John Leguizamo's Latin History For Morons Reviews
Los Angeles Times- Recommended
"...I first saw an early incarnation of "Latin History for Morons" at Berkeley Rep in the summer of 2016. The show, which had a brief run on Broadway after a stop at the Public Theater, has become sharper. The comedy still traffics awkwardly in stereotypes, but Leguizamo's brashness is back. The strut, the salaciousness and the sneaky smile are in full wattage in a production that has been shepherded with great care by director Tony Taccone."
LA Daily News- Highly Recommended
"...Profound and profane, John Leguizamo's solo show "Latin History for Morons" enlightens and entertains, delving into the triumphs and destructibility of civilizations and the human heart."
Stage and Cinema- Recommended
"...Director Tony Taccone, who just left his helm at Berkeley Rep, elucidates just why these one-man shows need leadership. Adding stage nuances that the book lacks, and adding super-tight light and music cues, Taccone takes what could have delved into a brow-beating White-shaming lecture and turns it into a show that is for everyone, even those who could get perturbed at the professorially clad Leguizamo's mocking display of cultural stereotypes. In almost two hours, 3000 years simply flies by."
LA Splash- Highly Recommended
"...Leguizamo's "Latin History For Morons" is a brilliantly conceived piece of writing, wonderfully executed by this most gifted actor who gives a tour-de-force performance. While you will laugh you way through the evening (or afternoon) underneath it all is the hidden subtext of just what the "white" world has visited upon not only the Latin population, but the Jewish population as well. I wish this most entertaining production could also serve as a cautionary "tale" of just what dangers we are facing in our country that are manifesting in both a symbolic and actual "ethnic cleansing." That said, if you need non-stop laughter to get you out of the national doldrums, this play is a perfect prescription to accomplish just that."
Stage Scene LA- Highly Recommended
"...If John Leguizamo's Latin History For Morons sounds like it's going to be nothing more than a light-hearted accumulation of dates and names and facts we all ought to know but don't, think again. Though Leguizamo's one-man show is indeed as funny and elucidating as any theater-going moron could wish for, it's also a justifiably rage-filled attack on those who'd rather see his people erased not just from history books (as they already are) but from America itself."
ArtsInLA- Highly Recommended
"...While poking fun at Latin stereotypes and concurrently celebrating its history (almost none of which is taught in US schools), he is smart, raunchy, outrageous, and, in the end, enlightening. While there is a 90-minute iteration streaming on Netflix, that won't give you the same electrifying feeling of being in his presence, reacting with a live audience. This is theater, best experienced in the flesh."
Total Theater- Highly Recommended
"...Leguizano also manages to keep an important through-line going: his attempt to reach his son, be a good, loving father to him. It is this difficult struggle that gives Latin History for Morons its universality, its humanity."
Stage Raw- Somewhat Recommended
"...Despite those occasional fumbles, Leguizamo has an effervescent presence, and he's a great entertainer and teacher. The show lags slightly (it now runs 10-15 minutes longer than it did on Broadway or on Netflix), and while his portrayals of his family are affecting, the show is most compelling when Leguizamo is leaping in and out of history, showing the audience an aspect of history that was previously unacknowledged. It's an educational evening, which Leguizamo tries to make palatable for as many people as possible."
On Stage and Screen- Recommended
"...Those blips of discomfort aside, most of what Leguizamo has to say is right on the money. He speaks of the horrors Columbus inflicted on the Latino people, exterminating many of them. "That, my lovely morons, is called the Caribbean Holocaust," he says, before pointing out the injustice of then devoting an entire holiday to celebrating the man. He also draws attention to the fact that the Founding Fathers plagiarized parts of the Constitution from that of the Iroquois nation, which was revolutionary in the way it guaranteed freedoms to individual states. But in addition to being informative and fun to watch, what really pushes Latin History for Morons from good to great is how surprisingly touching it is, particularly in its final moments when the throughline of his son's heroes project is paid off beautifully."
On Stage Blog- Highly Recommended
"...Inspired after learning his son "Buddy" was being bullied at his prestigious private school by a racist student, Tony Award-winning actor and writer John Leguizamo delved into books about Latin history to find his son, and himself a Latin hero. While researching, he discovered honorable Latin leaders and epic civilizations that school textbooks overlook. With this wealth of information, he created his one-man show "Latin History for Morons.""
Its Not About Me- Highly Recommended
"...So, to sum-up, here's the surprising thing-in addition to having a wonderful time, I actually did learn some Latin history. New knowledge and exercising one's abs from two hours of hard laughter-what more can one theatre experience provide?!"