(Photo Courtesy of Arizona Opera)It is a unique experience when the sound of a single voice has the power to saturate not merely a room, but caress the soul. No longer are your emotions your own, they belong to the voice; it consumes you in every way.
Then, it stops. In that moment your heart freezes — for just a moment. “What is next?” your mind wonders, then the lights fade and the curtain closes. Your chest heaves as though awaked abruptly in the midst of a dream, and every emotion is restored to you at once: tragedy, excitement, loss and passion.
As you reach up to wipe the single tear that runs down the side of your left cheek, you rise out of the velveteen padded theater seat. For those new to opera, it is an experience unparalleled to any other; a union of the best mediums the arts have to offer: dance, music and acting. For opera aficionados, the first time is forever experienced.
With the start of the season rapidly approaching, there are no shortage of emotions at the Arizona Opera. The organization will bring the world’s first mariachi opera, "Cruzar la Cara de la Luna." A tale of sacrifice, a quest for identity and the modern struggles of immigration, the opera title references the migration of monarch butterflies. The performance tells the story of a family divided by the U.S.-Mexico border.
Commissioned by The Houston Grand Opera in honor of the anniversaries of Mexican Independence and Revolution, the opera features the mariachi stylings of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and is sung in an inimitable Spanish and English combination.
“This season promises to be one of our absolute best,” Joshua Borths, the education manager at Arizona Opera, promises. “It’s taken over a year and a half to put this season's line up together.”
This season promises to show audiences five operas in six different languages.
(Photo Courtesy of Arizona Opera)Some selections include:
1. "Cruzar La Cara De La Luna" will grace Phoenix Oct. 10 – 12 and Tucson Oct. 18 – 19.
2. "Rigoletto," an Italian libretto based on Victor Hugo’s play "Le roi s'amuse." The music music was written by 19th century composer Giuseppe Verdi. "Rigoletto" is a great opera for families and first timers.
The opera will be in Phoenix Nov. 14 – 16 and in Tucson Nov. 22 – 23.
3. "Eugene Onegin" is a Russian libretto composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and based on the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin. This play explores the potentially fatal combination of a rejection, jealousy and love; it is great for date night and ladies night out.
The opera will be in Phoenix Feb. 6 – 8, 2015, and Tucson Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, 2015.
4. "The Magic Flute" is a German libretto and an operatic classic, originally written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder. The opera is about a mystical world where good and darkness collide with incredible musicality. This is perfect opera for everyone and all occasions, family night, date night, first time experience and opera veterans.
The opera will be in Phoenix Feb. 27 – Mar. 1, 2015 and in Tucson Mar. 7 – 8, 2015
5. "La fille du régiment" (The Daughter of the Regiment) is a French comedic operatic libretto co-written by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard. The opera explores the exciting and tragic life of a vivacious young girl raised by a regiment of French soldiers.
The opera will be in Phoenix from April 10 – 12, 2015 and in Tucson April 18 – 19, 2015.
No matter which opera you chose to see, you are guaranteed the experience of a lifetime. Tickets for all event are available online at http://www.azopera.org, or at the theater box office located at 1636 N. Central Avenue Phoenix, Ariz., 85004. Ticket prices vary although student and group tickets are available.
Reach the reporter at oprichar@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @OliviaRichard1
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