks so naturally that\u00a0he\u2019s a pleasure to listen to. It\u2019s like he\u2019s in my living room, just talking to me. John Leguizamo is one those people who are just naturally funny. Even when he\u2019s just talking, without any schtick, he\u2019s making us all laugh. Sometimes with just a word<\/em>. (I\u2019ve rarely seen anyone else be able to do that, outside of Dame Edna and Mr. X! It\u2019s a true talent.)<\/p>\n Latin History for Morons<\/em> features a ton of absolutely brilliant lines, but I was enjoying it all too much to spend time writing them down for you. But the one I will never forget is that he said the conquistadors were \u201clike NBA players at a Kardashian pool party.\u201d That one had people choking on their laughter.<\/p>\n Actually, the audience I saw it with was really raucous. That took me a bit by surprise because most of them were the regular opening night-ers, who are usually so staid and calm. I really enjoyed seeing them let their hair down like that.<\/p>\n John Leguizamo. Photo by Matthew Murphy.<\/p><\/div>\n But I do<\/em> have to say that the production is way too long. A good twenty minutes could easily be cut, and I think everyone would go home a little happier. Not to mention a little earlier. (The CTG website says that Latin History For Morons<\/em> runs an hour and fifty minutes, but on opening night, it was over two hours! That\u2019s too hard to sit through with no intermission.) [Note: This is not just my<\/em> opinion, by the way. While totally praising the show as we exited, I heard many people expressing the same sentiment. Just most others are not brave enough to say it where it counts.]<\/p>\n The first hour went flying by. And then I began to look my watch. I was still fine when I thought there were only about twenty minutes left. And then the scenario seemed like it was coming to a natural conclusion when the tone got a bit quieter and more serious at his family’s Thanksgiving. And I got ready to jump to my feet and wildly applaud. But then it kept going and going and going. I\u2019m sure John has enough material to do a twenty-four<\/em> show. And energy enough to pull it off. But the audience does not. It was actually too much of a good thing. (Kind-of like this review. Don\u2019t you wish it had ended about four paragraphs ago?)<\/p>\n And, in all honesty, I didn\u2019t love every single second of it, (like when he imitated Stephen Hawking\u2019s electronic speech, which was so not necessary, and I never understood how looking for a Latin hero for a school project would ward off bullying,) but he had me for about ninety-seven percent of it, which is pretty darn good for a one-person performance!<\/p>\n John has been doing Latin History For Morons<\/em> for about two years now, which I wholeheartedly admire. I could never repeat even one<\/em> of my stories for the entire run of my former TV show, Karen\u2019s Restaurant Revue<\/em>! John has been repeating the same anecdotes about eight times a week for about twenty-four months!!! I can\u2019t even figure-out how he is able to do that! Perhaps hearing the guffaws of the audience give him that superpower.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve learned that there\u2019s a film version of Latin History For Morons<\/em>, as well. But I one hundred percent advise anyone in the Southern California area to see the show live<\/em> at the Ahmanson. There\u2019s something so special about being a part of an appreciative and laughing audience that seeing it on TV in your home just cannot give you. And I have a feeling that each performance has a bit of a different vibe to it, especially because John speaks directly to certain members of the audience from time to time.<\/p>\n I can only hope that since his wife is Jewish, his next show will be Jewish<\/em> History For Morons; I\u2019d love to learn the truth about my<\/em> people in John\u2019s inimitably comedic way.<\/p>\n The very creative set by Rachel Hauck. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n On one more very personal note, here\u2019s something I really thank John for. In his interview in the program, he said, \u201cI need to please me, because that\u2019s who I write for, really, and if I can write for myself and please myself, then I know it\u2019ll please somebody else.\u201d That really got to me because I have always written for others<\/em>, never for myself, And after reading that quote, I\u2019m going to let myself off that hook a little bit. I actually did<\/em> write one review just to entertain myself way back in the day, and it was so funny that I didn\u2019t publish it because I thought it would upset someone. But now I\u2019m telling you to keep an eye out for it one of these days, thanks to John Leguizamo.<\/p>\n So, to sum-up, here\u2019s the surprising thing\u2014in addition to having a wonderful time, I actually did learn some Latin history. New knowledge and exercising one\u2019s abs from two hours of hard laughter\u2014what more can one theatre experience provide?!<\/p>\n Latin History For Morons<\/em>\u00a0running through October 20, 2019 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Ahmanson Theatre 135 N. Grand Ave. 213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" LATIN HISTORY FOR MORONS Some people are just born funny, with no trying necessary. And John Leguizamo is one of those people. It must be a trip to have him as a father! Before I glowingly review his Latin History For Morons, which just arrived at the Ahmanson Theatre after a Tony-nominated Broadway run, I<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>