REVIEW: Rise of a King - Vico Ortiz’s Crown Is Made of Stardust

REVIEW: Rise of a King - Vico Ortiz’s Crown Is Made of Stardust

It was a warm Sunday afternoon in New York City, especially refreshing after weeks of relentless, on-and-off rain. I arrived at the A.R.T./New York Theatres a couple hours before curtain, buzzing with anticipation and the kind of butterflies that only come before witnessing something special. Vico Ortiz met me with the kind of easeful, grounding energy that makes you feel like you’ve come home. They walked me upstairs to the lobby, smiling with the quiet confidence of someone standing in their power.

We only had about twenty minutes to chat before they had to head to costume and makeup - because let’s be honest, carrying a solo show takes tremendous labor. But in that time, they were warm, generous, and incredibly present. Our conversation left me with the distinct sense that I had just shared tea with a close friend I hadn’t seen in years.

And that’s exactly what Rise of a King delivers: a spellbinding, soul-saturated, genderqueer ritual of a show that wraps you up in a hug and gently rearranges your heart.

The Festival, the Fierceness, the Family

Part of the groundbreaking Fuerza Fest, a festival celebrating LGBTQ+ Latiné voices since 2016, Rise of a King is more than a performance - it’s a reclamation. Of culture. Of gender. Of self. Vico’s story pulses with love for their family and for a past version of themselves, and you can feel that intimacy in every beat.

What makes the piece even more powerful is its foundation: it was written and rehearsed in Vico’s childhood home in Puerto Rico. Their mom was involved every step of the way - reading the script, giving feedback, and becoming an unexpected collaborator in the journey. That familial tether anchors the show, giving it the warmth of a homecoming.

What Is This Show?

It defies easy categorization, and that’s the point. Rise of a King is part burlesque, part drag, part clown, part cabaret. It is a memoir through movement. It is an ancestral ritual dressed in sequins and sound design. It is a performance that lives somewhere between reality and dream, where identity is fluid and time bends.

With direction by Ismanuel Rodríguez and development support from Nikki Levy, the piece feels intentional from start to finish. Josue Matias’s set design and Fyre’s handcrafted puppets add layers of wonder and otherworldliness, whisking the audience across timelines and inner landscapes.

Gender as Ritual, Resistance, and Joy

What struck me most was how Vico uses gender expression onstage - not as performance for performance’s sake, but as a ritual. There’s humor, yes, but also grace, reverence, and release. In one moment, Vico is playfully recounting childhood antics; in the next, they are fully embodied in King energy, moving in silence, letting their body speak what words cannot.

Throughout the show, drag becomes a tool of connection. It’s not about shock or satire. It’s about returning to self, about queerness as a sacred lens for seeing the world differently and more truthfully.

The Laughter That Leads You to Tears

In short, the show is incredibly funny. It’s light and sharp and self-aware, with punchlines about flirting, family, and faith that land with precision. But beneath that levity is an emotional undercurrent that slowly rises until it crests; and then, without warning, you’re in deep.

One moment in particular shifted the entire room. The laughter faded. Stillness fell. You could feel it: the presence of something greater than the sum of its parts. That’s what Rise of a King does so well. It moves seamlessly between comedy and catharsis, reminding us that joy and grief are not enemies, but partners in the same sacred dance.

An Invitation to Young Queer Artists

One of the most moving parts of my pre-show conversation with Vico was hearing how intentionally they crafted this piece for young queer artists - especially those navigating Latiné family dynamics or gender journeys. This show isn’t just their story. It’s an open hand, extended toward those still finding the words to tell theirs.

Rather than offering a how-to, Rise of a King invites us to throw out the rulebook. To question the blueprints. To trust our gut. To lead with joy, intuition, and unapologetic presence.

Closing Night & Collective Gratitude

On closing night, the applause wasn’t just loud, it was thankful. The kind of clapping that says, Thank you for this. The kind that comes when a room full of people realize they’ve just witnessed someone speak from their soul - and in doing so, give others permission to do the same.

After the show, Vico found me again. We talked briefly, and I shared what I imagine many others were feeling: that I saw myself in this story. I saw my friends, my queerness, my grief, and my hope. I left with more glitter in my heart than I came in with.

Final Thoughts: This Crown Is for All of Us

Rise of a King isn’t just Vico’s crown - it’s ours, too. It’s a mirror held up to anyone who has ever questioned their place in the world, reminding them that their truth is worthy, their joy is sacred, and their story matters.

Vico wears the crown not with ego, but with vulnerability, humor, and radiant self-knowing.

Long may they reign.

Get your tickets for rise of a king

You can still catch one of Vico's performances during the Hollywood Fringe on June 12, 16, and 18! Get your tickets here.