THEATER REVIEW : ‘La Virgen’: Simple Fable as Dazzling Celebration

“La Virgen Del Tepeyac” es un espectaculo.

No comprende?

No problema.

Like this reviewer, you may not be fluent in Spanish, but don’t let that stop you from attending El Teatro Campesino’s Christmas pageant at the Japan America Theatre. Even if you speak Spanish, spectacle still succeeds best during “The Miracle Play Christmas Pageant of the Four Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe.” Florid Aztec and Conquistador costumes, authentic 16th-Century folk dances and music, atmospheric lights evoking visions--all these effects transform a simple fable into a dazzling holiday celebration.

Besides, “La Virgen Del Tepeyac” has journeyed from El Teatro Campesino’s base in San Juan Bautista, where it’s been an annual production in the mission church since 1971. The first Los Angeles appearance of El Teatro’s own production offers a rare opportunity to witness this popular attraction without enduring a 300-mile pilgrimage.

Luis Valdez adapted the 18th-Century dramatization, originally written by a Catholic priest. According to Valdez in a program note: “The four mysterious appearances of the Virgin, between December 9th and 12th in 1531, marked the first time in the history of the world that the Mother of Christ made herself miraculously visible to anyone.”

But just as language isn’t a barrier for the experience, neither is Catholicism necessary to appreciate the pageant. Director Tony Curiel and choreographer Gema Sandoval guide an enormous 46-character ensemble from an initial religious procession on a looming pyramid, through the conquest of Mexico (symbolized by the Aztec altar’s gradual transformation into a church), to the miraculous visions.

Sal Lopez is a compelling Juan Diego, the Mexican peasant who initially wishes that the miracle appeared to someone of higher social stature. Linda Lopez is a poignant, convincing Virgin of Guadalupe. Their beautiful duets form haunting reminders of the power of faith.

* “La Virgen Del Tepeyac,” Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays-Sundays-Wednesdays, 3 p.m. Ends Dec. 26. (No performances Christmas Eve or Christmas.) $16-$20. (At matinees, $1 for children when accompanied by two adults.) (213) 680-3700. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.