Kellams: This is Ozarks at large. I'm Kyle Kellams. Sugar Skull! A Dia de Muertos Musical Adventure explores the early November holiday that allows those of us still here to pay respects to family and friends who have died. The tour will stop at the Jones Center in Springdale on Saturday for two shows: one at 11 a.m. and another in the afternoon at 2 p.m.
Incorporating traditional Mexican dance and music, the show features 12-year-old Vita, who wonders why her family is planning to celebrate a holiday for deceased loved ones. Two members of the cast, actor Valeria Aceves and actor/dancer Brenda Flores, say the play is exploratory and entertaining.
Aceves: We are not only making sure to bring educational purposes of what Dia de Muertos is and what objects are on the ofrenda this second of November- because that's when we celebrate it- we are also making sure that you are taken into this adventure with a lot of creepy stuff, but also funny jokes, but also traditional beautiful things from the Mexican culture.
Flores: Yeah, lots of dancing, lots of colors, lots of traditional songs. Different arrangements of traditional songs. It's just a celebration of culture and tradition. Definitely lots of love. Very family-oriented. All families— and no matter what age— you're all invited.
Kellams: I love that you say all families, because I think an ideal audience would be families that have celebrated before, and families who might not know much about the holiday. Correct?
Flores: Correct. It is definitely very educational. It is family-friendly for them to learn why we celebrate it, why it's important to us, but also why everyone can relate to it. In reality, it's something that is not separated from anyone else just because it's celebrated in Mexican culture or Latin culture. Everyone goes through these processes of life and death.
And how we can see it in a different way and celebrate it in a different way, with love and with joy. And also remembering and honoring our ancestors, which is something that's done throughout different cultures. It's remembering that it's okay to do those things. It's not a scary thing. It's not something that- sometimes we kind of have that misconception of the ghost and it maybe throws you off but it's something that's very beautiful that connects us to the energy of our ancestors.
Kellams: What sort of atmosphere or what sort of dance will we experience?
Flores: It's a lot of blending of different regions of Mexico. Within the play, there's things that happen that take you to a new place. That place will have certain music that sets the tone for that scene. And the music is very traditional of a certain region in Mexico, but it also has been arranged in a certain way to fit the scene.
It's a very beautiful way of combining so much beauty that the music of Mexico or Latin music has because some of the songs are arrangements that were made specifically from our musical director and are traditional, but then they've been arranged to fit the moment. They're just very beautifully played and made.
Kellams: What memories do you have of celebrating this holiday with family or loved ones?
Aceves: I remember it being a fiesta. It truly was a celebration of life. I do feel like this tradition has been a great tool for grief. That's why we think that this is a great tradition to pass on not only to families who are still trying to bring this tradition to their own families, but also to everyone in general, because grief is universal.
I do remember having that connection of we are gonna celebrate this person that is no longer here, but we're still remembering, and we're purposefully remembering them to honor them and to honor who they were and what they bring to this life. We definitely do a bunch of eating because, you know, there's a lot of eating in Mexican culture.
Flores: You have to party. It's a party.
Aceves: And listening to the music and talking, sharing stories of what you remember with that person. It can be sad. I'm not saying that it has to be sad or happy. I think there's a healthy balance in both. Both can exist at the same time. It's one of my favorite holidays for that because you can be the most human in those celebrations.
Flores: Yes, absolutely. I agree with that. I think, Día de los Muertos incorporates so many things. It incorporates remembering, honoring, but also motivates you to live your life fully. To go out and do what you love to do. Focus on what brings you joy in your life, right?
And to kind of say, “Hey, well, we're all going to go there someday.” You know, that's life. Just honoring all of the facts of life.
Kellams: Lydia Aceves and Brenda Flores are members of the cast of the touring production Sugar Skill at Dia de Muertos Musical Adventure. The Jones Center in Springdale will host the show twice on Saturday, first at 11 a.m. and then at 2 p.m. It's part of the center's FAM Jam series that continues through the spring. More information at the Jones Center. Our conversation was recorded on Zoom last week.
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