R.I.P. Michael Philip Del Río

Michael Philip Del Río

(9 December 1956 – 13 December 2009)

I first met Michael when I was just starting out in the industry. He recognized that I was an actor and a writer and not just one or the other. I felt like he "got me," like he understood me. He was also an actor and a writer. In those early days, he was very supportive of me and my endeavors. I would see him sporadically in the following years, but he never changed. He always had this light, this youthful energy, this exuberance that was contagious. Whether he was alone or, as often was the case, with his wife Lori, running into him always became a highlight of my day.

His death is still a shock. I think about his family, his friends and his wife (now widow) Lori. I wished I had spent more time with him, but I cherish every moment I got to spend with him. If I were to see him again, all I would tell Michael is, "Thank you, brother. Thank you. Thank you so much for being there for me in my life." And as the curtain of one existence falls and another curtain rises for the light that was known as Michael Philip Del Río, I wish him good luck on his next adventure and I know that wherever he is now, he will continue to charm everyone he encounters along the way.

--A.B. Lugo.

For more information on the career of Michael Philip Del Río, click here.

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting gigs.

Lucía Armendáriz and Jesús E. Martínez can be heard as voices of characters in the new video game Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City (Rock Star Games).

Repertorio Español presented the 2009 MetLife Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition Reading Series at their eponymous theater in the Gramercy section of Manhattan. Play readings produced included those by Rob Santana, Lina Gallegos and Marcelo Rodríguez.

Moisés Acevedo e-mailed us to say that he worked on the Allen Coulter-helmed film Remember Me in a scene opposite Martha Plimpton, a role on the HBO television series "How to Make It in America" and work on two plays (River of Tides in a tour with Pace University and No Place Like Home at the Paul Robeson Theater in Brooklyn).

Juan Villarreal also recently e-mailed to let us know what he is doing. In theater, he performed Los habladores with Teatro Círculo on tour at the University of Rhode Island. In television, he played Raúl the tailor in an episode of "How to Make It in America" (HBO) and a commercial for Klondike ice cream. In addition, he has done various voiceovers and audiobook narrations.

If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?

2009 HOLA Awards Report

The Tenth Annual HOLA Awards and Benefit took place on Monday, October 26, 2009 at the nation's oldest theatrical club, The Players, which overlooks Gramercy Park in Manhattan, New York City. Salsa singer Javier Luis opened the ceremony with two songs. Following that, there was a poignant moment when HOLA Advisory Board Member Alex Segura praised his uncle, former HOLA Board Chairman Francisco G. Rivela, who passed away earlier this year. Instead of a moment of a silence, as per HOLA Awards tradition, he asked for applause for the late actor, director and announcer. This resulted in a full standing ovation which lasted several minutes amid voices screaming, "Bravo! Bravo!"

After the auspicious beginning, masters of ceremonies Jorge Ramos, Odalys Molina and Mario Bósquez hosted the awards ceremony. The evening was a series of highlights. Outstanding Solo Performance awardee Marga Gómez thanked HOLA ("or as the kids call it nowadays, 'HOLLA'") for her second HOLA award. Outstanding Featured Female Actor awardee Selenis Leyva won her first solo HOLA Award in 12 years of acting for, in her words, "playing a whore." She then said, "If I play more whores, maybe I'll get more awards. (Editor's note: By sheer coincidence, she is currently, um, playing a prostitute in the musical Pantaleón y las visitadoras).

Outstanding Achievement in Direction awardee José A. Esquea gave his speech in both in English and Spanish before having to run off the stage (he was also stage managing the event). Outstanding Female Actor awardee Carissa Jocétt Toro was sweet when she announced that she was "honored to be in the room with all of [these] people." She added that she would love to work with all of them one day.

Other highlights were the acceptance speeches of Broadway and TV star Sara Ramírez via video (she is currently shooting "Grey's Anatomy" in Los Angeles), star of stage and screen Luis Antonio Ramos (who talked of his love for the Yankees and gave a special message in Spanish to his mother), Tony winner David Álvarez and Spanish TV star Ricardo Gómez ("Cuéntame cómo pasó), as well as appearances by Tony Plana (ABC's "Ugly Betty"), Florencia Lozano (ABC's "One Life to Live") and Carson Kressley (Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"), the evening made for a star-studded event.

Following a performance by Out of Isla, the two lifetime achievement awardees (Silvia Brito and René Sánchez) gave speeches. And like that, it was over. Another amazing HOLA Awards ceremony goes down in the history books. If you would like to see some photos of the HOLA Awards (taken by A Ruiz Photography), click here.

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting gigs.

Gilbert Cruz, shown at right, is set to shoot a role in the film Casual Encounters. He received this gig as the result of an HOLA referral.

