‘Basura’ Turns Trash into Triumph

The world premiere of “Basura,” featuring music and lyrics by Gloria Estefan and her daughter, Emily, is an originally topical, poignant, and uplifting nod to many themes within a theme.

“Basura” shows how supportive friends, the will to succeed, and a certain Latino grit trumps poverty and bad circumstances. Then there’s the miracle of how one lonely teacher can cause ripples to move the mountain, in this case, a trash heap landfill of a mountain where piles of discarded scrap metal, broken household items, and castoffs is the source of inspiration for The Alliance Theater’s new musical.

“Basura” (“trash” in Spanish), is based on the book by playwright Karen Zacarías, and Tony Award-winning director Michael Greif (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “Rent”). As Atlanta maintains stature as a major Broadway launch pad, hopes are that “Basura’s” debut will become the next Alliance sensation like “The Color Purple,” “Aida,” “The Prom,” “Water for Elephants,” and “Tuck Everlasting.”

“Basura” draws inspiration from a true story based on the real-life Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, a group of young musicians from Paraguay who learned to play instruments fashioned from materials salvaged from a landfill. This journey gained international attention through the award-winning documentary, “Landfill Harmonic,” and became a symbol of hope in communities facing adversity.

The cast is a mélange of local and national talent who can harmonize and really “belt out a number” like “The 23rd of November,” touting the day when an artist first hears her own talent, and “I’m Not You,” an emotional number where a mother and daughter get boondoggled about letting go, oft referring to a butterfly analogy, who needs whom the most.

The stage moves adeptly and has captivating touches … like how the background trash mountain varies with lights and hues, the full orchestra obfuscated behind it, and the airplane scene which this writer focused on recently in touting the airplane scene in the City Springs’ production “Come From Away.” This “Basura” scene opens with a precise cast leaning waaaaaay back on board with white window portals. A lot made from not much. The flight represents, if even briefly, the cast’s relief from poverty, gangs, a break of the heat from home, evading the smell of the trash. The music is major — in two elevated perches, a violinist and a harpist supply the music that the cast mimics which suspends disbelief; and only at the end is the full orchestra revealed. There’s always something celestial about a harp or two.

Some side themes leave us guessing: Is one young man homeless because “he is not the man his parents wanted him to be?” Are big corporations behind the trash landfill? The role of the educator is not left for guessing. Teacher, Mario, played by Kevin Del Aguila, sacrificed his car, his treasured violin, and eventually his job to show his belief in these kids. He negotiated passports for students with no birth records, and was the paradigm of persistence through theft, floods, with zero resources. Noteworthy also is the cast surnames like Alvarez, Andino, Garcia, Diaz, Gomez, Gonzalez, and Rubio. No reframing needed here.

Two adjacent 10-year-olds in the audience were truly captivated. Both are budding musicians in bands and graded “Basura” a solid “A.” One said the production was “15 minutes too long.” Note that there are some “F-words” and milder cursing, but it’s not overdone.

The final scene was set 7 years in the future, where cast members related their success in “real life” which began with the orchestra, all when, initially, they just wanted to “see an ocean” in Rio. This scene was an audience pleaser, expecting to kvell over the initial first-time performance, where they all boarded in the previous scene … and wake up 7 years later after performing all around the world including Miami. Yes, “Basura” did “wake us up,” but with a warm blanket and empanadas.

“Basura” is playing through Sunday, July 12, excluding Mondays. The Alliance Coca-Cola Stage seats 650. “Basura” has a 15-minute intermission. For more information, please visit https://www.alliancetheatre.org/basura.