THE MAZATLAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL OFFERS A FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS
By Jackie Peterson

The calendar of performing and plastic arts events in and around the Angela Peralta Theater always shifts into high gear from late October till the holiday season. The jewel in the crown of this fall’s culture scene is a first-ever appearance in Mazatlán of the world renowned National Ballet of Cuba, Alicia Alonzo’s own company, coming directly from Havana to the stage of the historic opera house. Classical ballet is, surprisingly, an abiding interest of Fidel Castro. As such, it enjoys a uniquely privileged status in the island nation. The Cuban National Ballet has nurtured and trained a remarkable corps of talented dancers and soloists who have never been seen nor heralded in the United States. Over the past few years members of this company have interchanged dancers and teachers with the classical ballet school at the Municipal Center for the Arts here in Mazatlán. When they perform on the Angela Peralta Theater stage on Nov. 26, it will mark the first visit of the full company to Mazatlán. They will offer a complete production of the timeless ballet classic, “Giselle.” That’s a hard act to follow, but the Mazatlán Cultural Festival, running from Nov. 1 through Christmas, offers many other highlights, as a glance at the schedule will indicate. All events, unless otherwise noted, take place on the dates noted at 8 p.m., in the historic Angela Peralta Theater, Calle Carnaval near the corner of Constitucion, in Old Mazatlán. The box office is to the right of the theater entrance. Phone (Spanish only) is 982-4446. Events scheduled for the theater’s lobby or art gallery, or in the adjacent Plazuela Machado, are admission-free. The program as posted below is subject to changes and additions, so we suggest that readers check with the box office or the website: www.teatroangelaperalta.com

NOVEMBER
1 — Day of the Dead is observed with a public street procession, forming at 7 p.m. in the Plazuela Machado and visiting ofrendas (altars to the dead) that have been set up throughout the city’s historic center
5 — Martin Vega, talented Mazatlán-born lyric tenor, returns from Mexico City to sing romantic Mexican melodies in the theater
6 — Rondalla Femenil del Tecnologico from Durango, a group of 16 girl singers and guitarists, performs Mexican-style serenades in the lobby
7 — Monologue (in Spanish) by Manuel Lara: “Let’s have sex in peace,” performed by Margarita Gralia, actress.
8 — Cantantes de Hermosillo, a vocal ensemble from the Sonora city, sings Mexican and classical pieces with a piano accompaniment in the lobby
9 — Hindu dance spectacular, an exotic troupe on tour in Mexico under the auspices of the Indian Embassy in Mexico City
10 — Gerardo Pablo, a troubadour and recording artist from Puebla, presents a selection of his new romantic ballads
12 — Homegrown jazz by local musicians & singers in the lobby
16 — Los Camaleones, a group of local artists, put on a group show and sale from 10 a.m. in the Plazuela Machado to benefit the prison art project begun by the late artist Carlos Bueno at the local penitentiary
16 — Olivia Abreu, flautist, and Rene Baez, classical guitarist, perform in the theater lobby
19 — Pianist Fritz Steinegger in concert, performing sonatas by three great composers: Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin
21 — Mexican National Youth Symphony, including six talented Mazatlán children, offers a concert as part of a nationwide tour
24 — Highlights of the Opera, with soloists Maria Luisa Tamez and Arturo Barrera, plus the combined voices of the Sinaloa Chorale, with the Sinaloa Orchestra of the Arts
25 — An exhibit of contemporary plastic arts by Alejandro Mojica opens
26 — Alicia Alonso’s own National Ballet of Cuba comes from Havana to perform the full production of “Giselle”
27 — The first of three companies of visiting puppeteers, this one from Spain, gives a family-oriented show starting at 6 p.m.
28— Voice and piano recital by scholarship winners Natalia Rivera, soprano, and Natasha Shoubnaia, pianist
29, 30 — Puppet shows by companies from Portugal and Mexico City, respectively, entertain families starting at 6 p.m. each date
 
DECEMBER
1 — Sinaloa Orchestra of the Arts plays in the pit while Alan Stark and the Santiago Ibarra dancers perform Renaissance dances such as pavanes and gavottes in costumes of the era
6, 7 — Christmas Concert with the voices of the Angela Peralta Chorale
8 — Sinaloa pianists Alejandro Madrid and Rosa Maria Valdez, and soprano Edna Rendon perform solos with the backing of the Sinaloa Orchestra of the Arts, starting at 7 p.m.
8 — A memorial to John Lennon and his music in the Plazuela Machado, 9 p.m.
9 — Classical guitarist Francisco Bibriesca performs in the lobby
10 — Christmas Concert by the children of Colegio Agustina Monterde in the kiosk of the Plazuela Machado (the poor man’s Rockefeller Center)
12,14 — “Nutcracker,” the perennial Christmas family favorite, performed by the Municipal School of Ballet
15 — Gala of Contemporary Dance, featuring the Mazatlán Professional School of Contemporary Dance
16 — Espacio Siete (Space Seven), a group show by seven well-known local women artists, opens in the upstairs gallery
17 — Play (in Spanish) “Letters at the foot of a tree,” directed by Angel Norzagaray from Mexicali
18 — Movidanza, a contemporary dance company from Guadalajara, performs
19 — Concert of Christmas music, by the Sinaloa Orchestra of the Arts
20 — Posada Mexicana, a popular traditional holiday fiesta, begins at 6 p.m. and continues with a pastorela, piñatas and public dancing till the wee hours in the Plazuela Machado

 

 

 

 

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