Hispanic Heritage Festival
Arizona Opera will open its 2014-2015 season by presenting the world’s first mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. This emotional work revolves around a modern immigrant family struggling with issues of home, family and identity. This opera is sung in both English and Spanish, and audiences will be enthralled as the passionate worlds of mariachi and opera join together to become one electric, theatrical experience.
In conjunction with this groundbreaking work, Arizona Opera will be presenting a Hispanic Heritage Festival in both Phoenix and Tucson leading up to the performances. During these events, Arizona Opera will be facilitating conversations, providing demonstrations, and hosting celebrations of Hispanic culture. Members of our community will be brought together to celebrate our cultural differences in order to find the common ground that unites us all.
Sponsorship generously provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield, JP Morgan and Chase, and APS!
The Borders of Understanding
October 6 at 6:00 pm, Arizona Opera Center
1636 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ
October 13 at 6:00 pm, Tucson Museum of Art
140 N Main Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
Three local scholars and community leaders will partake in a guided conversation about the current state of immigration and how the arts are uniquely positioned to promote cultural understanding. This event will take place at a public library or similar public venue and will be moderated by documentary filmmaker and Governor Arts Award-winner Daniel Buckley. Panelists include immigration lawyer Shoshana Tancer, local playwrite and advocate James Garcia, and ASU professor and historian Eduardo Pagan!
Mariachi: The Passion and Pulse of a People
October 7 at 6:00 pm, Arizona Opera Center
1636 N. Central Ave, Phoenix AZ 85004
October 14 at 6:00 pm, Leo Rich Theater
260 S. Church, Tucson, AZ 85719
During this lecture demonstration, the audience will be treated to an in-depth exploration of mariachi by leading mariachi scholars and performers. By the end of the lecture, audience members will have a complete understanding of the origins, development and elements of mariachi. This educational event will be fun and energetic as music and conversation collide and illuminate this great artistic tradition.
Includes performances by Mariachi Corazon de Phoenix!
The Cultural Exchange!
October 8 at 6:00 pm, Arizona Opera Center
1636 N. Central Ave, Phoenix AZ 85004
October 16 at 6:00 pm, Leo Rich Theater
260 S. Church, Tucson, AZ 85719
On this special night, the Arizona Opera will be converted into a marketplace! Our doors will be wide open and music will be blaring as people survey Mexican cuisine provided by local food trucks, buy arts and crafts from local artisans, learn about Mexican art, and enjoy performances by some of Arizona’s best mariachi and ballet folklórico groups including Mariachi Pasion, Mariachi Sones del Desierto, Mariachi Valle del Sol, Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli, among others!
Student Night at the Opera
October 9 at 7:00 pm, Symphony Hall.
75 N. 2nd St, Phoenix AZ 85004
This performance has been generously underwritten by JP Morgan Chase.
October 17 at 7:00 pm , Tucson Music Hall
260 S. Church, Tucson AZ 85719
These exciting nights invite over a thousand local school children to experience the final dress rehearsal of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna.
Connecting the Dots: A Demonstration of Hispanic Art
October 11, 12:00 – 2:00 pm Arizona Opera Center
1636 N. Central Ave, Phoenix AZ 85004
We’ll be opening our doors for the public to come to the Arizona Opera Center for an introduction to Hispanic art outside of mariachi. People can watch old movies from Mexico, participate in art projects and demonstrations before experiencing the Saturday performance of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna.
Spanish Music-Up Close
October 15 at 6:00 pm, Leo Rich Theater
260 S. Church, Tucson AZ 85719
Arizona Opera presents a master class with Arizona Opera’s Marion Roose Pullin Studio Artists as a special addition to our Tucson Hispanic Heritage Festival. The Studio Artists will perform Hispanic songs and Spanish arias with feedback given by a local expert on this repertoire.
Cruzar la Cara de la Luna
October 10 & 11 at 7:30 pm, October 12 at 2:00 pm
Phoenix Performances at Symphony Hall
October 18 at 7:30 pm and October 19 at 2:00 pm
Tucson Performances at Tucson Music Hall
An electrifying season opens as Arizona Opera brings the world’s first mariachi opera to the stage. Cruzar la Cara de la Luna has become a smash sensation around the globe, blending the passion and artistry of mariachi with the emotionally touching story of a Mexican immigrant family. Commissioned in celebration of the anniversaries of Mexican Independence and Revolution, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna features the legendary Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and promises to be an unforgettable night of raw energy, drama and virtuosity.
Arrive early to get in the mood by listening to local mariachi performers playing outside of the theater, and attend an informal lecture before and after the performance.
