Luis Valdez, the grand old man of Latino theater (OK, he’s not exactly creaky), is back in town with a multicultural twist on his 1987 hit Corridos: Tales of Passion and Revolution, the televised version of which won a Peabody Award.

This time Corridos moves into the 21st century and goes international, rehashing and reinventing the corrido, melding it with elements from Latino, African-American, Asian, Portuguese and French cultures into a presentation more accurately reflecting the American experience.

A corrido is a short story in song, usually 10 verses long. Originating in medieval Spain, a corrido features historical figures or events and always reflects the viewpoint of the lower class.

Corridos Remix opens with the classic Mexican “Corrido de Modesta Ayala,” adds a few “narcocorridos” written by the San Jose-based group Los Tigres del Norte, then wanders off the reservation for a corrido drawn from American folk hero John Henry (the “steel-driving man”); a Little Red Riding Hood number; a hip-hop story about a Chinese immigrant; a parody of the election process; and ending with a corrido based on the story of Mulan, the Chinese girl who went to war in her father’s place.

Valdez plays the slightly stuffy academic El Maestro, yearning to pass his trunk-full of family treasures down to his granddaughter Jenny (the multitalented Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer). Less than enthusiastic at the prospect of lugging this big thing around, Jenny thinks the old geezer is asking way too much, but he gradually wins her over.

Valdez’ son Kinán directs this high-energy show with a sure hand and a great eye for spectacle. This is one of the best-looking productions the Rep has mounted. Special kudos to choreographer Javier Velasco, set designer Victoria Petrovich, lighting designer Jennifer Setlow and the quartet of musicians led by Fred Lanuza, who among them play 10 instruments.

It’s a real ensemble effort in the cast as well, with everybody playing multiple parts, save Valdez and the phenomenal Gonzalez-Nacer, who in addition to a powerful voice acts, dances and plays a mean fiddle.

You have probably never associated the stories of John Henry and Mulan with the corrido, but the point is, why not?

Corridos Remix is at once a boisterous and touching evening of theater, with a sound level that will be too high for some theatergoers. But it’s a delightful show. Get down to the Rep and take it in – and watch for my favorite character, Mulan’s horse.

Corridos Remix: A Musical Fusion of Ballads Beyond Borders plays through May 22 at San Diego Repertory Theatre. Shows Wed.-Sat. at 8:00 p.m.; Sun. at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. For tickets call (619) 544-1000 or visit this article online at www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link to their Web site.

Is it theater? Is it dance?

Well, yes, both. It’s Matthew Bourne’s dazzling Play Without Words, at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles through May 29.

Bourne, who stunned and delighted Ahmanson audiences last season with his Swan Lake, has taken the class struggle as his topic this time. The source material (Robin Maugham’s novel The Servant, which inspired Joseph Losey’s film of the same name) is about a servant who gradually turns the tables and through clever manipulation ends up as master.

Bourne has created an evening of dance theater that fascinates, amuses, delights and even transfixes. But most of all, it entertains.

Lez Brotherston’s off-kilter set speaks volumes. A Chelsea flat in 1965 downstage, notable London landmarks such as Big Ben and a leaning, bright red London telephone booth behind. Center stage, a revolving staircase tops an industrial-look framework suggesting multiple functions – the door to the flat, the inside of a bus, the counter of a bar. A few chairs and a table suggest the interior of Anthony’s flat.

The original story has four main characters: the master Anthony, his fiancée Glenda, the manservant Prentice and housemaid Sheila. Bourne’s characters usually appear in triplicate, the three “sets” appearing onstage simultaneously, each doing a variation on the same theme. It’s a brilliant idea, though the visual feast does tend to lead to viewer exhaustion.

Anthony hires a new servant for his new apartment and the new household he will establish after his marriage to Glenda. Prentice, the perfect servant, keeps his mouth shut but his eyes open, especially after he brings in his lover, Sheila, to serve as housemaid. Sheila is the perfect maid – petite, darling and sexy, and she knows that using her feminine wiles will pay off in a big way.

Bourne plays clever homage to several classics, including Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story choreography and the theme of the TV series “The Fugitive.” My favorite scene is a witty double-cast parody of The Dresser, in which one servant dresses his master while another is undressed.

The dancing is exquisite, helped immeasurably by the terrific choreography of Bourne and his company. Clever, sexy, sad, funny, even poignant, this group dances the human experience… or at least the class struggle.

One of the very best things about this is the jazzy original score by Terry Davies. Especially effective: Stu Blumberg’s lonely trumpet solo at the top of the show. This is old-time “standard” jazz, and it’s a perfect accompaniment for the dramatic action.

Don’t waste time asking yourself exactly what this is. Just bask in its theatricality, its cleverness, its sheer ability to entertain. This is an evening of theater no one should miss.

Play Without Words plays through May 29 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Shows Tues.-Sat. at 8:00 p.m.; Sun. at 7:30 p.m.; matinees Sat. and Sun. at 2:00 p.m. For tickets call (213) 628-2772 or visit this article online at www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link to their Web site.