Tag Archives: Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Arts & Culture for Kids

St. Louis Theatre Expo

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rep-logoCome experience: You’re Wearing That, Theatre Stars Trivia, From Oedipus to Hamilton, It Starts with the Words, Not a Dummy, The American Musical, Not a Dummy, Make It Up, Did You Hear That? and more!

These exciting sessions are all coming to The Repertory Theatre St. Louis’s “Making a Scene: A St. Louis Theatre Expo” on September 17, 2016, 9 am to 1:30 pm, at the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves. This fun, free event features live performances, demonstrations, tours, and more–an all-inclusive celebration of the magic of theatre. Among the 14 participating theatre companies are The Rep, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, STAGES St. Louis, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, New Line Theatre, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, New Jewish Theatre, Stray Dog Theatre, and Metro Theatre Company.

“The initial inspiration for The Expo came from The Rep’s 50th anniversary,” said Marsha Coplon, The Rep’s Director of Education. “But we wanted to do more than celebrate The Rep’s legacy. We wanted to make this day about theatre – how it enchants, thrills and enriches us. We’re joined by a fantastic group of artists from throughout our region. It’s the perfect event for long-time theatre lovers and first-timers alike.”

Included in the day’s schedule are demonstrations on costuming, makeup and stage combat (watch out for the swords!), performances from Fox Performing Arts Teens and The Improv Shop, live cabaret, backstage tours of the Loretto-Hilton and discussions led by local theatre luminaries. Speakers include The Rep’s Augustin Family Artistic Director Steven Woolf, actor Joneal Joplin, and Webster University theatre professor Lara Teeter.

In addition to the many family friendly demonstrations and performances, a special Kid Zone area will feature craft activities such as dragon puppet making and creating “scenes” with crayons and stickers on a stage coloring sheet. From 10 to 10:20 am, there is a kids cabaret and from 12:20 to 12:40 pm, enjoy a kids interactive improvisation session. Plus be sure to see participating companies show off their current and upcoming works.

Read the Expo Schedule.

All programs and artists are subject to change.

Photo by Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Arts & Culture for Kids, Community

Spring Sing

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SpringSingHave you ever wanted to sing with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL)? The brilliant opera company presents “Spring Sing!” on Saturday, May 9 at 12:30 pm at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Boulevard. This fun and informal event brings together professional singers of OTSL and hundreds of community participants from diverse backgrounds for an annual “spontaneous” concert at an iconic St. Louis location.

In addition to main season artists, Spring Sing! features special guest appearances from internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and world renowned soprano Christine Brewer, who receives her star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame this month. Both performed as part of the #WithNormandy: A Concert for Peace and Unity event, which raised nearly $5,000 for the “Friends of Normandy” scholarship fund in September 2014. Members of the Normandy High School Choir, under the direction of Duane Foster, perform as part of the community choir, along with members of the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School Choir under the direction of Addie Akin. OTSL chorus master and head of music staff Robert Ainsley conducts the 30-minute concert, which features classic opera choruses from Verdi and Mozart, as well as traditional choral selections from the American songbook.

No auditions are needed and anyone age 15 and up is welcome to join. Music and listening tracks are provided in advance to make the learning process enjoyable. Participants also receive the OTSL Company Discount on single tickets for the 2015 Festival Season.

Please register by April 24 as space is limited. Once registered, please visit the Spring Sing Resource page. For more information or questions, please contact Dan Mayo at dmayo@opera-stl.org or 314.963.4251.

More an avid listener and not a singer? Spring Sing! is open to the public for anyone to listen and enjoy so feel free to bring your little ones to experience this great 30 minute concert. Make a day of it with a visit to the Saint Louis Art Museum or the Saint Louis Zoo before or after Spring Sing!

Register for Spring Sing!
Spring Sing! Resources Page

Spring Sing! Schedule

Rehearsal: Members of Spring Sing! need to attend either one morning (10 am to 1 pm) or one afternoon (2 pm to 5 pm) rehearsal on Saturday, May 2 held at Opera Theatre’s Sally S. Levy Opera Center (210 Hazel Ave, 63119 in Webster Groves). To ease the logistics of learning music and rehearsing, OTSL will send you a recording that teaches your part in advance.

Performance: The performance will take place at the Missouri History Museum on Saturday, May 9 at 12:30 pm.

