WELCOME NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS – MAY AND JUNE 2015

Below is a list of new (and returning) HOLA members who joined between May 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015. (Note that "returning members" refer to those members who have returned to HOLA after having their memberships expire for some time and do not include renewing members.)

(Top row, left to right): Claudio Bandini, Ely Beri; (second row, left to right): Liz Contreras, Venuz Delmar; (third row, left to right): Andrew de Orduña, Edwin Dormoy; (fourth row, left to right): Ángeles Electra, Andrea García; (fifth row, left to right): Carlo Lorenzo García, Danny García; (sixth row): Aris Mejías, Indio Meléndez; (seventh row, left to right): José Antonio Melián, Ray Montañez; (eighth row, left to right): David Ponce, Álex Toedtli; (bottom row): Jerry Torrens.

"Cuban Chrome", First U.S. Series To Be Shot Entirely In Cuba, To Premiere In July On Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel has set a July premiere for "Cuban Chrome", its new reality series focusing on Cuba’s classic car culture and the island nation’s fascination with American vintage cars.

Billed as the first U.S. television series to be shot entirely on location in Cuba, "Cuban Chrome" will debut at 10pm on Monday, July 13, 2015 and will be simulcast in English on Discovery Channel and in Spanish on Discovery en Español. The series was first announced at Discovery’s upfront in March. 

For more information, and to see a promo clip of the series, read the Denise Petski article in Deadline by clicking here.

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

David Ponce, shown at right, starred in the Nicolás Dorr play Las pericas. Produced by Havanafama Theatrical Company and directed by Juan Roca, the play was presented in May as part of the fifth annual Festival de Teatro Hispano del Comisionado at the Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en EEUU, located in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood.

Judy Torres will be singing at the Freestyle 30th Anniversary concert, scheduled to take place at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday, August 21, 2015. The list of performers include George Lamond, Lissette Meléndez, Information Society, TKA (featuring K7), Seduction, Sugar Hill Gang, Nayobe, Soul Sonic Force, and others. For more information, click here.

Johanna Tolentino, shown at left, booked a guest-starring role in the upcoming season of "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix).

Mônica Steuer, Francisco Huergo and Soraya Padrao star in the film Cassanova Was A Woman (written by Jezabel Montero and directed by Kevin Arbouet), which is currently hitting the film festival circuit. Its latest stop will be in November as an official selection of the 30th annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF). The film also stars Montero, Margo Singaliese and Paolo Andino. For more information, click here.

Indio Meléndez acted in It Goes Unsaid. A multidisciplinary show mixing monologues, spoken word, dance, film and photography, it was conceived and written by Rhonney Greene, Teresa Michelle Lasley and Derek Lee McPhatter. Directed by Greene, it was presented by Under The Spell Productions in June as part of the DC Black Theater Festival at The Undercroft Theatre, located in the North West area of Washington, District of Columbia. For more information, click here.

Jeannie Sol plays Anita Marcella Carmela LaPingar in the feature film College Debts. Written by Aaron Warr and directed by Warr and Joshua Kilm, the film stars Celeste Holm and Richard Pryor, Jr. The trailer for the movie is below (caution: adult situations and language). For more information, click here.



If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Gina Rodríguez's Mission To Improve Latino Representation On TV

"I definitely felt drawn to this kind of mission in my life. This was very particular to my experience growing up. I didn't often see Latinos portrayed in a positive light, but I saw them in my household. I knew it was possible, and I knew how I was affected by not seeing positive role models with my skin color. So, I thought I would use my art to change that and play positive roles that would let people see themselves differently." –GINA RODRÍGUEZ

Read more about what Golden Globe-winning star of The CW's "Jane The Virgin" Gina Rodríguez thinks about her responsibility being a Latina actress in this Huffington Post interview by Lauren Duca by clicking here.

