Friday, August 3, 2018

Manager of MAXIMA ALERTA Lucio Fernandez

Lucio Fernandez is a multi-award winning actor, singer, director, and producer. His many awards include a "Star" at the Walk of Fame @ Celia Cruz Park, ATI Award, ARTE Award, ITRA Award, ACE Award, STAR Award, HOLA Award, Proclamation from the United States Congress, Proclamation fro the United States Senate, State Proclamation from Governor Chris Christie, and many other Proclamations, Citations, and awards for his artistic achievements and contributions to the community.

He has traveled the world with several Broadway shows including "West Side Story", "Guys And Dolls", "A Chorus Line", "Jesus Christ Superstar", and "On The Town". He has worked with many of Broadway's leading directors and choreographers, including Jerome Robbins, Jerry Zaks, Michael Peters, Robert Longbottom, and Alan Johnson. For three and a half years, he was a principal actor with Repertorio Español in NYC where he performed in such plays as "Strawberry and Chocolate", "Vieques", "Luminaria", "El Publico" by Federico Garcia Lorca, "El Cano", "Te Juro Juana Que Tengo Ganas", and "The Next Stop". Lucio also starred in the Off Broadway plays "Speedo & The Straight Man", "Till Death", and "Busco Amigo".  Broadway Workshops include "Tropicana" (Chita Rivera, Artistic Director), "Strides" (Michele Assaf, Choreographer), and "El Shaddai".

As a vocalist, Lucio has recorded three music CD's entitled "American Mambo", "Enamorado" and "Volver a Ti", as well as a poetry CD featuring his own poetry entitled "Lucio Fernandez, Poetry".  He has worked extensively as a voice-over artist, and did the looping for the role of "Lazaro" in the award winning feature film "Before Night Falls", and on the feature film "Che" starring Benicio Del Toro.  He is also currently a vocalist and manager of the renowned Cuban musical group Maxima Alerta.

Lucio has performed alongside many great artists including Marc Anthony, Shirley MacLaine, Gene Kelly, The Pointer Sisters, Tommy Tune, Susan Lucci, Shirley Verrett, Lupita Ferrer, and Lorna Luft.  He has appeared in concert alongside such notable Latin recording artists as Jon Secada, Jose Luis Rodriguez "El Puma", Sophy De Puerto Rico, Elio Roca, El Gran Combo, Roberto Ledesma, and Gilberto Santa Rosa. He has performed at many of the world's finest theaters including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City, the Chatelet in Paris, and the Berlin Opera House. He was invited by the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra in Guayaquil, Ecuador to perform a solo concert; as well as performed multiple concerts throughout Mexico.

He has made appearances on many television shows including "Law & Order", "All My Children", "Younger" on TV Land, the Emmy Award winning show "30 Rock" on NBC, "Louie" on FX, and "The Jimmy Fallon Show" on NBC. Presently, he is the host of the television show "Live On Stage" and on the show "La Revista Semanal". 

Lucio is founder & CEO of MeLu Communications Group, a full service production and public relations company, dedicated to producing for theatre, television, film, and live concerts. The company has served as press agent for many notable stars such as Willy Chirino and El Grupo Niche, and for many organizations such as NJPAC, Bergen PAC, Union City PAC, The Grace Theatre Workshop, Inc., and TapOle Dance Company.  Through its subsidiary, MeLu Films, the company has produced many films including the feature films "Vampire in Union City" and the documentary films "Bahia de Cochinos, Nuestra Perspectiva" and “Union City, U.S.A.”; as well as many short films such as "Massacre in the Woods", "Under a City Tree", "Blink", "Cubanoson: The Story", "Pissin", "The Embroidery Industry in Union City, NJ", “Sal”, "Painting Linda”, and most recently “The Extinguisher”.  Lucio has produced many films with other companies including "The Death of April", "La Academia", "Almas de Furia”, and the upcoming feature film “El Condor en Nueva York”.  As a producer, he has produced hundreds of of events, plays, and concerts including at notable venues such as the United Nations, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall.

Lucio is the author of "Union City in Pictures", two poetry books, two children's books, and a dozen plays.  He has directed, choreographed, and produced many shows, from big musicals to one character plays, from children's performances to benefit concerts. 

As a fine artist, he has exhibited his work at many galleries and museums, including Queens Museum of Art, Union City Museum of Art, Newark Museum of Art, Pace University, Rutgers University, United Nations, and MasterCard World Headquarters.

Lucio is a graduate of Rutgers University, and studied acting in New York City with the legendary acting teacher Bobby Lewis.  He was Co-Founder of The Grace Theatre Workshop, Inc. and currently serves as Commissioner of the City of Union City.  He is an advocate for the arts and is always trying to promote and support artists and the arts in general, as well as stress the importance of the arts in every community.

(Photo courtesy of Mouhsine Idrissi Janati.)