What Happens When a Conservative Latino Father Meets His Long-Lost Gay Son? Meet ‘Albuqueerque’

Dallas-based co-creator of ‘Baldo’ comic assembles accomplished cast for a heartfelt mini-comedy about family, culture and the collision of two worlds

DALLAS (July 27, 2026) – The co-creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip “Baldo” is launching a live-action web series about a gay man who reluctantly moves in with the biological father he’s never met, a working-class Latino living with his traditional family in Albuquerque.

The show stars Adrian Villegas, the Emmy-nominated founder of Austin’s Latino Comedy Project who plays New Mexico working-class man Joe Acosta. His son Blake is played by Dallas actor Peter DiCesare, whose work runs from London’s West End to DFW’s Uptown Players, with credits including “Sweeney Todd” and “The Producers.” 

“As with ‘Baldo,’ my goal is to present a story that people rarely see, especially on the national stage,” says Hector Cantú, co-creator of “Baldo,” the groundbreaking comic strip about a Latino family that appears in more than 350 newspapers nationwide. Cantú directed, wrote and produced “Albuqueerque.”

The idea for “Albuqueerque” was born during a 2025 trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where Cantú and his wife vacationed with Dallas author and playwright Mark Berry and his husband. “Every evening, we’d sit around the condo for wine and dinner and swap stories,” Cantú recalled. “At some point, my life experiences collided with Mark's, and suddenly the idea for the show was there.”

After completing the first draft of the script, Cantú – who previously served on the board of Dallas' Cara Mía Theatre – turned to friends in Dallas and Austin to help bring the project to life. The response was immediate. "Everyone said, 'Yes, let's do this!'" Cantú recalled.

In addition to Villegas, Mad magazine writer Kit Lively contributed to the script.

Rounding out the cast are:

+ Kristi Ramos Toler [wife Josie], a veteran DFW actor whose credits include Hip Pocket Theatre and Artes de la Rosa.

+ Stephen Brodie [boyfriend James], an actor, writer and director known for his work on “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Reservation Dogs” and “Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich.”

+ Robin Liesenfelt [mom Skye], who’s appeared in productions by Pegasus Theatre, Richardson Theatre Centre and the Dallas 48 Hour Film Project.

+ Maya Longoria is making her debut appearance as daughter Janie.

The first four episodes of the nine-episode mini-comedy were screened at the Texas Latino Comic Con at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas on Aug. 1. It is scheduled to launch on its YouTube channel in mid-September.