ABOUT THE CARNAVAL

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The Latinx Theatre Commons Carnaval of New Latinx Musicals is headed to San Diego in August 2026, produced in partnership with UC San Diego Department of Theatre & Dance, La Jolla Playhouse and Tuyo Theatre.

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Join us for the pachanga! The Carnaval features concert readings of four new musicals that are free for everyone to attend at UC San Diego’s Epstein Family Amphitheatre. Readings are free, but RSVPs are requested.

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Carnaval will be an exuberant celebration of Latinx experiences, music and storytelling, uplifting musical theatre writers, composers, lyricists, directors, and music directors. It will bring together theatremakers and theatre decisionmakers from across the nation to amplify, illuminate, and forward Latinx musical theatre.

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What does Latinx mean?

Latinx is a gender neutral term in place of identifiers such as Latino, Latina or Latin@. The term seeks to reject gender binaries and move towards inclusion that recognizes the intersecting identities of Latin American descendants.

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Dates
August 28 – 30, 2026

 

Venue
Epstein Family Amphitheater
UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive MC 0029 La Jolla, CA 92093
Google map | Directions, parking and plan your visit

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SCHEDULE

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Friday, August 28
6:30 – 9pm Sueños: Our American Musical

Saturday, August 29
1:30 – 3pm Ybor City
7 – 9pm (Fruit)ion

Sunday, August 30
1:30 – 4pm DayDreamer

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THE MUSICALS

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Sueños: Our American Musical
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jesse Sanchez
Additional Music and Orchestrations by Jeff Chambers
Directed by Lisa Portes

In the summer of 1999, the Viramontes family leaves behind their life in Los Angeles for the agricultural town of Watsonville, California, chasing a dream of new beginnings. At the heart of the story is Ali Viramontes, a gifted young violinist and composer whose sights are set on Juilliard. But as the family struggles with financial hardship and personal tensions, Ali finds himself in a town with no orchestra and a dream that seems more distant than ever.

Approximate run time: 2 hours and 20 minutes including an intermission

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Ybor City
Book by Anita Gonzalez
Composer/Lyrics by Dan Furman
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez

Set in 1918 Tampa Florida, Ybor City tells the story of two immigrant communities who work side by side and yet do not see each other. Music and dance drive this historical exploration into racial divisions. Song, dance and solidarity become the characters path to survival.

Approximate run time: 1 hour and 40 minutes

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(Fruit)ion
Book by Krystal Ortiz
Composer/Lyrics/Looping by Satya Chavez
Directed by Juliette Carrillo

Fruition is a new live-looping musical that examines the inheritance of queerness – both celebrated and suppressed – through the intimate, tangled lives of two young queer women and their “straight” mothers.

Approximate run time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

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DayDreamer
Libretto/Lyrics by Mario Vega
Composer/Lyrics by Eliza Vedar
Directed by James Vasquez

When the Sun is stolen from the sky by an ancient evil, two sisters set out on a dangerous journey to save the morning.

Approximate run time: 2 hours and 15 minutes including an intermission