Broadway is now a place for Latinos. Currently there are three Latino plays to choose from on Broadway: the much acclaimed “In The Heights”, the classic “West Side Story” and now the newest Boricua on the block- Caridad “La Bruja” De la Luz with her musical production, “Boogie Rican Blvd”. Imbued more by poetry and rhyme than by music, it explores the lives of several characters living and dreaming in the Bronx, in a light, airy, humorous, fun story.

Boogie Rican Blvd centers around Don Jose a.k.a. Sugar Papi, the patriarch of the block and owner of the corner bodega. The bodega is his life, where he has worked since he came to this country from Puerto Rico. Owning a bodega may not have been his dream but the store is located across from Yankee Stadium which is his real dream - to have been a baseball player. He loves baseball so much that he treats his granddaughter as a boy and calls her Papo. The girl, “Papo” is played by De La Luz’ daughter. And incidentally, De La Luz, keeps it all in the family with her son in charge of the sound. (He’s only about 10 years old!)

Don Jose, has a wife, 2 daughters and a granddaughter. One daughter is a hopeless drug addict, the other one is a proud virginal teen. His one employee is the latin-loverboy-playboy of the block who is living with the only white girl on the block. He also sort – of employes the lazy, uninspired, someone- please-save-him!, neighborhood young guy. Then there’s the resident openly gay guy. And last but not least, there’s everyone’s friend and confidant, a girl named Patchy.

The interesting thing about the show is that De La Luz plays seven of the show’s characters. Boogie Rican Blvd shows off De La Luz’s acting prowess as she effortless portrays such extreme roles from an old grandfather to a white girl from Long Island.

One of the most impressive characterizations was beautiful and graceful De La Luz transformed into a downright hateful, violent, drugdealer. Her stance, composure, posture, even her voice intonations are completely that of a male, drugdealer, homophobic who beats down, and I mean BEATS down, on the gay man. Of course it wouldn’t be a De la Luz production if she didn’t touch on serious social issues. But all in all it is a light, fun play that you can even take your kids to (I would say ages 10+).

So boogie on down to Broadway to catch Caridad “La Bruja” De La Luz in Boogie Rican Blvd.

But I DO mean BOOGIE- because it’s a limited performance for the month of JULY – 47th Street between 8th and 9th.