WASHINGTON – The Christmas season isn’t quite over. Monday, Jan. 6 is known as Three Kings Day, and a local Hispanic theater took the celebration to the streets Sunday afternoon.
“This event has been our most important event,” says executive director and co- founder of GALA Hispanic Theatre, Rebecca Medrano .
Medrano started the theater back in 1976 in a townhouse in Adams Morgan. Now, at 14th street NW in Columbia Heights, she says “it’s the closest thing we do to a rock concert.”
The event includes an hour long stage production that tells the story of the important day in Spanish culture through song and dance.
“Most Latin American countries and Spain, they don’t really celebrate Christmas, it’s much more important, the arrival of the kings.”
Medrano says Christmas day for many is mostly about church, the gift giving doesn’t happen until 12 days after.
“The Magi arrived to Bethlehem on the 6th of January and that is when the gifts were exchanged.”
After the show – which is free – all the kids in the audience are given gifts, in the spirit of the day. The gifts are donated to the theater by the community.
Josh Spiser of D.C., who brought his two young kids to the show, says it gives them a chance to “celebrate this festival with the great music, great dancing, let them learn a little Spanish and learn about traditions from around the world.”
“I like the show, I like the people that dance, they’re amazing,” says 7-year-old Alejandro Obreg
