Lyric Opera of Chicago Unveils World's First Mariachi Opera CRUZAR LA CARA DE LA LUNA, 4/7

Lyric Opera of Chicago will present the Midwest premiere of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, the world's first mariachi opera, featuring Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, on Sunday, April 7, 2013, at 3:30 p.m. at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. "Lyric Opera is delighted to present its first-ever Spanish-language work - and the fact that it is the world's first mariachi opera makes us doubly proud!" says Lyric Opera general director Anthony Freud.

Tickets start at just $25 and can be obtained online at lyricopera.org/mariachi or by calling 312-332-2244.

Cruzar la Cara de la Luna is a poignant story of family, of place, and of a long-kept family secret. Early on patriarch Laurentino leaves his Mexican birthplace in the province of Michoacán and moves to the U.S., where his children and grandchildren are born. Laurentino grows old in the U.S. and his dying wish is that his ashes be transported back to Michoacán. His family honors his request but in so doing, the family learns about the wife and child Laurentino had left behind in Mexico! One family divided by countries and cultures is now confronted with difficult questions of national and personal identity, family bonds, and just where is home. "This very human story asks the question, where is home? Is it the country where we live or the country where we were born?" says Freud. "All of us are immigrants or descendants of immigrants, and Cruzar la Cara de la Luna is a compelling stage work that echoes that collective experience. This is our story!"

Cruzar la Cara de la Luna will be performed in Spanish and English, with projected translations in English and Spanish. This presentation is part of Lyric Unlimited, a multifaceted program of expanded community engagement and artistic initiatives aimed at exploring ways in which opera can resonate with individuals and communities with little or no prior interest in opera.

Additional performances of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna:

Benito Juárez Community Academy, 1450-1510 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago
Friday, April 19 at 7:30pm
Saturday, April 20 at 2pm and 7:30pm

Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan
Sunday, April 21 at 7:30pm