It’s official! Winners of the 2010 Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza High School Mariachi Group Competition, and Best in the US Vocal winner, have officially been invited to perform at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Green Show this summer. Mariachi Cascabel from Rio Grande City High School, and Karenn Lazo from Roma, will represent the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza in the beautiful city of Ashland, Oregon July 26 through August 1.

Ashland, Oregon is a taste of heaven as we experienced last year with Cotulla High School’s Mariachi Cotuleño. It’s a lush city with beautiful rivers, lakes, weather and flora and fauna. People travel from throughout the world to attend the annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Students from Rio Grande City and Roma will entertain audiences and have a chance to enjoy the beautiful city.

Rio Grande City High School’s Mariachi Cascabel placed first in the high school category in last year’s Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza. They were selected by members of Mariachi Vargas and will represent the best high school mariachi group in the U.S. at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Green Show. Karenn Lazo will join Mariachi Cascabel as “Best Mariachi Vocalist in the U.S.” She was selected by members of Mariachi Vargas last year as the top winner among 40 vocal finalists.

Texans will have a chance to see Karenn Lazo perform live before she departs to Ashland at the 4th Annual Corpus Christi Mariachi Music Fest. Karenn will open for Mariachi Vargas on Saturday, May 21 in Corpus Christi at the Richardson Performance Hall at Del Mar College. Karenn will perform her award winning piece “Marinera de Luz.” Tickets are still available at the Richardson Performance Hall Box Office or by calling 361-698-2226. Log onto delmar.edu/richardson to purchase tickets online.

For more information on the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Green Show log on to:

http://www.osfashland.org/browse/production.aspx?prod=157