¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva Frida! Garden Party

Celebrate summer with Anchorage Opera (rain or shine) as they kick-off their 2019-2020 “Season of Masterpieces” in the spectacular private gardens of Dr. Brian Chen and Tim Pearson. Festive entertainment featuring special guest artists, Mariachi singer, Simón Hernández (aka "El Charro Cantor de Alaska") and Zaide Manzano, soprano. Enjoy a catered buffet of Mexican delights, wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages and specialty cocktail, Hibiscus Margarita. Anchorage Opera proudly presents the Alaska premiere of Frida on Feb 14, 15 & 16, 2020 at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, and this ‘spicy’ event is guaranteed to jump-start Alaska's own version of the 'Frida-mania' currently taking the nation by storm. An unforgettable evening, in a beautiful setting, of food, drink and entertainment with a Mexican flair. ¡Olé!

$50 per person (all-inclusive)

For TICKETS: call 907-279-2557 or online at anchorageopera.org

About Simón Hernández, "El Charro Cantor de Alaska": In addition to singing with trios and musical groups in California, he has been involved with prominent bands in Mexico as La Tropa Chicana from La Barca, Jalisco. He even recorded an album called Para Siempre (Forever). In Anchorage he sang for the first time in 1980 at La Cabaña restaurant, and then with a trio at Gallos. As Simón recalled, at that time there was no mariachi in town, and everything was accompanied by guitar or recorded tracks. In the years since, he has participated in social and cultural events of the Latin American community: festivals, Independence celebrations, concerts, masses, dances, and many others. He also participated in the Univisión program La Serenata a Medio Sol en Anchorage, Alaska (The Sunset Serenade in Anchorage, Alaska). His mother told him he was a "very loud" child but she never imagined he would become the Charro Singer of Alaska. For Simón Hernández music is his passion and on the stage he feels complete and joyful. He shares these feelings with his public: “I get excited, because I’m representing my country.”

About Zaide Manzano, soprano: Since she was a child, Zaide has been performing Mariachi music throughout the Hispanic community in Anchorage. Performing at many different cultural events, music has always been a huge part in her life. She performed as the Lead Vocalist for the Mariachi Agave Azul for many years, which led her to UAA to receive her BM in Music with Honors. She has performed with the UAA Opera Ensemble during her time in school, and participated and placed in many NATS competitions. She joined Anchorage Opera this past spring for the production of La Boheme, and will be performing in this next season with the Anchorage Cabarets. As the daughter of two Mexican Immigrants, Zaide has always been immersed and proud of her background, with music as her medium to spread the love of her culture.

About the opera Frida: The life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is the stuff of legend. Wracked by agonizing physical pain and caught up in a stormy marriage to famed muralist, Diego Rivera, the flame that fueled Kahlo’s art kept burning bright. She painted fifty-five self-portraits, but no portrait is more revealing than the one in this opera. Robert Xavier Rodriguez’s colorful music is a pitch perfect match for the woman, her art and her passionate life with its fusion of opera, Mariachi-style orchestration, Mexican folkloric music, Broadway and musical theater. Critics and audiences across America and throughout Europe have fallen in love with Frida…and you will too!

Performed in English and Spanish with English subtitles