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Arts & Culture

GREAT PERFORMANCES: John Leguizamo's Road To Broadway

John Leguizamo in “Latin History for Morons.”
Courtesy of Matthew Murphy
John Leguizamo in “Latin History for Morons.”

Airs Friday, Nov. 16, 2018 at 9 p.m. on KPBS 2 + Sunday, Nov. 18 at Noon on KPBS TV

Follow John Leguizamo's path to Broadway with his latest one-man show, "Latin History for Morons"

Beginning his career as a stand-up comic in the early 1980s, John Leguizamo garnered early-career acclaim in 1993 with his memorable role in “Carlito’s Way,” which led to an extensive film and television career including roles in “To Wong Foo…,” “Romeo + Juliet,” “Moulin Rouge” and many more.

But it has been in the theater that Leguizamo has been able to fully display his quicksilver comic brilliance and insightful social consciousness in a series of one-man shows: “Mambo Mouth,” “Spic-O-Rama,” “Freak,” “Sexaholix…A Love Story” and “Ghetto Klown.”

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In partnership with Latino Public Broadcasting’s arts and culture series VOCES, GREAT PERFORMANCES presents this behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling Leguizamo’s latest theatrical showcase, “Latin History for Morons.”

This comic yet pointed look at the repression of Latino culture in America follows Leguizamo’s journey through his own family history to his first-ever comedy club tour and to Off-Broadway workshops of the new show.

Along the way, Leguizamo navigates the challenges of writing (and re-writing) history lessons intended to enlighten and entertain.

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Join The Conversation:

GREAT PERFORMANCES is on Facebook, and you can follow @GPerfPBS on Twitter. #GreatPerformancesPBS

John Leguizamo is on Facebook, Instagram, and you can follow @JohnLeguizamo on Twitter.

Credits:

Written by John Leguizamo. Directed by Ben DeJesus and produced by NGL Media. GREAT PERFORMANCES is produced by THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET, one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers. Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer.