At the beginning of her one-woman musical, Jocelyn (Jocey) Villa advises the audience that they’re about to participate in a therapy session. A self-described “girl with big feelings” who can’t afford therapy, she wrote a show instead. “I’m basically Tinker Bell,” she says. “The more you clap, the more I heal.” The resulting production, “Jocey y Las Mariachis,” is a world premiere presented by Visión Latino Theatre Company (where Villa is an ensemble member) as part of Destinos, the seventh annual Chicago International Latino Theater Festival. Co-written with Flavia Pallozzi and directed by Yajaira Custodio, Villa’s exuberant, personality-driven show explores growing up Mexican American on Chicago’s South Side, experiencing love and heartbreak, finding self-acceptance and following an artistic dream. She intersperses her narrative with covers of songs ranging from artists such as Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff and Adele to the genres of musical theater, mariachi and ranchera. She also performs one original number, “Warning.” Shayna Patel’s set design recreates a homey apartment with photos of Jocey’s family and her beloved pit bulls. Visible through an oversized picture frame behind the couch, an all-women mariachi band (Liliana Cruz, Maria de Lourdes Sandoval, Maria Jarquin, Yazmin Nunez and Jennifer Perez) provides live accompaniment We first meet Jocey as she angsts over how to finish writing her show and struggles to silence a cacophony of intrusive thoughts (a soundscape designed by Kyle Anthony Cortés). When she realizes the audience is already there in her apartment, she launches into her story and decides to figure out the ending as she goes. The middle child of Mexican immigrants, Jocey reminiscences about growing up as part of two cultures, a “beautiful” but “confusing” upbringing that left her feeling like she didn’t fully belong in either country. She speaks warmly of her grandparents in Mexico and expresses gratitude for the sacrifices her parents made to build a middle-class life in Chicago, while feeling guilty that she chose not to attend college when her generation was the first in the family that had the opportunity. Young Jocey had other dreams. Following the Disney kid to theater nerd pipeline, she wanted to sing and perform but recognized that pursuing a degree in the arts guaranteed she’d go into debt with no promise of a job on the other side. Complicating matters, she fell in love and eloped at 19, putting her ambitions on hold to support her husband until it was her turn to pursue her chosen career. Unapologetic and vulnerable about her messy life, Jocey recounts the heartbreak of her husband cheating on her and the overwhelming, expensive process of divorcing in her late 20s. The voice of her intrusive thoughts interjects sassy commentary throughout. After describing the blonde Disney Channel stars she idolized as a kid and the conventional good looks of her green-eyed high school sweetheart, the voiceover quips, “Girl, you gotta decolonize your beauty standards!” The production’s eclectic score, with music direction by Daniel Ochoa, reflects Jocey’s bilingual and bicultural influences. Growing up, her family recognized her talent but only wanted to hear her sing “their music,” not the Broadway and English-language pop tunes she loved. In adulthood, she reconnects with her Mexican roots, finding solace in music by women mariachi artists. Jocey Villa and musicians in “Jocey y Las Mariachis,” a world premiere by Visión Latino Theatre Company at the APO Culture Center in Pilsen as part of Destinos 2024. (Xavier M. Custodio) Villa performs these diverse styles — including her own single, which has a pop sound in its studio recording — with mariachi accompaniment. If you’re curious what “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “To Be Loved” and “Flowers” sound like with a trumpet, guitarrón, vihuela and violins, this is your chance. A rousing rendition of Christina Aguilera’s ranchera song “La Reina” ends the night on a high note. Thematically, “Jocey y Las Mariachis” isn’t the deepest show, but it has an empowering message of self-love delivered by an enthusiastic, irreverent narrator. There’s plenty to relate to here for women, Latinas, first-generation Americans, grown-up theater kids, recovering people pleasers and anyone who’s ever been heartbroken, anxious or depressed. However, the book would benefit from some trimming and reworking to give a fuller picture of Jocey’s life. At one point, she mentions that feedback from a previous workshop production indicated that audiences wanted more material about her young romance and breakup. I suspect this led to an overcorrection. Personally, I’d like to see more about the loved ones who helped her through this difficult time. We hear one side of a phone call between Jocey and a friend about her ex’s threatening behavior, implying that she has a support system, but we don’t know who’s part of it. After all, no woman — no matter how fierce — is an island. Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic. Review: “Jocey y Las Mariachis” (3 stars) When: Through October 27 Where: APO Culture Center, 1438 W. 18th St. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Tickets: $35-$60 at visionlatino.com