Opera Theatre Saint Louis brought their Opera on the Go! program to MICDS this week. This year, the cast presented Pirates of Penzance to our Lower School students.
In advance of the visit, third and fourth-grade students learned about the show, compared and contrasted operas, operettas, and musicals, learned basic operetta terminology, and discussed audience etiquette.
On the day of the visit, third- and fourth-grade students rotated between three workshops: stage makeup, stage directions and body language, and singing/elocution/projection. In the stage makeup workshop, student volunteers got “bruises” applied to their skin. The artists talked about the importance of using makeup to make the show more realistic and how to make an injury look believable using makeup. In the stage direction workshop, students learned about stage terminology such as stage left, stage right, upstage, and downstage. They played a game to see if they could follow the stage directions and learned about body language in presenting a character. Students were challenged to walk like a pirate, versus walking like a general, versus walking like a princess. In the singing, elocution, and projection workshop, students got to practice the part of the Major General. They warmed up their voices by doing different vocal exercises, said several tongue twisters, and worked on the rhythmic and fast-paced song performed by the Major General’s character.
Following the workshops, students watched a condensed production of Pirates of Penzance in the south gym. Second-grade students were able to join the third and fourth graders for the production, where they were delighted and awed by the show.
Opera on the Go! allows students to see young performers using trained voices and enjoying making music in an ensemble. Our students saw a diverse cast and crew, met the performers, and developed a general understanding of what goes into a musical performance. They gained a better perspective on what opera is and the hard work and fun that goes into making a show.
“Some things that stood out to me were the students’ engagement with the cast and crew,” said Dr. Katy Nichols, Lower School Music Teacher. “I think our students were able to see themselves in the cast.” The performers were young men and women who love music, have a modern take on opera, and a passion for sharing their love of the art form. “Our students really picked up on that,” Dr. Nichols noted. Also, the show’s director, Olivia Gacka ’13, is a graduate of MICDS. “It was great for our students to see a young person who graduated from our school who is immersed in music and is a leader within the field,” shared Dr. Nichols.
“I was so glad our students had this special visit. I hope that the memory remains with them and that it inspires future performers, directors, and appreciators of music among them!”
