GALA Theatre honors legacy of co-founder with Afro-Peruvian musical 'Kumanana!'

WASHINGTON — The show must go on. 

While the theatre community continues to mourn the loss of Hugo Medrano, the beloved co-founder of GALA Hispanic Theatre, his legacy continues in the musical "Kumanana!"

The show pays tribute to the lives of Afro-Peruvian activists and siblings Victoria and Nicomedes Santa Cruz, who used music, poetry and dance to advocate for Black people in Peru, Latin America and around the world. 

Medrano was set to direct the play, but passed away at the age of 80, two weeks before the show's premiere.

"Hugo's dream was to create this musical going back to his roots because when he left Argentina, escaping the military dictatorship, he ended up in Peru and he actually worked with both Victoria and Nico Santa Cruz," said Co-founder and Executive Director of Gala Hispanic Theatre Rebecca Medrano.

Adding, "So it's very telling that this should have been the last production in his career. None of us knew that. He was here to conceive it. He was here for the first rehearsals and he had the foresight to bring a co-director from Peru, Luis Sandoval."

The show runs through Sunday, June 25 at the theatre located in D.C.'s Columbia Heights neighborhood.

Tickets start out at $48 per person. 

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