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Adriana Sananes, shown at right, has finished narrating the Spanish-language audiobook versions of To Kill A Mockingbird (Matar a un ruiseñor) and Go Set A Watchman (Ve y pon un centinela) for Harper-Collins. Both are written by Harper Lee; the former is an American classic, while the second is the largely anticipated followup novel (also being published in print form for the first time this year) from Ms. Lee. The audiobooks (as well as the print form) will be released in mid-July. In addition, she is starring in Sueño. A Latino musical retelling of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (complete with puppetry), it is directed by Manuel A. Morán and adapted by Norge Espinosa (with English translations by Alan González and Portuguese translations by Adalberto Müller), and features original music by Manuel Calzada and Alejandro Zuleta. The production boasts assistant direction by José A. Esquea, hair and makeup by Jeannie Sol, choreography by Daniel Fetecua, and scenic and puppet design by José López. Sueño will also star Nelson Landrieu, Daniel Soto, and Milteri Tucker, among others, and will be presented outdoors in June at the La Plaza space of the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. For more information, click here.

Mônica Steuer will be playing Sylvia Plath to Rebeca Alemán's Frida Kahlo in Néstor Caballero's Musas. Directed by Iraida Tapias, the play imagines a meeting between the Mexican painter and the English poet. The production is an official selection of the New York International Fringe Festival (fringeNYC), scheduled to take place in downtown Manhattan in August. For more information, click here.

Nancy Castro, shown at left, is starring in the feature film Ramona (written and directed by Bujar Alimani). Principle photography is scheduled to take place in fall 2015 in New York City and Buffalo, New York. For more information, click here or here.

Carlo Lorenzo García's comedy webseries "Under Covers", which he produces, co-writes, and in which he stars as Detective Jimmy Cortez, is now an official selection of the Miami Independent Film Festival (Mindie), scheduled to take place in July in Miami, Florida. For more information, click here or here.

The Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en los Estados Unidos (CoDoCul) has just wrapped up its fifth annual Festival de Teatro Hispano del Comisionado, which took place at the Comisionado's Teatro Rafael Villalona, which is located in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. The award winners will be announced at Teatro Rafael Villalona on Wednesday, July 15, 2015. The festival has announced the nominations for that festival's awards. Several HOLA members are nominated and are listed below.

• Best Director: Caridad del Valle (Delirio furioso), Ernesto De Villa Bejjani (La que hubiera amado tanto), Enmanuel García Villavicencio (Non Tutti I Ladri Vengono Per Nuocere/No hay ladrón que por bien no venga), et al.

• Best Actor: Sandor Juan (La boda), Sebastian Stimman (Non Tutti I Ladri Vengono Per Nuocere/No hay ladrón que por bien no venga), Franco Yáñez (San Salvador después del eclipse), et al.

• Best Actress: Caridad del Valle (Delirio furioso), Natalia Ivana Escobar (San Salvador después del eclipse), Ángela Pérez (El invierno de Abril), et al.

• Best Scenic Design: Ernesto De Villa Bejjani (La que hubiera amado tanto), Paul Montoya (Delirio furioso), et al.

• Best Makeup: Ernesto De Villa Bejjani (La que hubiera amado tanto), Paul Montoya (Delirio furioso), et al.

In addition, Best Production nominees are Delirio furioso (La Caja de los Prejuicios), El malentendido (ArtSpoken), El invierno de Abril (Tabula Rasa NYC), Genios: Lorca y Dalí (Teatro del Aire), La boda (Teatro Columna), La que hubiera amado tanto (88 Performing Arts), Las pericas (Havanafama) Non Tutti I Ladri Vengono Per Nuocere/No hay ladrón que por bien no venga (E3Outlaws Productions), San Salvador después del eclipse (United Productions). For more information (and the see the full list of nominees), click here, here or here (note that the websites are in Spanish).

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Eduardo Ramos, shown at right, was profiled in the second issue of Men In This Town (MITT) Magazine and its accompanying blog. For more information, or to read the article, click here and here.

