The opera is sung in Spanish with English and Spanish supertitles projected above the stage. Also, San Diego Symphony musicians, conducted in the pit by James Lowe, supplement the score with harp, trumpets, strings and much more. In between songs, the singers and non-singing children in the show speak their lines and their words seemed to be amplified with microphones.īut unlike mariachi, there is a full-length story being told onstage, and all of the songs are lyrically connected to the plot. Unlike traditional opera, it’s not sung-through. The music is a rich, melodic and lovely blend of Mexican bolero and ranchero folk music, and three mariachi musician-singers are onstage for the entire 75-minute show. In his place, his son and fellow bandleader, Javier, composed the score for “El Milagro.”įor those who aren’t familiar with mariachi opera, it’s more mariachi than opera.

The first two were written by Foglia and José “Pepe” Martínez, the famous Mexican mariachi bandleader who died in 2016. “El Milagro” is the third mariachi opera that San Diego Opera has produced since 2013.

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