The actress and presenter from Tijuana premieres on Saturday, October 29th in Los Angeles, California, the main character of the story in this moving surreal performance with live music and dance.
By Andreina Longoria.
Tijuana.- The Tijuana-born actress, Fernanda Kelly, will star in the main role of Frida Kahlo in the world premiere in English of “I Am Frida Kahlo“, who spoke with Así es la Nota for the details of the work and her career artistic.
“My first ‘steps’ were in Tijuana, I grew up in that city until I was 8 years old, then I went to San Diego, however, I had my friends and family in Tijuana. My dream has always been to be an actress, and the best opportunities were given to me in my city, for example, I competed in the beauty pageant ‘Miss Baja California‘, which goes to ‘Nuestra Belleza México‘, coming in third place; I also modeled with René Tamayo, achieving my childhood goals. I had to focus on my studies, as my parents requested, and I studied Journalism in San Diego States. Until I came to study acting in the city of Los Angeles, and thus I began the professional study in this discipline”, Fernanda explained.
It should be noted that the play, which had previously been presented only in Spanish, will be presented in English for the first time on Saturday, October 29th and 30th; Friday November 4th; and on Saturday the 5th of the same month. It will be the first public theater performance at the newly opened Cerritos College Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility that features a 400-seat theater.
“I made my way in the field of hosting, until I reached Univisión, Telemundo and the Latin Grammys. And we are currently on 102.9 on the radio program ‘Levántate’ from 5:00 to 10:00 in the morning, which is also heard in Tijuana”. Kelly has been the recipient of several Emmys for outstanding driving, and she said: “These awards are like gifts to my parents, because for me they are years of work. If we have passion for what we do, there is no reason not to arrive”.
“I Am Frida Kahlo” is an original play written and directed by Cerritos College Spanish teacher Froylán Cabuto, who shares the story of Frida Kahlo as never seen before. “I have done several great roles in my career, but never one like this. Since the pandemic started I was already rehearsing for this character, and my thing is the theater, I would like to be on Broadway, even if I don’t sing; I belong to several theater companies, including ‘Nirvana,’ “, Kelly emphasized with a successful theatrical career of almost 20 years.
The play includes expressionist dances that represent Frida’s memories and will take the audience on a journey between the world of the living and the dead. The production also features a live orchestra and digital media elements that will immerse the audience in this journey.
“It was a very small role, but something in me told me to do it, and this role that never made it to the theater, was the one that opened the doors for this play. Froylán is a poet, they are monologues, Frida is reborn in the body of another person, to see and tell her story, how she would have liked it”, concluded the actress, who will present a brave Frida, with a mission that she wants to inspire and changing the situation, and that in some things she identifies with her.
