Summer Slowdown and Theater Vibes in Puerto Vallarta
Humpday is usually the busiest day of the week for me, but with summer moving in, it has become less, and today will be full of joy as I get to do two favorite things – play Scrabble for fun (HAH! I say this often: Lose at Scrabble, Lose at Life.)
The second is to eat with someone I rarely see. In this case, my old editor from the Vallarta Tribune, Madeline Milne. You’d think we lived in other countries. Our lives collide once or twice a year and we spend some quality time getting caught up, then go our separate ways, keeping half an eye on Facebook for unusual movements. It’s lovely. We are planning to go to Tacos Now on Lazaro Cardenas for baked potatoes; if you have not had that particular pleasure, go. It is the best comfort food ever! A full spud report in the morning.
On my way to Nacho Daddy last night for Open Mic, which was a non-event, I stopped in at Coco Cabaret. Chris Lopez and Sebastian Coronel are teaching a theatre workshop in the dark cabaret for the next few months, on top of putting together their own shows, plus the others they will be co-producing and directing.
They have 20+ students who are learning to act, and sing and dance – at the same time. The plan is to mount a spectacular show at the beginning of the 2025-2026 season.
There were a handful of girls, including Canadian Wendy Warhol, who kindly came over to say hello. A few others I recognized from various venues around town, or they recognized me; at any rate, it was a high-energy, super-friendly atmosphere as the students sang and danced to “Footloose” over and over again, taking turns as soloists and chorus. The applause was deafening as each singer finished, often after mangling the lyrics and the key—a superb learning environment.
The students and their master teachers meet twice a week for three hours each day, often right before or immediately following a full day at work for the students. There is definitely star power in the mix. I plan to pop in and keep an eye on Vallarta’s future show stoppers and will keep you abreast of what’s shakin’ at Coco’s off-season.
I made my way over to Basilio Badillo for the last Open Mic of the current season at Nacho Daddy. I saw Mike Owens and his enormous dog sitting outside of his wildly popular bar Studs Bear Bar and stopped to say hello. We agreed that commerce in town has come to its usual grinding halt, as it does every year. The momentum of the past crazy busy season has left a lot of us with something called “spare time” on our hands. It does feel weird! It’s an uneasy transition – reverse energy, where your 100+ seating capacity is serving five dinners a night or 40 thirsty bears instead of 200, but it is life in a “tourist” town. And it takes a month to adjust to the apathy that’s as widespread as the humidity levels, with no rain for respite.