Viva La Parranda is an enchanting exploration into the simple yet tumultuous lives of a group of Venezuelans from El Clavo, a small village in the forest about two hours outside of Caracas.
It is a warm and inviting musical documentary that will fill your heart and stomach with joy and compassion.
La parranda translates to “the party” and is a Spanish phrase similar to la fiesta. The play is performed in Spanish with English subtitles.
Viva La Parranda is fun, compelling and outside-the-box immersive theatre.
Audience members are invited to dance on stage, and after the show there is a potluck of sorts, as theatergoers can and should eat the sancocho (a hearty stew) that has been cooking since the start of the show.
The sancocho is the most important narrative device in this piece. The moment you walk into the theater you smell it, and your brain and microbiome are triggered into a sense of comfort, a gut feeling that you are home. Throughout the entire performance the soup is cooking – you literally see and smell the steam as it rises into the air and you hunger for what comes next.
They use the food as a narrative bridge between the personal tales that the troupe members share. And when the sancocho is done, the play is over. We highly recommend consuming the soup, it’s delicious. And it would be great if they sold a jar on the way out, easily worth twenty bucks.
Viva La Parranda Comes Full Circle
Viva La Parranda world premiered in Miami at MND in 2019 – we were there – and since then the performance has traveled all around the world. To come back to Miami is very much a homecoming.
There are eight members in the parranda, led by Betsayda Machado, a widely recognized singer in her home-town region since the age of seven. Other members include Blanca Castillo, a retired nurse; Youse Cardozo, a firefighter; Asterio Betancourt, a former basketball player; Nereida Machado, Oscar Ruiz, Adrian Gomez and Nelson Gomez.
For Venezuelans in exile or who have migrated to the U.S., the play is a cultural hug—proof their roots are still dancing even if they’ve moved a thousand miles away.
For Latinos of all flavors, it’s a colorful fiesta celebrating the beautiful chaos and richness of their traditions. And for anyone in the audience, no matter their background, it’s a reminder that sometimes, music and community are the best medicine—and the best party. And right now, this is a lesson more timelier than ever.
Viva La Parranda plays at Miami New Drama until July 27th.
For more info and tickets, click here.
Click here for a sancocho recipe if you want to make it at home.