Miguel Ángel Juan, shown at left, e-mailed us to let us know that he received two great calls this week from casting directors that saw his profile on the HOLA online directory. The first one was for a bilingual industrial film and the second one for a national Wendy's fast food restaurant commercial. "WOW!!!! When it all comes it comes at once. The HOLA Pages [online directory] have been a great tool for me to help promote myself for television, radio and theater work." [Blogger's note: Unfortunately, he wasn't able to accept these two gigs, because he is currently on tour in Minsk, Belarus with the Belarussian State National Circus as their main clown and feature attraction.]

Gil Ron acted in the Barefoot Theater Company's production 70/70 Horowitz Project, ten short plays (subtitled Mid-East Pieces and Suite Horovitz) by Israel Horovitz. Directed by Eric Nightingale, Michael LoPorto and Pamela Seiderman, the production took place at Theater for the New City in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan.

Walter Krochmal recently contributed Spanish voiceovers and text, along with a selection of photographs, to a special segment airing on the CNN en Español program “En Familia.” The program's short visual essay features a large-scale exhibit of scarecrows he encountered on a mountain bike ride in Lyndhurst, New York, along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. The exhibit, peopled with dozens, perhaps even several hundred extremely life-like creations, fuses the millenarian art of scarecrow-making with a contemporary sensibility and the deep-rooted Halloween traditions that can be found in this area, just a few miles from the town where colonial era writer Washington Irving set The Legend of Sleep Hollow. Click here to see the slideshow of images.

If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting gigs.

Angelina Llongeras, shown at right, e-mailed us to let us know that she nabbed the role of Amá (the lead character) in the film El día de las Martas, produced by Konstant Films and directed by Eric Escobar. She received this gig as the result of an HOLA referral. Also, the actress-playwright-director played the role of Elisa in the solo show As A Witness Sàskia (written by Rosa Victoria Gras and directed by Michael Pulizzano) at the El Aguijón Theater in Chicago.

Inma Heredia acted in the play Taking the Fall. Produced by Around the Block/Al Doblar La Esquina, it was series of six short plays presented at the Epiphany Branch of the New York Public Library in the Gramercy area of Manhattan. She also presented her flamenco show at the Poet's Den Theater in Manhattan's El Barrio neighborhood.

Jean-Marc Berne booked a national on-camera commercial for Eclipse gum.

Emilio Delgado will be performing with the musical group Pink Martini in December at Town Hall in the theater district in midtown Manhattan.

If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting gigs.

Christopher James López, shown here, recently returned as an HOLA member and sent us this e-mail: "I just wanted to tell you that in less than a week of joining HOLA, I got 2 calls from an agent and a manager to audition for a commercial. HOLA works. I'm trying to get my broke friends to join. I may have to buy them HOLA memberships for Xmas."

Inma Heredia and Raquel Almazán acted in the film Run It, directed by Evangelos Giovanis and George Giovanis, opposite Louis Zorich and Sam Coppola. The film was presented in New York as part of the New York City Greek Film Festival. In addition, Almazán appeared in a recent episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC).

Marjorie Ocho Kouns was just cast as the voice of a new character named Señora Gigante on "Dora the Explorer" (PBS).

Aldo Marachlian can be seen performing his standup comedy and presenting other comedians at the Laugh Lounge in the Loisaida section of Manhattan. For more information, click on to his website here.

If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting gigs.

Mónica Yudovich, shown at right, auditioned for and was cast in an ABC Diversity Showcase in Los Angeles, due to an HOLA casting announcement she received via e-mail.

Gladys K. Nilsen booked a commercial for Banana Nut Cheerios, which can be seen here (she appears at the end of the commercial).

Jean-Marc Berne recorded a voiceover for an online video game called "The Burger Game." To hear his work as Raoul the Dog Boy, click here.

Blanca Vásquez e-mailed us to let us know that she has booked several voiceovers (including work for MTV, New York State Lottery and Kohl's). On stage, she toured Atlanta, Georgia with the Society of the Educational Arts (SEA) for the National Puppetry Festival with the show La muela de rey Farfán/The Toothache of King Farfán (directed by Manuel Morán).

Romina Sacre and David Arca performed in the Carlos Lacámara play Nowhere on the Border. Produced by Stageworks Hudson and directed by Laura Margolis, the play took place in Hudson, New York. Both actors found out about the audition through an HOLA casting notice. Reviews were excellent for the production. Critics wrote that "Romina Sacre as Pilar borders on brilliant" (Michael Eck, Times Union), "David Arca does clean and capable work" (Charles Kondek, Hudson-Catskill newspapers), and "This is must-see theater at its very finest" (Carol King, Daily Gazette).

If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?