Published On: September 9th, 2015By Leticia Fehling

MacArthur’s Tribute to Selena Quintanilla a Success in Summer Encore Performance

The Latin artist continues to inspire a new generation of young fans today.

[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]I[/dropcap]n April, the MacArthur Ninth Grade and High School campuses collaborated on the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]production Selena Forever. The performance at Talento Bilingüe was a success. Students performed to a sold out crowd. [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Talento Bilingüe de Houston invited them back for an encore performance over the summer.

Elisa de la Rosa said the students jumped at the chance to perform again. De la Rosa is the dance director at MacArthur Ninth Grade School. She choreographed and directed the production.

“I was thrilled that the students got excited to perform during their summer vacation,” said de la Rosa. “Many of the original troupe members returned voluntarily for rehearsals and performances.“

Some students and their families had summer vacation plans. So the entire original cast could not take part. The show included dancers and actors from the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]MacArthur Ninth Grade School. The collaboration also included choir students from [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]MacArthur High School. The Jammin’ Generals and the Caliente Jazz Band also performed.

For the summer show, organizers and students revamped the original production. To help the students connect to the late singer, organizers took the students on a field trip to Selena’s hometown. On July 27, they visited the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi. None of the students were born when Selena dominated the Latin airwaves. Many didn’t know the major impact Selena had as a crossover artist. She is credited with helping redefine Latin music and breaking barriers in the Latin music industry. Her posthumous crossover album, Dreaming of You (1995), debuted atop the Billboard 200, making Selena the first Latin artist to accomplish this feat. Selena earned seven No. 1s on the Hot Latin Songs, with “Tu Solo Tu” holding the top slot for 10 consecutive weeks. Seven of her albums peaked at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart, with Dreaming Of You, staying at No. 1 for 44 consecutive weeks.

“The visit to the Selena Museum made a huge impact on the students,” said de la Rosa. “We also got to meet with Selena’s sister Suzette. She was a member of the band Selena y Los Dinos. She was gracious to take time to meet with the students.“

As they worked on the summer production, Fox 26 News heard about the encore performance. The station came out and featured the story in their newscast. It also helped spread the word about the performances July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2.

Once again, the tribute was a success. The students performed to two sold out crowds the first two nights and a near sold out show on the third night.

It has been 20 years since her death, yet Selena’s legacy lives on today through her music.

“Selena’s music and story still inspires students today,” said de la Rosa. “It was wonderful to see that her music still brings joy to so many. The production celebrates the legacy that Selena left behind. It was an honor to work on this tribute. I also thank Talento Bilingüe for giving the students the opportunity. This was a great experience for them to share their talents and to grow as performers.“

According to de la Rosa, the students impressed Javier Pérez. He is the executive director of Talento Bilingüe.

“Mr. Pérez with Talento Bilingüe had many kind word for the students,” said de la Rosa. “He was impressed by the students’ professional presence on and off the stage. And he really hopes we bring back the Selena Forever Tribute back annually.“

De la Rosa appreciates how well the community received the Selena Forever Tribute. She along with the choir and drama program directors at Big Mac hope to continue to collaborate on future projects.