Photo: Philip Deitch

Arts & Culture for Kids

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: a children’s opera

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis brings the magic of opera to children ages 5 – 14 with The Very Last Green Thing at the Touhill Performing Arts Center

Free Public Dress Rehearsal: October 19
School Day Matinees: October 21 through 25
Two Public Performances: October 26

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis continues its long-term commitment to inspiring the next generation of opera-goers with the production of The Very Last Green Thing, a young people’s opera by Cary John Franklin and Michael Patrick Albano. Originally commissioned by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 1992, The Very Last Green Thing is an environmental fable set 400 years in the future. The 35 minute production will be conducted by Vince Lee and is directed by Doug Scholz-Carlson. The cast features 18 talented young singers (ages 9-16) from across the bi-state area, as well as former OTSL Gerdine Young Artist Daniel Brevik.

In The Very Last Green Thing, audiences journey to a classroom in the year 2413, where a group of students is raised and taught by an android. On a rare field trip “outside,” a group of students discover something completely foreign to them – the very last green thing on earth, uncovering secrets from our planet’s past. A beautiful story for young people, the production introduces both opera and ecological issues to audiences of all ages. Eighteen singers were selected through a rigorous audition process to perform the majority of the roles in the production:

Evan Adams – Grand Center Arts Academy
Hannah Belobrajdic – Edwardsville High School
Esther Davis – Francis Howell Central High School
Libby Hillerman – Our Lady of Lourdes School
Jordan Jones – Barbara Jordan Elementary School
Sydney Jones – Nipher Middle School
Lilly Kanterman – Forsyth School
Lauren Lundy – Notre Dame High School
Ellie McAvin – Edgar Road Elementary
Ifabunmi Muhammad-Ojedele – Crossroads College Preparatory School
Marissa Pineda – Grand Center Arts Academy
Alexander Pompian – Meramec School
Abigail Powers – Mehlville High School
Grace Robertson – Washington Middle School
Ellie Schwartz – Community School
Fiona Scott – Holy Cross Academy
Caden Self – Homeschool
Michelle Springer – Wydown Middle School

In keeping with the environmentally conscious themes of the opera, Opera Theatre is producing The Very Last Green Thing in a “green” manner, recycling and “up-cycling” a significant portion of the opera’s design. Set designer Scott C. Neale has imagined a world constructed in part from clear water bottles. Stacy Snyder Harris has employed similar ingenuity to the production’s costume design, as has lighting designer Joe Clapper. After the production closes in St. Louis, the sets and costumes will be re-purposed for a production at the Amarillo Opera in February of 2014, further reducing the production’s overall carbon footprint.

The Very Last Green Thing is made possible through generous support from both PNC Arts Alive and the Monsanto Fund, which also serves as the lead sponsor of Opera Theatre’s Monsanto Artists-in-Training program for high school students. The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. PNC Arts Alive is part of The PNC Foundation’s multi-year, $2 million investment in St. Louis that supports visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement in new and innovative ways.

Tickets
As part of the American Arts Experience, Opera Theatre offers a limited block of free tickets to the production’s final orchestra dress rehearsal at the Lee Theater at the Touhill Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 3 pm. Students in grades 2-8 from across the St. Louis region will attend school day performances at 9:30 am and 11 am, Monday, October 21, 2013 through Friday, October 25, 2013. Tickets to these performances are $6 for students and teachers. Reservations for both the free orchestra dress rehearsal and the school performances can be made by phone at 314.963.4251 or via email to 251@opera-stl.org.

Two public performances will be offered Saturday, October 26, 2013 at 10 am and 11:30 am. Tickets to these performances are $10 for children and $12 for adults. Reservations for public performances can be made by phone at 314.516.4949 or online.

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Date Night

Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions

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Want to hear some of the newest and greatest emerging artists sing their hearts out?

The 51st Annual Metropolitan Opera National Council St. Louis District Auditions take place on Saturday, November 13, 10:30 am to 2:30 pm at Ladue Chapel. This year’s panel of judges includes soprano and Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s English Diction Coach Erie Mills.

The event is free and open to the public. Audience members are (quietly!) welcome to come and go throughout the day.

Read more about the auditions on the Metropolitan Opera’s site.

Look at this prestigious list of past winners.