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AUSTIN OPERA PRESENTS:

CRUZAR LA CARA DE LA LUNA

February 1, 3, & 4 | The Long Center

The first ever Mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna/To Cross the Face of the Moon, follows the two families of Laurentino, a Mexican man who has moved to the United States to work, even though that means leaving behind his wife Renata and son Rafael. Although he sends money home, and visits when he can, his choices have tragic consequences for his family left in Michoacán. Decades later, he lies dying. Now an elderly man, cared for by his American son Mark and granddaughter Diana, Laurentino questions the true meaning for him of ‘family’ and ‘home’ after a life straddling two cultures, a life in which he kept so many secrets from those he loved. Even as he draws his final breath, the two strands of his life finally come together in an emotional reunion, and Laurentino perhaps finds the answers he needs to rest peacefully.

Embroidered with the ultimate symbol of migration, the Monarch butterfly, Cruzar is set in Texas and Mexico in both the past and the present. José ‘Pepe’ Martínez’s groundbreaking score blends the unique sound of a Mariachi trio with a full opera orchestra in a new orchestration by David Hanlon. Martínez collaborated on the libretto with the eminent writer and stage director, Leonard Foglia, who also wrote the book and directed the premiere production.

This production of Cruzar will be the first full-scale opera to be supported by the new Butler Fund for Spanish Programming.

The cast for Cruzar will all be performers from this internationally recognized young artist development program in Mexico City, performing alongside acclaimed U.S.-based artists, the Austin Opera Orchestra, and the Mariachi musicians of Trío Chapultepec. The trio comprises three much sought-after musicians from San Antonio—Vincent Pequeño, Israel Alcala, and William Carlton Galvez. Trío Chapultepec performed in Austin Opera’s Bella Noche de Música concert at Waterloo Park in April 2023.

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Event Details

• Date: Thursday, February 1, 2024 | Saturday, February 3, 2024 & Sunday February 4, 2024
• Time: Thursday & Saturday: 7:30 P.M. | Sunday: 2:00 P.M.
• Venue: The Long Center
• Website: https://austinopera.org/opera/cruzar-la-cara-de-la-luna/

Ticket Information

• Cost: $15.00 - $139.00

Presenter Details

• Name: Austin Opera

Austin Opera, voted “Opera Company of the Year” for 2020 in a national BroadwayWorld.com poll, engages 35,000 community members annually through three mainstage productions, an innovative Opera ATX experience, an online digital series, as well as a diverse slate of community and educational programming. 

Serving Central Texas since 1986, Austin Opera inspires audiences with its trademark blend of innovation and artistic excellence. With the leadership of General Director & CEO Annie Burridge and the Sarah and Ernest Butler Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor Timothy Myers, Austin Opera presents a curated season of grand opera productions at the Long Center, the crown jewel of Austin performing arts venues. Combining the finest American and international stars with the outstanding local talent of our Orchestra and Chorus, Austin Opera’s productions include accessible takes on classic operas as well as challenging new works that reinforce the continuing relevance of opera.

Opera ATX, powered by Austin Opera, brings groundbreaking new works, emerging artists, exciting composers, and dynamic directors to Austin. By tapping into our city’s live music DNA, Opera ATX reflects the spirit of the city and the pioneering image it’s known for. We create the conditions for operatic experiences completely new to Austin, and perhaps completely new to the art form, by exploring alternative venues and unique local partnerships. Driven by Austin Opera’s love of opera, love of audiences, and love of Austin, Opera ATX shows how Austin is shaping its opera company and inspiring innovative experiences.

Austin Opera is also a force in hundreds of classrooms across Central Texas, nurturing the next generation of opera audiences through its award-winning education programs. We work directly with educators, community leaders, students, and parents to make opera relevant, educational, and entertaining for students of all ages, offering much of our educational content online for free.

Venue Details