The Playa Mazatlan has been providing a full range of services to the public since 1955.  It is an established hotel, but one of the most attractive features  is their dinner theatre.  There is a rather large stage out into the middle of the audience, which were seated in a U shape.  The show was called FIESTA MEXICANA.  It thought it would be more folklorico and bailes and canciones…. But had a wide range of entertainment that often involved the audience.

Food was buffet style and very good I thought, but a few in our party were not impressed.  Dessert was a pastry in a plastic wrapper – like a pre-packaged Twinkie…  The hotel offers an array of banquet facilities, dining under the starts at La Terraza Restaurant, and much more.  The food, overall, is excellent. 

At the beginning of the show, some cast members took the stage and  had a bunch of the audience up and did YMCA and some other American numbers.  Mostly, it was a warm-up for the crowd and actually was enjoyable watching the various youngsters, teenagers, parents, and grandparents up on the stage, attempting to dance.  The band was up on an upper deck looking down and playing a lot.  During the course of the evening, there were various soloists performing traditional Mexican numbers.   Finally, the "real" show began and they did the reenactment of the Aztec history with the cougar and deer horns and deerhead and the fire being lifted out of the flaming pot.  The actors added the appearance of a sacrifice of the virgin and plunging a knife into her and lifting her beating heart out and holding it up.  It wasn’t well done and unless you knew what it was about and what they were doing, there was no explanation about it at all.  Fortunately, those in my group were fully aware of all the symbolism and Aztec history being depicted.

A  lady singer came out dressed in an authentic white ladies charro style outfit and sang a number of songs.   She was probably lthe best performer of the entire show, except maybe the Charro who could  twirl and dance with a huge lasso and rope.   During the show, they had the Mexican hat dance, but the girls didn’t dance on the hat, as is traditional.    They had a number of the other folklorico dances.  They also threw in a number of nightclub comedy acts, such as two guys beating small drums and acting silly.  Another was an old man who was somewhat of a magician, but mostly just silliness and  more comedy than magician.  It appeared most of the audience  were fully into it all and enjoying everything about it.  They came knowing what to expect and what type of entertainment there would be.

Overall, it was a great meal, good entertainment, and I would recommend it be on your list of "must do" when you visit the coastal city of Mazatlan, Mexico.