The first ever Mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna / To cross the Face of the Moon follows the two families of Laurentino, a Mexican man who has moved to the United States to work, even though that means leaving behind his wife Renata and son Rafael. Although he sends money home, and visits when he can, his choices have tragic consequences for his family left in Michoacan. Decades later, he lies dying. Now an elderly man, cared for by his American son Mark and granddaughter Diana, Laurentino questions the true meaning for him of ‘family’ and ‘home’ after a life straddling two cultures, a life in which he kept so many secrets from those he loved. Even as he draws his final breath, the two strands of his life finally come together in an emotional reunion, and Laurentino perhaps finds the answers he needs to rest peacefully.

Embroidered with the ultimate symbol of migration, the Monarch butterfly, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna is set in Texas and Mexico in both the past and present. The groundbreaking score, composed by José “Pepe” Martínez and libretto written by José “Pepe” Martínez and Leonard Foglia blend the unique sound of mariachi with the full operatic sound we all know and love.