Our 2021 event was a great success! Please check back soon for information about Catrina Experience 2022

FEATURED ENTERTAINMENT

Natalia Garza is thrilled to be portraying Catrina at this year’s Catrina Experience Fundraiser. She has been performing on the Camille Playhouse stage since she was 11 years old, making her debut performance as Hodel in the summer youth workshop production of Fiddler on the Roof. Two years later, she became a summer youth workshop director and continued to direct for 6 consecutive years. Natalia has appeared on Camille’s main stage in various roles such as Glinda in the Wizard of Oz, June in Gypsy, and Ginette/Gayle/Waitress in Almost Maine. Her most recent performance was at the Mary Moody Northern Theatre, portraying Wendla in Spring Awakening. Natalia enjoys spending quality time with her family, taking her cat out for walks, and teaching cycling classes. She would like to thank the board of directors for giving her the opportunity to be Catrina once again and in person! José Villarreal is a Professional Musician/Guitarist and Teacher based in South Texas. He began playing guitar at the age of 14 and at 16, he received his first salary as a musician when he began offering private guitar lessons to other classmates in his school. Previously, José has worked with many different live bands and projects including a concert with the Grammy-Winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, the world premiere of “Austin Pictures” with the Miro String Quartet at Austin City Limits, and performing a two-night, sold-out concert with Los Enanitos Verdes in McAllen, Texas. He has been very fortunate to take master classes with various artists including LAGQ member William Kanengiser and Guitar Wizard Steve Vai. He graduated from The University of Texas at Brownsville with a Bachelor’s Degree in Classical Guitar Education and a Master’s Degree in Contemporary Music Performancefrom Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain. In 2015, José transcribed the album En Vivo by the Argentinean Rock Band Los Enanitos Verdes and is currently working closely with the band to have it published. As of today, José is teaching privately in Brownsville, TX as well as performing live throughout the valley with various bands and artists. Sylvia Lester Originally from El Paso, Texas, Sylvia Lester moved to Harlingen in 1989 and has been an active member of the Rio Grande Valley Arts Community ever since. Her time at the Camille Playhouse spans about 20 years and includes such notable roles as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Roxy Hart in Chicago, Barbara Weston in August Osage County, and Dotsie Mae in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Joel LaMar Cruz was Camille Lightner’s Cameo Appearance Artist for nearly a decade, appearing in 7 mainstage productions, while also serving as stage manager, director, musical director, vocal coach, conductor and choreographer for at least 10 other productions. After a 10 year absence, Joel returned to Camille to support the theatre with several virtual performances and followed that up by conceiving and directing 56 SEASONS OF SONG and made an appearance in the season opener this fall, adding to his list of cameos. Other credits over the last 25 years, include collaborations with the Harlingen Performing Arts Theatre, the Tower Theatre, the University Theatre and Westfield Theatre. After studying dance at Rio Grand Valley Arts Studio, and earning a BA in Design for Theatre/Television/Film, Joel stumbled upon a career in Choral Music Education, leading award winning choirs and conducting “world class concerts” across the state for nearly 20 years. A performer at heart, Joel has extensive experience as a member of and soloist, appearing with the Arlington Choral Society, the Turtle Creek Chorale, Schola Cantorum, the South Texas Mass Choir, the Note Vole Singers, and most notably with the South Texas Chorale and currently with the Dianne Brumley Chorale and the Comfort Singers. He is also the founder and director of The Studio Chorale, a touring youth chorus providing educational choral activities and performances for youth throughout South Texas. The Studio Chorale has performed The Great Russian Nutcracker with the renowned Moscow Ballet and staged concerts of Theodore Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ, Joseph Martin’s The Winter Rose, and musical theatre productions of Annie, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Joel recently founded and is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Chorus of the Rio Grande Valley, who make their debut in concert this December (follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @ChorusRGV). He continues to serve the Performing Arts Communities across the state as a Guest Artist, Consultant, Clinician, Presenter, Adjudicator and Educator.
Winner's Choice Raffle Prizes Winner Chooses One
INSTANT WINE
CELLAR

This Experience Includes:

 

  • 36 bottles of fine Italian wine shipped to your home
  • Descriptive notes for each wine
  • Sommelier guided tasting via zoom
  • Ceramic handmade wine stopper
  • Winspire booking & concierge service

 

Start your own wine cellar with a fabulous collection of 36 bottles of Italian wine. Receive 3 bottles each from 12 different labels - nine red, two white, and one sparkling - that perfectly represent the best terroirs from one of the most important countries for wine lovers.  Selected by our Sommelier Team in Italy with some truly unique gems, all the wines are rated at least 90 points or more from amongst the following most important wine critic magazines:  Wine Spectator, James Suckling, Robert Parker, and Wine Enthusiast.

