The live-looped hip-hop musical runs through November 21, 2026
Written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, the live-looped hip-hop musical Mexodus is genuinely unique in its storytelling format. Quijada and Robinson have centered their story on a little-known historical fact: For a few thousand slaves, the Underground Railroad led south to Mexico instead of up north. Mexodus imagines an encounter (and eventual bromance) of escaped slave Henry (Robinson) and Mexican farm worker Carlos (Quijada).
Along the way, Quijada and Robinson also share anecdotes from their own lives. Mexodus is joyful, but it does not shy away from exploring the dark history of American slavery and present-day racism. The show absolutely has a political agenda, but Quijada and Robinson approach it from the lens of wanting to educate their audience, rather than point fingers.
This warm approach also translates to Quijada and Robinson’s genial presences. They’re both charming as all get-out. And the success of Mexodus really depends on that charm and their impressive musical skillsets. I loved the idea of representing a little known piece of history in the musical, but it’s the presentational style that really makes Mexodus sing. Quijada and Robinson also have so much charisma it’s hard to imagine anyone else in their roles performing the material with as much success. Their passion and commitment to the material comes across in every scene.
The storytelling mechanisms are ultimately more interesting than the narrative beats of the story itself. Because let me tell you: The live-looping is an absolute thrill. I’ve never before seen a musical that includes live-looping. Quijada and Robinson skillfully play more instruments than I could count, and they loop them into an array of creative arrangements. Props to Mikhial Fiksel for his looping systems architecture and sound design; he also collaborated with Quijada and Robinson on the orchestrations.
The jam session moments in Mexodus are infectious. Quijada and Robinson so joyfully create their mixes on stage. It’s utterly captivating. The score has heavy influences from both hip-hop and Latin music, which befits the narrative. The live-looped mixes also draw on a variety of unique sounds. In one scene, Quijada mimics the crackling of a fire…and adds it right into the mix. The live-looping makes the musical even more lively; it really gives the sense of Quijada and Robinson building out the theater experience right in front of the audience.
While I love the idea of an on-stage bromance between Carlos and Henry, their narrative arc is more conventional. Certainly, Mexodus has echoes of Hamilton and Six in its story. While it’s not by any means a copy of either show, it’s very much in the vein of making history feel contemporary and using modern musical genres as a storytelling vehicle.
Again, I think that’s where the live-looping and orchestrations really stand out in Mexodus. The crafting of this musical is what makes it special. And Quijada and Robinson are engaging performers who draw you into the show. Mexodus blends the concept of a musical and a DJ set together in some ways, and I’ve literally never seen anything like that before. This is one to watch for the uniqueness of the storytelling and presentation, and if you want to jam out to some live-looping.
Mexodus runs through November 21 presented by Studebaker Theater, P3 Productions and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista Productions. The show plays the historic Studebaker Theater, 410 South Michigan Avenue. Tickets start at $36.
Photo Credit: Thomas Mundell
Tickets: FineArtsBuilding.com/Mexodus
Cross posted from BroadwayWorld