New Era

Ask Marco Ortiz for an introduction, and you’ll receive one. 

“I’m Marco Ortiz, one of the most famous male performers from Hollywood. They know me as the best performer of Juan Gabriel.” 

But before he was known for his famous impersonations of Juan Gabriel and other Latino musical superstars, Marco was just finding his way in this new city far from his hometown in Michoacán, Mexico. 

In 1989, Marco immigrated to the United States at the suggestion of his sister. Then a 19-year-old law student in his second semester, his mother let him know that she could no longer afford to pay for his tuition, and he was forced to drop out of university. His sister, who had already settled in Los Angeles, encouraged him to make the move here and try his luck in this city of opportunity. He arrived soon after and quickly found a job at a nearby restaurant. 

“My first job was in a Greek restaurant. I was there for six years. I learned English and Greek because they taught me both languages at the same time. [The owner] first taught me “Eimai apo to Mexiko” or “I am from Mexico.” 

As Marco began to settle into his new home, he started to frequent the many Latino nightclubs that used to operate in the city with his friends. At one of these clubs, Plaza in Hollywood, the nightly impersonator show caught his attention. The ways in which these performers could transform into various musical figures, almost as if by magic, sparked Marco’s interest. He went up to one of the cast members, named Paola, after the show and asked how he could get his foot in the door. 

“One day I went to a club and I saw that they performed very nicely and I said, “Oh, I love the way they work.” She taught me since I didn’t have any experience. Another friend, Mara, brought me to Los Candiles. I learned everything working here. I used to perform only as Juan Gabriel but little by little I started [working with different looks] because we do makeup and we have to look like the artist. So after that I did Vicente Fernandez. I do all the Mexican singers, like El Mimoso.” 

This chance encounter would introduce Marco not only to one of his earliest mentors, Paola, but also to Los Candiles, the storied nightclub in Glassell Park that would be the site of his education and transformation into the performer he is today. 

“When I started doing shows, I didn’t know a lot of people, because I was new. I was nervous, but little by little I met everybody from Los Candiles. [Slowly] I met and knew a lot of people because we were like friends. We [the performers] formed a community with the other clubs.” 

Marco began to perfect his craft and make a name for himself at the right time. The 90s and early 2000s were what some describe as the heyday of the impersonator scene in Los Angeles, especially in Latino nightclubs. There seemed to be so many clubs and opportunities for performers to entertain customers in Los Angeles and beyond. Marco’s fame as a Juan Gabriel impersonator spread, and he soon got calls to perform in New York, Puerto Rico, Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco. But opportunities slowly stalled. Most if not all performers have a second or even third job; what keeps most in the profession is their passion for the craft.

“Most of the people who do performance, they have a second job. They have a first job, but this is the second one. So we perform because we enjoy it. We don’t make money. So one of my performers works as a nurse and the other one as a driver. I’m a party planner, this is extra for me.”

The final nail on the coffin: the permanent closure of some of these nightclubs either due to economic pressures or, as in the case of Le Barcito in Silverlake, gentrification pressures. The shuttering of these venues meant that these performers had nowhere to entertain, and these important community spaces were quickly becoming lost. 

“Le Barcito or Plaza, those were the biggest clubs from Hollywood before. Now, [there’s] not that many clubs—only Tempo or Plaza. The others are gay clubs. Los Candiles is a mixed club. The owners sold the [clubs], that’s why there’s no more drag shows.” 

Having been the first club he performed at, Los Candiles has always been a special place for Marco. Here was where he had the opportunity to meet and form a relationship with both the first-generation owners, Don Jorge and Doña Betty Torres, and now the current owner and their son David Torres. In an effort to revamp the drag and impersonation show, David contacted Marco to take charge of the show and steer it in a new direction.

“I’m starting a new era, a nueva Era. We are bringing people from before, from the past, from today. That’s what is Los Candiles. They gave me the opportunity, David and Don Jorge, they trust me to do the show, to be the lead of the show. That’s why I am here. “ 

This new era is ambitious and Marco has one clear goal in mind, one that he’s not afraid to tackle. He wants Los Candiles to be the best club in Los Angeles, to kick-start those years of prosperity that launched his career and that of other performers and impersonators looking for opportunities. 

“What I have in store for the future: I want all the people who come here to say, ‘Oh my God, Los Candiles has the best show ever.’ That’s what I feel like is going to happen.” 

Since coming back as the director of the drag-show at Los Candiles, Marco has introduced many new elements and characters to the show. On any given night, you might find Latin superstars such as Ivy Queen, Becky G, Rocio Durcal, or even Juan Gabriel performing for the crowd at Los Candiles, and the reception so far has been positive. 

“I love to hear that people appreciate our art. I love the people, how they smile, how they enjoy, and how they clap. That’s the point to all this business. If they’re happy, I’m happy. My boss is happy and I’m happy. If they’re okay, I’m okay.

I love Los Candiles. I feel like this is my house. When you’re happy and you have good memories, you always remember everything.” 

Marco Ortiz is LA’s premier Juan Gabriel impersonator with over 30 years in the industry. His superb level of showmanship has him booked all across the country from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to New York and many other cities.