LAKE TAHOE SKI GETAWAY

This Experience Includes:

 

  • 3-night stay in a standard guest room at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, Incline Village
  • $250 in Hyatt gift cards that can be used towards the purchase of lift tickets for skiing or snowboarding at Diamond Peak Ski Resort
  • Round-trip coach class airfare for 2 from within the 48 contiguous U.S. to Reno, NV
  • Winspire booking & concierge service

 

It doesn't get any better than Lake Tahoe. The majestic beauty of Lake Tahoe combined with a mind-boggling array of choices, whether it's skiing, dining, or nightlife. Lake Tahoe boasts over 300 days of sunshine a year, and the region has some of the highest annual snowfall amounts in North America. The surrounding ski resorts, all offering unparalleled scenic vistas of panoramic mountain and lake views, are located less than an hour from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

CHARLESTON LUXURY GETAWAY

This Experience Includes:

 

  • 3-night stay in a deluxe room at the Belmond Charleston Place Hotel
  • Daily breakfast for 2
  • 2.5-hour private Charleston history and photo walking tour for 2
  • Dinner for 2 at Charleston Grill
  • Round-trip coach class airfare for 2 from within the 48 contiguous U.S. to Charleston, SC
  • Winspire booking & concierge service

 

A living postcard of Southern antebellum grandeur, Charleston enjoys a gentler way of life. This historic city, located on the southern coast of South Carolina, is a friendly destination, offering clean beaches and stately restored homes from the 17th and 18th centuries. Best of all, the mild climate means you can enjoy most of the sights year-round.

This Experience Includes:

 

  • One round of golf for 2 including golf cart rental at The Links at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach
  • 3-night stay in a golf course view room at the Hyatt Regency Monterey
  • Round-trip coach class airfare for 2 from within the 48 contiguous U.S. to San Francisco or San Jose, CA
  • Winspire booking & concierge service

 

In the inaugural round following The Links at Spanish Bay's opening ceremony in 1987, Tom Watson shot a 67 - which still stands as the official course record. Watson came off the course declaring, “It’s so much like Scotland, you can almost hear the bagpipes playing."  A tradition was born, and today you can hear the bagpipes play each evening as a piper closes the course shortly before sunset.

THE LINKS AT SPANISH BAY
FAIRMONT GETAWAY TO MAUI

This Experience Includes:

 

  • 4-night stay in a garden- or mountain-view one-room Suite at the Fairmont Kea Lani Maui
  • Daily breakfast for 2
  • Round-trip coach class airfare for 2 from within the 48 contiguous United States to Maui, HI
  • Winspire booking & concierge service

 

The Fairmont Kea Lani rests gracefully on Polo Beach on the southwest shores of Maui.  Lava rock outcroppings create a protected and pristine secluded playground for guests.  With a sandy bottom and clear water, it is perfect for snorkelers of all ages to explore Wailea Point reef.  Kea Lani means "heavenly white" in the Hawaiian language and you will find heaven on Maui at the Fairmont.

DISNEY WORLD
FAMILY ADVENTURE

This Experience Includes:

 

  • $1,000 in Disney gift cards redeemable toward admission, food, or souvenirs
  • 4-night stay in one standard guest room at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
  • Round-trip coach class airfare for 4 from within the 48 contiguous U.S. to Orlando, FL
  • Winspire booking & concierge service

 

Walt Disney World is a nearly 40-square-mile self-contained city and the world’s biggest amusement park. There are four main parks, each with their own themed areas. Magic Kingdom, the “most magical place on earth," is home to the soaring castle and all the nostalgic classics. Epcot is two parks in one, with technology and future-focused attractions. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is fully movie-centric, and the place for all things "Star Wars," while Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a combination animal reserve and international experience.

METROPOLITAN OPERA EXTRAVAGANZA

This Experience Includes:

 

  • 2 orchestra seats to an opera of your choice at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York
  • Private tour of Lincoln Center
  • Pre-opera three-course dinner at the elegant Grand Tier restaurant at Lincoln Center
  • 2-night stay in a standard guest room at The Plaza, New York
  • Round-trip coach class airfare for 2 from within the 48 contiguous U.S. to New York
  • Winspire booking & concierge service

 

The Metropolitan Opera, founded in 1880, is a prized jewel of New York City’s cultural treasures and sitting in the audience is a stellar experience.  Each season the Met stages more than 200 opera performances and the lineups are an eclectic mix of familiar favorites and adventurous picks, classic stagings and the avante garde. The Met also has displays and exhibits scattered through the entire house; walk around and take a glance at the galleries on the lower level or inspect some costumes up close on the grand tier. People-watching is just as much a spectacle, and an opera tradition, as the story unfolding onstage.