New ‘Zorro’ show at Maverick Theater underscores its Orange County history
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Sometimes we need a hero. And Maverick Theater’s new original show based on the classic, sword-wielding, masked character Zorro gives Orange County audiences just that — along with romance and some local history.
“I’ve wanted to do Zorro since 2004,” said theater owner Brian Newell, who produced and directed “The Return of Zorro” at his Fullerton theater.
“I’m a big fan of action-adventure films, so I’m always conceptualizing which films I can pull off onstage.”
He said he considered putting Batman onstage at one point, but knew getting the rights would be difficult.
“Then I read that Batman’s creator, Bob [Kane], based Batman on Zorro,” he said. “So I took a deep dive into the history of Zorro. That’s when I discovered he wasn’t a Hollywood creation. Novelist Johnston McCulley created him [for a] 1919 in a novella he wrote called, ‘The Curse of Capistrano.’”
He realized that Capistrano in the title was actually the Mission San Juan Capistrano.
“Zorro was from Orange County?” he asked rhetorically. “Being a native of O.C. and fifth-generation Californian, I immediately felt so proud that we had our own famous mythical hero.”
The storyline for “The Return of Zorro,” which opened May 1 and runs through June 7, follows Diego Vega’s return after a decade-long absence from California. Diego Vega, played by Maverick Theater regular Andrew Piñon, finds his hometown full of dangerous renegades. Diego meets a thief named Alejandro, who idolizes Zorro after a childhood encounter.
“When 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,” said Piñon, of Fullerton, who also wrote the story for the production.
“There is comfort in having a hero, Piñon said. “I wanted to write a story that would be entertaining, inspiring and give the audience someone to root for. I’ve 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.
“He’s 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.”
Piñon said because the missions in California are such a huge part of the state’s history, he wanted to incorporate what was happening in California in 1851 in his story.
“In the original draft, I kept the mission nonspecific because I wasn’t sure what the mission would look like at that time,” he said. “I honed the story to take place in Orange County and San Juan Capistrano and Brian Newell designed the sets based on that mission.”
Piñon’s 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.
“They’ve been around for decades and teach the history of California, the Revolutionary War and ancient world,” he said. “My wife, Melanie, adapted and wrote a script that the presenters use today. I incorporate much of the history into ‘The Return of Zorro’s’ storyline, especially the mission era and Gold Rush.”
Though there’s plenty of California history involved, at the heart is an action adventure.
“I enjoy the action sequences, especially between the three female characters,” he said. “I 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’s the Christ-centered heart of the story. He’s not about religion, but relationship to God, and [he] leads by example.”
Newell said that in addition to a pretty involved set, he wanted the music to really stand out.
“Since I was creating our own version of Zorro, I wanted an original theme to underscore all the action and romance,” he said. “So luckily I knew an up-and-coming film composer, Kyle Reinhart. … 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’ll think it was from a Hollywood blockbuster — it’s so good.”
The Maverick Theater is located at 110 E. Walnut Ave., Fullerton. Tickets for “The Return of Zorro,” which runs through June 7, range from $20-$38. For more information visit mavericktheater.com.
