Daniel Hernandez

RICH LOPEZ | Staff Writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com

This weekend at Theatre Arlington, Daniel Hernandez premieres the new show that he wrote, directed and stars in: Mixtape: An Original Musical with Unoriginal Songs. The show is part of TA’s Club Cabaret series, and Hernandez will open the show on Saturday — and close it that day as well.

“The goal really is to test out the format,” Hernandez explained. “It’s a quick, fun scripted musical, but I want to continue ideas like this and see what stems out of it.”

TA’s series often showcases a night of music and stories performed often by a solo artist. This Saturday, July 19, will be different.

TA Executive Producer Steven D. Morris explained, “Our Club Cabaret series is not always what is considered ‘true cabaret.’ Often it is more of a concert or a performer showcase,
“Daniel has done a couple of fun and successful shows, but I told him I wanted something more, with a theme and a throughline,” Morris continued. “He took it several steps further and created a cross between cabaret and a jukebox musical — fun old songs that people know and brand-new characters figuring out long term friendships. He gathered up some amazing DFW singers and musicians.” The out artist went all out.

Hernandez has performed in the Club Cabaret series before, including an episode of his podcast Daniel Does DFW Theater. But this time he chose not to revisit the usual format of the series which often features a lone singer — or maybe a duo — performing a set list of songs and material.

No. The out artist went all out.

“Yeah, it’s wild,” he said. “I wanted to bring an actual show to life, and we got a whole cast — a music director, a band, a choreographer.

“I wanted to just take a stab at doing this. There’s no set, no scripts in hands and minimal costumes, but it’s a show.”

Hernandez is no stranger to writing scripts and songs, but for Mixtape, he relied on some of his own favorite songs for his story. “I threw around a bunch of ideas when putting this together, but I love ’90s music. I knew what artists I wanted in there, and all the songs tie directly in to tell what’s happening,” he said.

He had to have Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, some Destiny’s Child and other iconic artists of that decade all to help tell his comedy/drama.

“It’s semi-meta because all the characters are based on the actors in real life, but Mixtape is about six friends who have lost contact after high school. They each receive an anonymous letter telling them all to meet at a former cabin hangout. There they find this mixtape they all made with this music that also ends up telling the story,” Hernandez said in describing the plot.

Six people rendezvous at a cabin — and it’s not a horror story? Hernandez laughs at the question: “A mysterious letter to go to a cabin? Of course not!”

His cast of six includes Aly Badalamenti, Ben Meaders, Lexi Nieto, Peter DiCesare and Sydnie Roy along with Hernandez himself. The meta part of Mixtape is that he wrote the characters to be just like the actors. And it was an easy task for Hernandez.

“Everyone in this show are my closest friends,” he said. “I mean I’m always in horrible relationships, so I wrote that into my character. I mix in real-life scenarios, but it’s all comical, and the audience can sing along to all of it.”

Alongside Hernandez as director is music director Adam C. Wright and choreographer Leslie Navarro-Bovaird.

Mixtape may be just all for fun, but Hernandez notes that it isn’t short on representation, as if his own many job titles on the show weren’t enough. “I’m happy to say that the majority of cast and creative team are queer themselves and there is a queer storyline through it,” he promised.

But Mixtape is more about fun and friends for Hernandez — and maybe about personal challenge. Morris also ponders how this could be a new aspect to Theatre Arlington’s series that could introduce audiences to more North Texas talents.

“I think this could create a new trend for performers to showcase their talents by creating their own roles with songs they excel at singing,” Morris said. “We have so many talented people in this area looking for the right show for them. How great would it be if they could start creating their own that shows off their unique skills?

“I am excited to see how audiences will react to it,” he added.

There’s a slight irony in the fact that Hernandez is the first to bring a show to the series with Mixtape. “Steven wanted original material for the cabaret, and, at first, I said ‘No,’” Hernandez admitted. “But I’m glad I did this. It was challenging, to say the least. But it’s a show with heart, and I close it with a nice bow, and now I’m inspired to maybe do more.”

For tickets, visit TheatreArlington.org.

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