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A Ritchie Valens Musical

Streaming June 24 - 28, 2021

In 1958, Richard Steven Valenzuela, a teenager from the San Fernando Valley, went from obscurity to celebrity overnight.

Within weeks of being discovered fronting his band at a high school dance party, he became rockstar and teen idol Ritchie Valens. And then on February 3, 1959, Valens and music icons Buddy Holly and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson tragically perished in a plane crash while on tour—later called “The Day the Music Died."

Through Plays in Process, Seattle Rep will explore the creation of A Ritchie Valens Musical, which imagines a world where the plane landed without incident and Valens’ skyrocketing career would have continued unabated. Get a glimpse at the early creative process behind this new world premiere musical following the life of a pioneer in Latin rock music.

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Seattle Public Library

A Ritchie Valens Musical Reading List

Get ready for Plays in Process: A Ritchie Valens Musical with SPL’s curated list of books, music, and films. Explore the lives and music of Ritchie Valens’ contemporaries and Valens’ impact on modern Chicano and Latin rock music. 

Meet the Team

Creative

Octavio Solis

Book

Louie Pérez

Music & Lyrics

David Hidalgo

Music & Lyrics

Tony Taccone

Director

Ritchie Valens

Original Music & Lyrics

Producers

Brad Garfield

Lead Producer, North Ridge Productions, LLC

Lori Fineman

Executive Producer

Martin Platt

Executive Producer

David Elliott

Executive Producer

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Learn More

About Plays in Process

Find an FAQ and more info about the series.