PUENTE THEATRE

"Love triangles are the basis of so many stories that you might think you've heard them all. Not so: El Jinete (The Rider) presents the archetypal tale as an all-Spanish, subtitled mariachi opera. Writer/director Mercedes Bátiz-Benét's vision is influenced by classic Mexican melodies and cinema as well as the Orpheus myth. The music and singing are first-rate, with an instrumental trio backing up the title figure (Alex Alegría), his beloved (Alexandra Lainfiesta), and the man who stands in their way, El Malo (Mario Sota). Jamie Nesbitt's projections are surprising and as gorgeous as the music. An exhilarating hour of theatre."

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                                                                             NNNN  ~NOW Magazine Toronto

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"What really struck me about El Jinete is how exotic it feels — and how weird that is. To see a heartfelt and surprisingly sophisticated tribute to something we think we already know is an interesting sort of wake-up call, and a reminder that there’s more to this country than what fits in a burrito."

                                                                                           ~Mooney On Theatre

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"The post-modern world isn’t usually friendly to theatre pieces as earnest as this one but there’s something so jarringly bold about presenting a Mariachi Opera to English-speaking Torontonians that El Jinete is nonetheless extremely winning."

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                                                                                            ~My Entertainment World