When you think about the opera, the image that probably comes to mind is one of formally-dressed guests watching women in Brunhilde costumes belting their hearts out in Italian.
That impression, seared into the minds of so many unfamiliar with opera, makes the idea of taking a child to see an opera sound ludicrous.
But opera for children is more popular than ever, with opera companies putting on more kid-friendly productions and working with community organizations dedicated to bringing opera to young audiences.
And these aren’t dramatic productions of shows like “La bohème” or “Don Giovanni.” While many children’s opera productions incorporate songs from these legendary productions, they are often comedic takes on popular fairy tales and original stories with themes that children can understand.
“Seeing others actively involved in a live performance allows a young person to imagine that they can do the same thing, and it offers an outlet for creative thinking that only a live performance can stimulate,” says Kathy Swekel, general director of Annapolis Opera. “They experience art in all its forms at the opera—visual arts in the set and costumes, music with the live orchestra. Dance is included in many operas and, of course, singing. Opera is all the arts on display all at once.”
There are a few key differences between children’s opera and the more formal performances that inform the popular impression of the art form. Children’s operas are sung entirely in English, so that they’re easier to understand. These performances can take place anywhere, from traditional theaters and performing arts centers to libraries. And they often incorporate elements like pre-show story times to keep a child audience engaged and excited before the show begins.
Swekel notes that many of the most popular operas are actually appropriate for children to begin with, such as “The Magic Flute” and “Hansel and Gretel.” Annapolis Opera aims to make these shows accessible to more children than they might normally be by putting on low-cost performances for school field trips, which are completely free for Title I schools.
In addition to its own educational programs, Annapolis Opera also works with Towson University’s Opera Outreach Ensemble (OOE), a student-led organization of music education majors who perform for young audiences. OOE started as a small program that would travel to schools to put on performances, but it now partners with Opera Baltimore and Annapolis Opera to do larger shows.
Annapolis Opera’s latest show for children, the Little Red Riding Hood -inspired “Little Red’s Most Unusual Day,” is performed by a cast of OOE members and features classical opera melodies incorporated into a silly twist on the classic fairy tale.
Children’s opera has a lot of similarities to children’s musical theater, but they’re still distinct art forms. Opera can often be more intense than a musical and is usually performed without microphones, and utilizes a much wider vocal range. This more dramatic approach helps a child audience empathize with the drama unfolding onstage. At their heart, though, these types of performances have the same goal: to foster young people’s interest in the performing arts.
As with many other art forms, exposing children to opera at a young age comes with its own set of benefits. It helps to instill in them an appreciation of the arts and can help inspire them to pursue creative endeavors.
“Opera was created as a way for everyday people to express frustrations about their rulers and engage with stories that reflected their own lives—something that still holds true today,” Swekel adds. “It was never meant to be elitist; rather, opera was designed to excite, entertain and immerse audiences. In many ways, it was the original multimedia
experience.”
