GRAND PERFORMANCES PRESENTS PANCHO VILLA FROM A SAFE DISTANCE, A TWO-NIGHT MULTIMEDIA LIVE ART EXPERIENCE ON JULY 20-21
A bilingual cross-border opera about the enigmatic general, legendary bandit, and hero of the Mexican Revolution performed on the 95th Anniversary of his death
LOS ANGELES – Grand Performances, the longest-running presenter of high-quality free programs in downtown LA, presents Pancho Villa From A Safe Distance with a two-night run from July 20-21, 2018. The story of Pancho Villa comes to life with a live art performance featuring a bilingual, multimedia chamber rock opera that explores borders, battlefields, conflict, and culture through the life and mythology of the iconic José Doroteo Arango Arámbula, best known as Pancho Villa.
Venue: California Plaza in the heart of Downtown 350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90071
The multimedia live performance event features compositions inspired by Mexican and Tejano music, rock opera, and chamber music. The original composition by Graham Reynolds and a libretto by Mexico City-based theater collective Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol, create an insightful examination of the Mexican and Mexican-American impact on culture and politics. The performance is timely in its contribution to the current conversation around borders and the limitations of the concept of delineated states.
This performance includes hybrid production techniques and an extensive sound palette featuring director Shawn Sides of Rude Mechs, Kronos Quartet lighting designer Brian Scott, lyric opera tenor Paul Sanchez, mezzo-soprano Liz Cass, Grammy Award-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada, backed by a stellar chamber ensemble of six instruments with remixes by famed Monterrey DJ Toy Selectah.
The bilingual opera is performed in English and Spanish, with English and Spanish subtitles. The operatic performance will have visual elements, video projections, a tuba, and bandoliers.
“Amid a tense and divisive political climate, the story of Pancho Villa is one that could be viewed as relevant today. Grand Performances is excited to bring this bilingual rock opera to Los Angeles in our outdoor setting that lends itself to a unique shared cultural experience,” said Mari Riddle, Executive Director, Grand Performances.
Unbeknownst to most, Hotel Paso del Norte, a historic luxury hotel in El Paso, Texas, located less than one mile north from the Mexican border, offered hotel guests a comfortable place to watch battles from a safe distance during the Mexican revolution, hence “Pancho Villa From A Safe Distance.” During the 1914 Mexican Revolution, El Pasoans watched fighting between the revolutionaries and the Mexican Army from the terraces on the roof of the hotel. The date of the performance, July 20, 2018, marks the 95th anniversary of Pancho Villa’s death.
The program is sponsored by the Los Angeles Public Library and SoCal Honda Dealers. Please visitwww.grandperformances.org for the full line-up.
ABOUT GRAND PERFORMANCES: Celebrating its 32nd year, Grand Performances aims to inspire community, celebrate diversity, and unite Los Angeles through free access to global performing arts. Grand Performances presents high-quality music, dance, theater, and more during the summer at the breathtaking California Plaza in the heart of Downtown as well as at other venues throughout the year including Los Angeles World Airport. Follow @GrandPerformances on Facebook, @GrandPerfs on Twitter and Instagram and our YouTube Channel at youtube.com/grandperformances. For more information visit www.Grandperformances.org
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