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<\/p>\nSometimes we need a hero. And Maverick Theater\u2019s new original show based on the classic, sword-wielding, masked character Zorro gives Orange County audiences just that \u2014 along with romance and some local history.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve wanted to do Zorro since 2004,\u201d said theater owner Brian Newell, who produced and directed \u201cThe Return of Zorro\u201d at his Fullerton theater. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a big fan of action-adventure films, so I\u2019m always conceptualizing which films I can pull off onstage.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he considered putting Batman onstage at one point, but knew getting the rights would be difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I read that Batman\u2019s creator, Bob [Kane], based Batman on Zorro,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I took a deep dive into the history of Zorro. That\u2019s when I discovered he wasn\u2019t a Hollywood creation. Novelist Johnston McCulley created him [for a] 1919 in a novella he wrote called, \u2018The Curse of Capistrano.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
He realized that Capistrano in the title was actually the Mission San Juan Capistrano.<\/p>\n
\u201cZorro was from Orange County?\u201d he asked rhetorically. \u201cBeing a native of O.C. and fifth-generation Californian, I immediately felt so proud that we had our own famous mythical hero.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Town leader Edgar Gordon (Kevin Currie), seated, talks to Captain Soleil (Edward Bangasser) about city issues in \u201cThe Return of Zorro\u201d at the Maverick Theater.<\/p>\n
(Jessica Peralta)<\/p>\n
The storyline for \u201cThe Return of Zorro,\u201d which opened May 1 and runs through June 7, follows Diego Vega\u2019s return after a decade-long absence from California. Diego Vega, played by Maverick Theater regular Andrew Pi\u00f1on, finds his hometown full of dangerous renegades. Diego meets a thief named Alejandro, who idolizes Zorro after a childhood encounter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen things turn violent and the lives of the people he loves most are threatened, Padre Felipe helps convince Diego, not only to stay to help, but possibly train a new apprentice,\u201d said Pi\u00f1on, of Fullerton, who also wrote the story for the production. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere is comfort in having a hero, Pi\u00f1on said. \u201cI wanted to write a story that would be entertaining, inspiring and give the audience someone to root for. I\u2019ve always loved the character of Zorro for his honor, humor and heart. He was one of the first superheroes to wear a mask and have a dual identity.<\/p>\n
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New Zorro Alejandro (Justyn Gonzalez) battles Captain Soleil (Edward Bangasser) as the Lieutenant (Sean Coutu) stands frozen in the background.<\/p>\n
(Jessica Peralta)<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s also a native of Orange County. I have lived in Southern California my whole life. I love the history and culture of our state and I wanted to honor it with a swashbuckling adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pi\u00f1on said because the missions in California are such a huge part of the state\u2019s history, he wanted to incorporate what was happening in California in 1851 in his story.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the original draft, I kept the mission nonspecific because I wasn\u2019t sure what the mission would look like at that time,\u201d he said. \u201cI honed the story to take place in Orange County and San Juan Capistrano and Brian Newell designed the sets based on that mission.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pi\u00f1on\u2019s work in education has lent itself well in writing about Zorro. He works with California Weekly Explorer doing presentations at elementary schools in Southern California.<\/p>\n
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Diego Vega, aka Zorro (Andrew Pi\u00f1on), kneeling, has been captured by (from left to right) Yessica (Sage Forsythe), Edgar Gordon (Kevin Currie), Lieutenant (Sean Coutu) and Blanco (Jose Martinez) in this scene from \u201cThe Return of Zorro\u201d at the Maverick Theater in Fullerton.<\/p>\n
(Jessica Peralta)<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been around for decades and teach the history of California, the Revolutionary War and ancient world,\u201d he said. \u201cMy wife, Melanie, adapted and wrote a script that the presenters use today. I incorporate much of the history into \u2018The Return of Zorro\u2019s\u2019 storyline, especially the mission era and Gold Rush.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though there\u2019s plenty of California history involved, at the heart is an action adventure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy the action sequences, especially between the three female characters,\u201d he said. \u201cI also love the ensemble brawl. But, I enjoyed writing the comedic moments with Padre Felipe the most. I love the character of Padre Felipe. He is based on my father, who passed away a couple years ago, and an uncle or two. He\u2019s the Christ-centered heart of the story. He\u2019s not about religion, but relationship to God, and [he] leads by example.\u201d<\/p>\n
Newell said that in addition to a pretty involved set, he wanted the music to really stand out.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince I was creating our own version of Zorro, I wanted an original theme to underscore all the action and romance,\u201d he said. \u201cSo luckily I knew an up-and-coming film composer, Kyle Reinhart. \u2026 We started working on the score last year and talking over themes and music style I was looking for. When you hear his theme, you\u2019ll think it was from a Hollywood blockbuster \u2014 it\u2019s so good.\u201d<\/p>\n