Chicano artist adds personal and historical context to 'Zorro' at Arizona Opera

The story of Zorro, the mythic swashbuckler with a signature z-shaped sword-stroke, was originally created by American pulp fiction author Johnston McCulley in 1919.

Zorro is a masked bandit who, armed with little more than a single blade, comes to the defense of the peasants in his hometown from over-bearing state forces.

Over the next century-plus, Zorro has been re-imagined and re-interpreted many times — perhaps most famously in the 1998 film "The Mask of Zorro," starring Antonio Banderas.

This weekend, a bold new musical interpretation of the story unfolds at the Arizona Opera. It’s written and composed by Hector Armienta, a Chicano artist who wanted to add some personal and historical context to the legend of Zorro. He joined The Show.

Full conversation

HECTOR ARMIENTA: I've incorporated a little bit of California history during the 1800s. There are some characters there that are actually drawn from history and then the story's a little bit reshaped terms of its overall message, which is, you know, usually the Zorro legend is, you know, this young Spanish man comes to save the day and everybody's, you know, “Zorro”, “Zorro” – which they do at the end of the opera, I promise.

But it's also about the story of a young man in search of his destiny and not him necessarily saving the day, which he does do. But it's also about empowering the people and realizing that the true power to change lies within them.

SAM DINGMAN: And what was important to you about introducing that element? 

ARMIENTA: Part of it is my upbringing is about always searching for hope, always looking for light within the darkness.

And I think that's the story of Zorro. It really just takes a spark, you know, and hope can not be taken away from you.

DINGMAN: If you're comfortable saying, I mean, you mentioned saying that that impulse has a bit to do with your upbringing. Can you expand on that a little bit? What do you relate to about that idea of looking for that spark to keep hope alive?

ARMIENTA: So it really was my mother who came from a very difficult background and life, and my grandmother. And I learned through them strength and power. And the one thing that really saved me was music. It is true that I was able to escape my immediate neighborhood.

DINGMAN: What you were just sharing made me think about something I heard you say in one interview, which was basically that you went, I think, when you were pretty young in school to see a classical music performance and that there was something about it that just awakened you.

ARMIENTA: Yeah. So I grew up in California, and when I grew up there was music. There were music programs. You know, every kid had the option of getting music. And we took, you know, we were bussed to go to the Music Center, which is the main facility and main venue in Los Angeles. I'd never been introduced to classical music. And the power of the orchestra, the music and how it felt really was life changing for me.

So I bought all kinds of classical records. And eventually, when I studied opera, I felt that sort of for me, the, the most powerful way of telling stories.

DINGMAN: And do you remember like when, when you had that first experience with classical music, what was it about it that connected with you?

ARMIENTA: The sound. And when you ask me about my childhood, my father, you know, really wasn't around a lot. And the piano was there. Piano was my best friend at the time, you know, I would spend hours and hours just playing and practicing it. I was like, in a different world, you know? Didn’t know why, you know.

DINGMAN: But something about it felt right.

ARMIENTA: You're right, yeah.

DINGMAN: So this makes me think of what you said a moment ago about opera as such a wonderful way of telling stories. What is it about the nature of opera that fits in with stories as you understand them? 

ARMIENTA: So theater, when it's a play, the information is primarily from the text. Right, and of course, what the actors are doing, that's the messaging, right?

In opera, opera is another character that you don't see on stage, but that you hear. So sometimes the music in the orchestra contradicts what you're seeing on stage. So when you think of, for example, “Madame Butterfly”, there are these beautiful melodies, or we call them motifs or light motifs. And it might be the “Madame Butterfly” theme again, motif. And it's, it's hopeful.

But then as the opera progresses, that motif is twisted and changed. And then the words may say, you know, “he's returning, he's returning,” but the music starts to change underneath. And the audience then is given this message that is contradictory to what you're seeing on stage.

They're saying, “Madame Butterfly, no. You're wrong.” Listen to the orchestra.

DINGMAN: So the audience in that moment knows more than the character.

ARMIENTA: That's right, that's right. So it's the unseen character, and that's one of the great powers of opera.

DINGMAN: So coming back to this particular production, one of the other things you mentioned that I'm really interested in is setting the narrative in a particular time and place, California in the 1800s. 

What was interesting to you about that particular context?

ARMIENTA: Right. So there's a lot of important history that happened around that time prior to the 1800s, Spain was the world power. The empire, I think towards the end of the 18th century, started to fall apart. And the father, King Charles and Ferdinand, father and son, were battling for power. Then there was the rise of Napoleon.

So it was because of that that the Spanish, the new, they call it New Spain. Parts of us, Central America, South America, the empire started to crumble. That's when the embers of revolution started to take hold in New Spain.

So, Zorro is about the plight of the poor and the destitute. And in the opera, what happens is that young Diego teenager sent away to Spain by his father because Diego's having interest in this, and a childhood friend who's not Spanish in Los Angeles.She's a mestiza, which is a person of mixed blood.

So he goes to Spain, to the military academy, and decides to join the revolution in Spain. But his mentors, Zazueta, says, OK, look, this is not your destiny here. Go back and find your destiny in Alta California.

So he goes back and it's that time when Mexico, well, not Mexico, but Spain at that time, revolution was starting to take hold. And that's what Zorro helps people to make change and also gives people hope.

DINGMAN: I really see in when you lay it out that way, the connection that you were alluding to earlier in our conversation about Diego, aka Zorro, finding his own destiny and rhyming that with the people of New Spain, also coming into an awareness of their own ability to revolt, to to step into their collective destiny.

ARMIENTA: Right. When Diego comes back, he reconnects with that childhood friend who he adored, it’s through her that he learns and connects to that community. And in the very end of the opera, it's actually them when all hope seems lost that they empower him. But I won't give you more because then what’s the point of seeing the opera.

DINGMAN: OK. Well then, let me ask you this. Do you ever watch your work being performed and wish that you were getting to perform it?

ARMIENTA: And smiling big?

DINGMAN: Yes.

ARMIENTA: I probably would perform all my roles, you know? But I know better, when I write these shows, I call them shows, they're operas, but when I write these shows, there's a part of me that is in each of the characters and that the part of me that stays with them that I lose.

So they become both my friends and my enemies. And then, you know, eventually they leave me. Yeah, it's a journey.