The Other Side Story Brings Puerto Rican History and Humor to GALA Hispanic Theatre

GALA Hispanic Theatre is bringing Puerto Rican artist Ángel Vázquez's "The Other Side Story" to DC audiences for three performances only this December as part of the theater's 50th anniversary Golden Season. The hilarious one-man musical, directed by Ernesto Concepción, runs December 12-14 and offers a fresh perspective on Puerto Rican migration, identity, and the vibrant history that's often overshadowed by more familiar narratives about the Nuyorican experience.

The Other Side Story at GALA Hispanic Theatre

Blending humor, music, and nostalgia, the show follows Sixto, a young man who arrives in New York City in 2020 with his own ideas about Puerto Rican identity, only to uncover the untold stories of the community's vibrant past. Performed in Spanish and Spanglish, "The Other Side Story" reimagines the Puerto Rican experience in New York with bold humor and soulful storytelling that challenges preconceived notions about what it means to be Nuyorican.

Through Vázquez's magnetic performance and original music, "The Other Side Story" shines a light on the overlooked narratives that shaped Puerto Rican life in New York long before "West Side Story" hit Broadway. With wit, rhythm, and emotion, the play invites audiences to reflect on heritage, belonging, and the power of storytelling to reclaim one's cultural identity. Vázquez not only wrote and performs the show but also created the musical concept, developed the lyrics, and conducted extensive historical research at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College of New York.

For Vázquez, bringing this production to diverse audiences carries deep significance that extends beyond entertainment. "The importance of performing The Other Side Story in front of diverse audiences — Boricuas, Latinos, and North Americans — is much more than to offer a theater experience, it is to stimulate a cultural dialogue long overdue," states Vázquez. "To perform this play today…for you, in a time of censorship, xenophobia, and erosion of our education system, is an act of resistance. It is telling the world, through art, 'We are here, we exist, and we tell our own stories.'"

This limited engagement represents a rare opportunity for DC theatergoers to experience a production that explores the island's history and the Puerto Rican migration to the continental United States that began in the late 19th century. The show's exploration of finding home between two worlds resonates particularly in today's cultural climate, making it both timely and essential viewing.
Performances take place December 12 and 13 at 8 pm, and December 14 at 2 pm at GALA Hispanic Theatre, located at 3333 14th Street NW in Washington, DC. General admission tickets are $30 each.