What happens when musical theater intersects with health, healing, and wellness?

Recorded live at our Fast Forward event this past October (2025), this episode explores how artists are using musical storytelling to engage with some of the most pressing questions around care, mental health, and collective well-being.

Featuring expert voices Lis Chirinos, Sarah Serrano-Esquilin, and Dr. Marc Rothman, plus a live performance by Pedro Fortunato, this episode centers a case study on Mercedes by Modesto Flako Jimenez of Oye Group for collective imagining and dialogue. Make sure you listen to Episode 03 for more context!

Dive into the ways creative practice can open new pathways for empathy, dialogue, and healing. From rethinking how stories about health are told, to exploring how artistic spaces can support personal and community wellness, the discussion invites us to consider what role musical storytelling might play in a healthier, more connected future.

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About MTF

Stay in Orbit:

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CREDITS

Produced by | MTF Musicals 

Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz 

Featuring | Lis Chirinos, Sarah Serrano-Esquilin, and Dr. Marc Rothman, plus a live performance by Pedro Fortunato

Production 

Creative Director | Andrea Negrete

DP | Andrew Young 

Editing | Andrew Young 

Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring

MTF Team

Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care

Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy

AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability

Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic

Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead

Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems

Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead

MTF Board of Directors

Amy Goldwasser

Ariel Estrada

Catherine Pulley-Dennison

Cheyenne Myrie

Isabel Quinzaños Alonso

M Von Nida

Special Thanks To 

The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present

Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings 

Sol & Yue Productions

Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director

Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director

Walter

MTF’s Institutional Support

The Mellon Foundation

Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundat

What happens when musical theater intersects with health, healing, and wellness?

Recorded live at our Fast Forward event this past November, this episode explores how artists are using musical storytelling to engage with some of the most pressing questions around care, mental health, and collective well-being.

Featuring expert voices Lis Chirinos, Sarah Serrano-Esquilin, and Dr. Marc Rothman, plus a live performance by Pedro Fortunato, this episode centers a case study on Mercedes by Modesto Flako Jimenez of Oye Group for collective imagining and dialogue. Make sure you listen to Episode 03 for more context!

Dive into the ways creative practice can open new pathways for empathy, dialogue, and healing. From rethinking how stories about health are told, to exploring how artistic spaces can support personal and community wellness, the discussion invites us to consider what role musical storytelling might play in a healthier, more connected future.

------------

About MTF

Stay in Orbit:

----------

CREDITS

Produced by | MTF Musicals 

Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz 

Featuring | Lis Chirinos, Sarah Serrano-Esquilin, and Dr. Marc Rothman, plus a live performance by Pedro Fortunato

Production 

Creative Director | Andrea Negrete

DP | Andrew Young 

Editing | Andrew Young 

Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring

MTF Team

Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care

Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy

AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability

Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic

Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead

Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems

Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead

MTF Board of Directors

Amy Goldwasser

Ariel Estrada

Catherine Pulley-Dennison

Cheyenne Myrie

Isabel Quinzaños Alonso

M Von Nida

Special Thanks To 

The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present

Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings 

Sol & Yue Productions

Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director

Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director

Walter

MTF’s Institutional Support

The Mellon Foundation

Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation

Howard Gilman Foundation

The Jerome Foundation

Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

In Episode 3 of Fast Forward, Brisa sits down with Modesto 'Flako' Jimenez for an intimate and expansive conversation about identity, memory, and wellness through artistic practice.

Together, they explore who Flako is as an artist, who Mercedes was, and what MERCEDES the project has become. This is a case study in how creative work can function as healing, reclamation, and emotional processing.

As this season examines Health and Wellness, MERCEDES offers a powerful lens into how art holds grief, legacy, transformation, and care. It is also paving the way for what cross-sectoral partnership can look like! Brisa and Flako unpack the relationship between storytelling and selfhood, and how creative practice can become a site of restoration.

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About MTF

Stay in Orbit:

----------

CREDITS

Produced by | MTF Musicals 

Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz 

Featuring | Modesto 'Flako' Jimenez, MERCEDES, &  

¡Oye Group!

Production 

Creative Director | Andrea Negrete

DP | Andrew Young 

Editing | Andrew Young 

Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring

MTF Team

Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care

Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy

AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability

Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic

Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead

Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems

Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead

MTF Board of Directors

Amy Goldwasser

Ariel Estrada

Catherine Pulley-Dennison

Cheyenne Myrie

Isabel Quinzaños Alonso

M Von Nida

Special Thanks To 

The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present

Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings 

Sol & Yue Productions

Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director

Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director

Walter

MTF’s Institutional Support

The Mellon Foundation

Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation

Howard Gilman Foundation

The Jerome Foundation

Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

In Episode 2 of Fast Forward, members of MTF’s Artistic Circle (Brandon Powers, Sidney Erik Wright, and Brisa Areli Muñoz) break down what Fast Forward is and why it matters now. This conversation explores cross-sector collaboration, the future of the arts, and how artists can drive impact beyond traditional entertainment and new work development.

Together, they examine how creative leaders can influence other sectors in society and the impact on the broader creative economy. What would change if artists were treated as essential contributors across industries? What does sustainable artistic impact actually look like?

If you’re interested in arts leadership, cultural strategy, innovation in musical storytelling, and building a more equitable arts ecosystem, this episode lays the foundation.

------------

About MTF

Stay in Orbit:

----------

CREDITS

Produced by | MTF Musicals 

Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz 

Featuring | Brandon Powers & Sidney Erik Wright 

Production 

Creative Director | Andrea Negrete

DP | Andrew Young 

Editing | Andrew Young 

Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring

MTF Team

Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care

Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy

AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability

Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic

Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead

Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems

Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead

MTF Board of Directors

Amy Goldwasser

Ariel Estrada

Catherine Pulley-Dennison

Cheyenne Myrie

Isabel Quinzaños Alonso

M Von Nida

Special Thanks To 

The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present

Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings 

Sol & Yue Productions

Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director

Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director

Walter

MTF’s Institutional Support

The Mellon Foundation

Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation

Howard Gilman Foundation

The Jerome Foundation

Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Before we fully Fast Forward, we want to take the time to ground ourselves in where we are and why this work matters now. In this debut episode, MTF's Extended Leadership Circle introduces the org and sets the stage for what Fast Forward is here to do: imagine bold futures for storytelling, center artists as essential contributors to society, and explore how creative practice moves across sectors and communities. You’ll hear the origin story behind MTF, the values shaping this next era, and the questions that will guide the conversations to come. Whether you’re an artist, collaborator, or curious listener, this episode invites you into the vision and the journey ahead.

About MTF

Stay in Orbit:

----------

CREDITS

Produced by | MTF Musicals 

Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz 

Featuring | Abigail Grubb & Andrea Negrete 

Production 

Creative Director | Andrea Negrete

DP | Andrew Young 

Editing | Andrew Young 

Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring

MTF Team

Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care

Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy

AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability

Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic

Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead

Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems

Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead

MTF Board of Directors

Amy Goldwasser

Ariel Estrada

Catherine Pulley-Dennison

Cheyenne Myrie

Isabel Quinzaños Alonso

M Von Nida

Special Thanks To 

The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present

Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings 

Sol & Yue Productions

Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director

Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director

Walter

MTF’s Institutional Support

The Mellon Foundation

Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation

Howard Gilman Foundation

The Jerome Foundation

Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.