Join us in the Vernick Auditorium for a special production by Teatro Paraguas of ¡Viva México! The Music, Dance and Poetry of Mexico. Beginning in an age before Spanish was even spoken in the Americas, continuing up to present times, ¡Viva México! celebrates the incredibly rich heritage of Mexican music, dance and poetry through a fully staged, choreographed production that coincides with the Mexican Día de La Independencia or Independence Day (September 16).
Talk + Pre-performance Reception $ 40 | 7 - 9:30 PM
General Performance Admission $ 25 | 8 - 9:30 PM
Singers, musicians and dancers from Teatro Paraguas as well as Ballet Folclórico Xóchitl, Los Niños de Santa Fe, and Music Director Thelma Arguello, come together in a lively performance of songs and dances from Pre-Columbian Aztec times, through the ages of Spanish colonization, Mexican Independence, and up to the modern era. Interspersed between music and dance numbers, actors from Teatro Paraguas celebrate the Mexican poetic tradition through showcasing the poetry of contemporary, living Mexican poets.
Music and dance in the show include the Aztec Tonantzin, 19th century varsovianas, waltzes, serenades, the lively La Cucaracha, ending with the popularHuapango de Moncayo.
All songs and poems will be presented in the original Spanish, with English translations projected above the stage.
¡Viva Mexico!features a large cast jointly directed by Thelma Arguello (music), Xochitl Ehrl (dance), James Stake (poetry), including actors and singers, Alex Streeper, Ali Esmeralda Marin, Cristina Vigil, Elsa Lopez, Jonathan Harrell, Miranda Arteaga, Mónica Arteaga, Paola Vengoechea Martini, Roxanne Tapia, Antonia Chavez, Ilana Burke, and musicians, David Garcia, Mario Reynolds, and Dan Burke.
¡Viva Mexico! is in collaboration with the wonderful dance groups Ballet Folclórico Xóchitl, which includes Xóchitl Ehrl (director), Rafael Escamilla, Analicia Guitrón, Daisy Vargas, Mykayla Trujillo, Elizabeth Zambrano, Luis Ontiveros, Jocelyn Flores, Alex Streeper, Paola Vengoechea, Zulema Chavero, Stevany Aguirre, Armanee Gallegos, and Inés Carrillo, & Los Niños de Santa Fe with Antonina Valdéz Romp (director), Ariana Romp, Carmelita Archuleta, Cassandra Petrofes, Colleen Felderwert, Gabriela Chavez, Pilar Maez, Savannah Salbidrez, Vanessa Salbidrez, Kenneth Romp, Diego Lonardoni, Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Remigio Torres, and Víctor Palma.
¡Viva Mexico! features works from poets Alberto Blanco, Eduardo Hurtado, Efrain Bartolome, Fabio Morabito, Francisco Segovia, Heriberto Yepez, Luis Miguel Aguilar, Rafael Vargas, Ricardo Yanez, Silvia Tomasa Rivera, and Veronica Volkow.
This presentation is generously supported by the Friends of Folk Art (FOFA)