José A. Esquea acted in the production Sueño. A Latino retelling of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, (complete with puppetry), it is adapted by Norge Espinosa (with English translations by Alan González), directed by Manuel A. Morán, and features original music by Manuel Calzada and Alejandro Zuleta. The production boasts choreography by Daniel Fetecua, hair and makeup by Jeannie Sol, and scenic and puppet design by José López. Sueño also stars Adriana Sananes, Daniel Soto, and Milteri Tucker, among others, and is being presented outdoors in June at the La Plaza space of the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood.

Howard Collado, shown at left, is starring in the Aminta de Lara play Swallows (Golondrinas). Directed by de Lara, the Sinteatro Intimus production also stars Robby Ramos and Marion Elaine and will have performances in July at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium On.Stage Black Box Theater, located in Miami, Florida. For more information, click  here, here or here.

The comedy webseries "Under Covers", produced, co-written, and starring Carlo Lorenzo García, is nominated for a Streamy Award, now in its fifth year, which honor the best in online video and the creators behind it. The webseries is eligible for fan nominations for this year in two categories– Best Comedy and and Best Ensemble. This year, the Streamy Awards will be televised live on VH-1 on Thursday, September 17, 2015. Fan nominations end on Friday, June 26, 2015. To nominate "Under Covers", click here and/or here. For more information, click here or click on the video below to see the first webisode (caution: some adult language).



If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

HOLA Member Bochinche

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Billy Martín Mejía, Edison Carrera and Jonathan Cruz are highlighted in the Héctor Luis Sin Censura blog (written by Héctor Luis Rivera, also see below). The three of them are featured in films screening at the fourth annual Dominican Film Festival in New York, which is running from June 24-28, 2015 at four venues in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood (Columbia University Medical Center Alumni Auditorium, The Armory Foundation Hall of Fame Theater, Comisionado de Cultura Dominicano en EEUU, and Alianza Dominicana). For more information, click here. Mejía stars in the short film Boulevard 168 (directed by Oliver Olivo Batista), Carrera co-stars in the short film Dark Dreams (directed by Wilton Reynoso), and Cruz co-stars in the short film The Man in the Blue Suit (directed by Wigner Duarte). To read the blog and find out more information about these films read the Héctor Luis Sin Censura blog, which is in Spanish, by clicking here. [Shown above, clockwise from top left: Mejía, Carrera, Cruz, Rivera.]

Xiomara Cintrón, shown at right, was interviewed by Héctor Luis Rivera (also see above and below) for the Héctor Luis Sin Censura blog, where she talked about her life, training and career as an award-winning actress and also teacher. To read the interview, which is in Spanish, click here.

Caridad de la Luz (also known by her nom de poésie et de musique La Bruja) will host a hip hop/spoken word concert and perform outdoors with the band La Consulta as part of the City Parks Foundation's SunnerStage series of live performances. She will headline the bill, co-produced by Nuyorican Poets' Café, with performers Reph Star and Patty Dukes (collective known as Circa '95), Nena Ali and DJ Fred One. The concert will take place on Friday, July 10, 2015 at St. Mary's Park, located in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx. For more information, click here.

The Francisco Lupini-helmed film Tu. Yo. Baño. Sexo. Ahora. keeps racking up awards. The short film, which stars Francisco Fuertes (also see below) and Mauricio Pita, won the Award for Excellence: LGBT from the Accolade Global Film Competition. For more information, click here.

Kathy Tejada, Alexandra Manzano, A.B. Lugo and Héctor Luis Rivera (also see above) were featured in the Entreactos y Telones column of the New York weekly newspaper La Voz Hispana, where the TEBA production of Elena Garro's play A Solid Home was highlighted (Tejada, Manzano and Lugo starred in the production, which was directed by Rivera). The play ran in June at the Broadway Blackbox Theater, located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. In the bottom photo shown in the image at left, Tejada can be seen standing left of center (in the back row wearing green), Manzano can be seen seated right (in the front row wearing magenta), and Lugo can be seen standing center (in the back row wearing black with white stripes). Other HOLA members mentioned in the column include Enmanuel García Villavicencio, Francisco Fuertes (also see above), Soledad López and Ángel Gil Orrios. To enlarge the image, which contains text in English and Spanish, click on it.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?