"Adventures in Rorrim" ~

Build Your Own Opera 2011

Madison Children's Museum staff members joined forces with teaching artists from Opera for the Young to engage children in a challenging undertaking : Build Your Own Opera! Stage director Kelly Bremner and composer/pianist Scott Gendel worked with MCM's Education Department Assistant Director Sandra Bonnici-Hoecherl. A combined multitude of years of experience were put to good use in this 'devised theatre' endeavor with students from 9 – 14 years old.

Selections from Bizet's "Carmen" provided the musical basis for the one-act, while a combination of improvised lyrics and words 'pre-written' by OFY's Diane Garton Edie served as the libretto. OFY General Director Dan Plummer also got in on the act; the teaching artists requested that an adult operatic voice be featured in addition to the children's chorus, so Dan became the Evil Emperor Rodger!

Programming was made possible though a joint collaboration of the Madison Children's Museum and Opera for the Young, with important funding provided by Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission with additional support from The Evjue Foundation, the charitable arm of The Capital Times, Overture Foundation, and Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.

 

Last Updated: August 29, 2011