Esperanza Arts Center Reveals Lineup For The 2023-2024 Season

Esperanza Arts Center has announced its lineup for the 2023-2024 season. This year, EAC proudly shines a spotlight on the exceptional contributions of Latin Women artists as part of its annual VOCES series. 23/24 Artist-In-Residence, Suzzette Ortiz, will curate and lead neighborhood youth workshops and performances, infusing the season with her multifaceted work as composer and performer.

The upcoming season promises an array of remarkable experiences, including six world premieres (noted below). As advocates of community engagement, EAC once again presents our Arte en las Calles outdoor neighborhood events, fostering a vibrant atmosphere featuring local artists where art and community intertwine.

Audience favorites: Navidad en el Barrio, ¡Conexiones!, De Cerca, and Stand Up!, return this season in the Teatro featuring evenings of music, comedy, dance and community with LatinX performers.

EAC will collaborate with regional artistic partners to present programs that celebrate both local and internationally acclaimed LatinX artists with the Philadelphia Ballet, Opera Philadelphia, La Guagua 47, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Artístas y Músicos Latinoamericanos, the Dali Quartet, and many more.

Kicking off the season is our much-anticipated event, Arte en las Calles – Opera in the Park, on September 16, presented in partnership with Opera Philadelphia. Bring the entire family for an evening filled with Latin cuisine, a local business fair, live performances, and opera on the big screen. The evening will feature Magdaliz Roura and her Latin Ensemble Crisol, followed by the voices of singers from Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts. The centerpiece of the program will be an outdoor screening of a new film by the Philadelphia Ballet, followed by opera classic, Hansel and Gretel, complete with both English and Spanish captions.

EAC is dedicated to fostering a season of artistic excellence, cultural enrichment, and community unity. We invite you to join us on this kaleidoscopic journey through a broad spectrum of Latino artists and traditions.

Arte en las Calles – Opera in the Park

Outdoor Community Event

Friday, September 16, 2023

6:00pm-9:30pm

ESPERANZA PARKING LOT (4th & Bristol)

General Admission: FREE

Bring the whole family for an evening of Latin food, local business fair, live performances, and opera on the big screen! The evening will feature live performances by Magdaliz Roura and her Latin Ensemble Crisol, and opera singers from Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts. Then, sit under the stars for a special film presentation from the Philadelphia Ballet followed by an outdoor screening of the opera Hansel and Gretel with English and Spanish captions. Part of Opera Philadelphia’s Opera in the Park series.

Free and open to the public.
Registration encouraged but not required.

Arte en las Calles – Opera in the Park is a collaboration between Esperanza Arts Center and Opera Philadelphia.

De Cerca

Philadelphia Ballet

Friday, September 22, 2023

7:30pm

TEATRO ESPERANZA

General Admission: $15

Students & Seniors FREE

De Cerca, returns to Teatro Esperanza, this year featuring Latina dancers of the Philadelphia Ballet. The evening will begin with the premiere of a new film, Moving Words, blending movement, picture and sound in innovative ways to reflect the drama of everyday life in Philadelphia, followed by uplifting 50’s era inspired piece, On Cloud 9, classical variations performed by Philadelphia Ballet company dancers. After the performance, Blanca Huertas-Agnew, Founder and Artistic Director of the Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition will lead an audience conversation with Latin women dancers of the Ballet. 

Part of VOCES Series 23/24

¡Conexiones! Puerto Rico

Orchestra 2001: Roberto Sierra WORLD PREMIERE

Friday, October 27, 2023

7:30pm        

TEATRO ESPERANZA

General Admission: $15

Students & Seniors FREE

Orchestra 2001 continues its annual ¡Conexiones! series at Esperanza Arts Center this season featuring contemporary classical music from Puerto Rico. The concert will include the world premiere of Latin Grammy-winning composer Roberto Sierra’s “Canciones de amor” based on poetry of Julia de Burgos; and works by composer and multi-instrumentalist Angélica Negrón.

Part of VOCES Series 23/24

Latina Children’s Stories

Storytime with Stephanie Brown

Saturday, November 18, 2023

3:00pm

TEATRO ESPERANZA 

General Admission: $5, Adults

Children & Seniors FREE

Bring the whole family for games, balloons, storytime, and other fun activities! Philadelphia-based children’s author, Dr. Stephanie Brown, reads stories for children featuring female characters and writers from Latin America. 

Part of VOCES Series 23/24

Navidad en al Barrio

Community Holiday Celebration

Saturday, December 9, 2023

7:00pm

TEATRO ESPERANZA 

General Admission: FREE

A North Philly tradition, Esperanza’s annual Christmas celebration for the community returns to Teatro Esperanza! Join us for an evening of Christmas caroling, traditional Latino music and dance, festive food, face-painting, and fun activities for the entire family.

SALVATION ARMY TOY DRIVE! 

