The Latino Center of Art and Culture (LCAC), Sacramento’s nonprofit Latino art and cultural center, presents the 8th annual La Pastorela de Sacramento, a popular holiday musical for kids and adults alike. This Pastorela is a clear-eyed example of theater with a point of view, mixed with cultural traditions mixed with hope and holiday spirit.

La Pastorela de Sacramento is a modern bilingual musical of Mexico’s traditional Christmas pageant,” said Marie Acosta, LCAC Director Emeritus and writer. “This play is satirical, poignant, moralistic, sly and romantic, it draws from current affairs in the best tradition of magical realism and a musical perfect for the spirit of the season”.

The transformation of contemporary recognizable figures into four "shepherds" is a new twist. Armando, a young developer about to score a major contract in Oak Park; Carmela, a Sacramento-born former Hollywood starlet who lost everything when she refused to sleep with her producer; Juan, an Afghanistan war vet with PTSD, and Gila, a college student and homeless advocate face their moral dilemmas. They have to work together to help a homeless family (Mary and Joseph characters)  and save the world from “fire, famine and pestilence”. The finale, a dramatic battle of good VS. evil, has audiences erupting into boos, cheers and songs.