The bracero Laurentino, a seasonal agricultural laborer, comes home to Mexico for the holidays, and he and his wife Renata ponder a question. Family is everything. But should they stay in Mexico or head north for a better life across the border? A palpable hit at its Houston Grand Opera premiere, this tuneful “mariachi opera” returns to brighten another holiday season. The bass-baritone Federico De Michelis makes his role debut as Laurentino, opposite Cecilia Duarte, a star of the original cast, as Renata. —Matthew Gurewitsch