SAN DIEGO — If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend for the entire family, the San Diego Opera is putting on a fun-filled mariachi opera to kick off the holiday season.
The unique show is premiering this Friday at the San Diego Civic Theater. The show is accompanied by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. El Milagro del Recuerdo (The Miracle of Remembering), combines mariachi and opera to tell a heartwarming story community members will be able to relate to.
El Milagro del Recuerdo tells the story of two men from Michoacán, Mexico who go to America as migrant workers, leaving their families back home.
“It focuses on the family. The need and desire to be together always, but especially during the holidays," said Director Leonard Foglia.
The power of familial love drives the narrative.
“It’s about sacrifice really, and what we do for the ones we love," said General Director at the San Diego Opera David Bennett.
The story blends the beauty of opera with lively mariachi.
“It’s great music, it’s great music that lifts people up. It fills people’s hearts," said Foglia.
“It’s a way for us to celebrate these two cultures together and these two styles of music," said Bennett.
The story is set to tug at the audience’s heartstrings as it shows the reality of what it takes to support a family far away from home.
“All of us our products of immigration in this country and so all of us are results of sacrifices that have been made. And that’s really what this story is about and it very beautiful, it’s very poignant, but it’s also very funny," added Bennett.
Foglia says most of the inspiration for the show came from his time living in Mexico.
“In this particular story, I wanted to focus on the pastorela, which is the Christmas story which is very different in Mexico than it is here,” he added.
El Milagro del Recuerdo will premiere this Friday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 3, at 2 p.m. at the San Diego Civic Theater.
The opera is sung in Spanish but there will be screens above the stage providing English subtitling throughout the story. The show lasts 75 minutes.
The community is also invited to attend a pre-show party before the show that includes food, drinks, live music and more. You can also stick around after the show for more family fun. Tickets for those 18 and under are 50% off.
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