In partnership with Arizona Opera, Archie the jackrabbit, animal guide for the Heardlings, invites you to attend a special presentation of the one-act bilingual opera inspired by a Mexican Folk tale, The Coyotes and the Rabbits, with Music & Lyrics by Héctor Armienta.
Join the Chiquita Banana Sisters in a whimsical adventure where mischief meets life lessons! When Scrawny Coyote discovers that reading is just as important as hunting, he gets tangled up in the sisters’ playful tricks against his cousin, Loco Coyote. Dive into this enchanting production that celebrates creativity, friendship, and the power of knowledge—perfect for audiences of all ages! Produced in partnership with San Jose-based Ópera Cultura. Graphic designed by Lauren McPherson. Commissioned by The Music Theater Collective.
Admission to the performance is included with regular museum admission and FREE for Heard Museum members.
The Coyotes and the Rabbits begins at 1pm, with doors opening at 12:30pm. Seating is on first come, first-served basis.
Grab a snack from the Heard Museum Coffee Cantina to enjoy during the show, where Heard Museum members always enjoy a 10% discount.
This opera, performed in English and Spanish with English and Spanish supertitles, will feature:
- Manfred Anaya as Scrawny Coyote
- Mauricio Perusquia as Loco Coyote
- Jennifer Madruga Chavez as Chiquita Rabbit
- Danielle Corella as Banana Rabbit
- Katherine Kozak on piano
About the Composer:
Héctor Armienta, a nationally recognized composer, focuses on creating work that explores the Mexican and Mexican-American cultural experience. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, he is one of the few Chicano opera composers to have had his work performed nationally and internationally. His awards and commissions include those from Meet the Composer, the NEA, the MapFund, Forth Worth Opera, the Pacific Symphony, Opera Southwest, Oakland East Bay Symphony, and others. His work for orchestra, theater, and opera has received support from six NEA grants in artistic excellence. Most recently, he was awarded a 2022 CCSRE Arts Mellon Fellowship at Stanford University and a 2021 Map Fund award.
Notable projects included the opera Bless Me Ultima ( based on Rudolfo Anaya’s novel), the opera Zorro, and the animated opera film – Mi Camino. Upcoming projects include La Muerte ( Part III of Armienta’s opera trilogy Aguas Ancestrales) and a new immersive VR opera project – Campesinos.
Mr. Armienta is also the founder and director of Ópera Cultura, whose mission is to explore music theater and opera through a cross-cultural lens. He holds a BM degree in composition from California Institute of the Arts and an MM degree in composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He also sits on the board of Opera America.
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