Bring a new, unwrapped toy to bless a family this Christmas. 

Little Mass for Christmas – WORLD PREMIERE

Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia

Saturday, December 16, 2023

7:30pm

TEATRO ESPERANZA 

General Admission: $15, Adults

Students & Seniors FREE

Composer, Evan Williams takes the podium for the world premiere of his Baroque and Medieval-inspired “A Little Mass for Christmas.” Countertenor Reginald Mobley leads a chorus of voices in this intimate interpretation of ancient text and musical tradition. 

Retrato: Suzzette Ortiz

EAC 2023/2024 Artist In Residence

Saturday, January 27, 2024

7:30pm

TEATRO ESPERANZA 

General Admission: $15, Adults

Students & Seniors FREE

         

Multifaceted composer and performer, Suzzette Ortiz, curates and performs a kaleidoscopic retrospective of her work spanning Classical, Latin, Choral Music, and Jazz featuring young performers and internationally celebrated musicians.

Part of VOCES Series 23/24

LatinX Composers – Astral Artists

Daniel de Jesus WORLD PREMIERE

Friday, February 16, 2024 (TBC)

6:30pm

TEATRO ESPERANZA 

General Admission: $15, Adults

Students & Seniors FREE

Astral Artist’s roster of emerging virtuosos returns to the Teatro with chamber music by Latin American composers, including the world premiere of a new work by Daniel de Jesus. 

Stand Up! Latina Comics

with Che Guerrero

Friday, March 15, 2024

7:30pm

TEATRO ESPERANZA 

General Admission: $15, Adults

Students & Seniors FREE

         

Comedian, playwright, storyteller, and Tik-Tok sensation, Che Guerrero returns to Teatro Esperanza to host an evening of bilingual stand-up comedy featuring Latina comedians. 

Part of VOCES Series 23/24

Poesía en Movimiento: Cool Salsa – WORLD PREMIERE

Philadelphia Ballet II

Saturday, March 23, 2024

3:00pm

TEATRO ESPERANZA 

General Admission: $15, Adults

Children, Students & Seniors FREE

         

Esperanza Arts Center and Philadelphia Ballet present the world premiere of Poesía en Movimiento: Cool Salsa – poetic reflections on growing up Latino in United States set to dance by choreographer and Philadelphia Ballet II Director, Eddy Tovar.

Part of VOCES Series 23/24

Street Heroines

Screening & Conversation

Saturday, April 13, 2024

7:30pm

General Admission: $15, Adults

Students & Seniors FREE

Juxtaposing the experiences of Latina artists from New York City, Mexico City, and São Paulo as they navigate a male-dominated subculture to establish artistic identities within chaotic urban landscapes, Street Heroines combines anecdotes from pioneering artists including Lady Pink, Swoon, and Toofly in this first-of-its-kind film to capture the collective outcry of female street artists.

Part of VOCES Series 23/24

Mariposas – WORLD PREMIERE

Christina Castro-Tauser

Saturday, April 27, 2024

7:30pm

TEATRO ESPERANZA 

General Admission: $15, Adults

Students & Seniors FREE

Evening of dance choreographed by Christina Castro-Tauser exploring the lives and legacy of the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic under Trujillo's regime and the strength of women through time.

Part of VOCES Series 23/24

Corazón de Esperanza - WORLD PREMIERE

Gilda Lyons: Dali Quartet with Ben Toth

Thursday, May 16, 2024

7:30pm

General Admission: $15, Adults

Students & Seniors FREE

Nicaraguan-American composer/vocalist Gilda Lyons’ new work for voice, percussion, strings, and media interweaves universally humane reflections on Nicaraguan culture in a series of musical portraits inspired by found text, extant poems, and stories told in the words of those who have lived them.

Part of VOCES Series 23/24

Lyric Fest Mariachi!

Mexican Classical Song & Ranchera Folksong with Mariachi Band

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Event begins 2:00pm; Performance begins 3:00pm 

TEATRO ESPERANZA 

General Admission: $5, Adults

Children & Seniors FREE

         

A fun, family-friendly afternoon of Mariachi, Mexican art and folk songs, food, face painting, and local artesanías. Experience the richness of Mexico, both in beautiful classical songs for voice and piano by some of Mexico's finest composers, and in the electrifying style of ranchera songs with Mariachi. All sung by dazzling artists, Cecilia Violetta Lopez and Levi Hernandez.

Free shuttle bus! Juntos (departing 1pm) to/from Esperanza (departing 4:30pm).

Arte en las Calles

Outdoor Community Celebration

featuring La GuaGua 47

Saturday, June 29, 2024

6:00pm-9:30pm

Esperanza Parking Lot (4th & Bristol)

General Admission: FREE

Come celebrate summer with an evening of Latin food and music, live performances, screenings, balloons, and a local business fair!

Free and open to the public.
Registration encouraged but not required.

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