A Fiesta Grande

Separate realities sometimes coexist in Los Angeles--and the recently established weekly Mariachi USA Fiesta at the Country Club in Reseda is a prime example.

The show itself is as colorful, dynamic and enchanting as the best of mariachi can be. But the venue is so cavernous that the entire production takes on a somewhat surreal feeling.

The venue is not, as some expect, the type of country club that has a golf course and tennis courts. Rather, this is an ominous, dark room that routinely holds boxing matches.

The Country Club is too large for such an intimate fiesta. On a recent night, the 60 or so patrons sitting close to the stage and frenzied clapping to the bouncy rhythm of the irresistible ranchera songs seemed almost engulfed by the club’s intimidating space.

A pity, because this is a show that deserves to be seen. Rodri Rodriguez, the Cuban-born entrepreneur who each year puts together the epic Mariachi USA Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, has infused the show with her trademark panache--including hilarious skits of romantic jealousy and a Hispanic take on the battle of the sexes.

“I didn’t like the fact that I was doing only one mariachi show a year,” Rodriguez said during an interview at her Studio City home. “I felt the need to do a different type of event, something that would offer more than your usual mariachi performance in a restaurant.”

Glimpses of Rodriguez’s ambitious concept surface frequently throughout the two-hour show. During the interval between the live music sets, film clips of legendary mariachi singers are projected on a video screen. And the show takes a new approach to the old-fashioned concept of the serenata (serenade), turning the cliche upside down during the show’s most successful number.

But the fiesta is more than just gimmicks. Rodriguez has assembled a charming group of talented singers and musicians, including the striking Karla Van Scoit (who also performs elsewhere with the excellent Mariachi Las Alondras).

As far as the Country Club itself, Rodriguez is philosophical about it. “It’s not necessarily the ideal place for such a show,” she said diplomatically, “but it signifies the birth of a new concept that eventually could be taken all over the country.”

BE THERE

Mariachi USA Fiesta, Saturdays at the Country Club, 18419 Sherman Way, Reseda. Show starts at 9 p.m. $25 to $35. 1-800-MARIACHI. The club offers a full bar and snack stand but no restaurant-style service.