SCHOOL DAZE

It's easy to let Opera Cleveland's main stage productions monopolize my attention, but I don't roll like that. There's much more going on at Opera Cleveland than just our *coughawesomecough* productions.

Notably, our education and outreach department always has stuff going on. For each production, they have a Great Works program that ties to it. Great Works allows schools to bring students to a final dress rehearsal, but we help prepare the students for the experience--with materials and often a preparatory program we bring to the school.

For Hansel and Gretel, I tagged along as performers from our education department visited a school and performed an interpretation of the opera.


I oversaw accompanist Cara Chowning on the ole ivories.


Extreme Close up!!


Irene Roberts and Ann Coffman did quite an admirable job as Hansel and Gretel, respectively.


A ballerina covered in candy? Yes, please!
Dancer Lisa K. Lock (who you may recognize from the main stage Hansel and Gretel) represented the sweet-laden gingerbread house.


Because of going to Great Works programs, I have become acquainted with these multi-purpose rooms you humans have in schools. The are a rare circumstance for athletics and theater to meet. And meet they did when narrator and director Paul Gurgol shot some hoops en costume before the performance.

(You can check out more photos here on the Opera Cleveland web site.)