Kids and “Carmen” go together like hot chocolate and marshmallows. Schoolchildren already recognize Bizet’s beguiling melodies played on TV and radio. Now they and their families are invited to the Washington National Opera “Family Look-In,” a special performance and behind-the-scenes look at the making of one of the world’s favorite operas.
Maestro Plácido Domingo conducts, television star Maureen Bunyan narrates and talented members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Arts Program perform fully staged excerpts from the current production backed by the WNO Orchestra.
“The company has presented ‘Look-ins’ for local schools for the past 20 years, but five years ago we realized that families would also enjoy sharing these cross-generational experiences,” says Michelle Krisel, WNO director of education, who creates the scripts and coordinates the show. “We target elementary students ages 6 to 12, but their older siblings are welcome to attend, along with parents and grandparents.
“There’s something for everyone. Domingo loves sharing his talents with young people and telling them about the opera, his own experiences and what he enjoyed doing at their age. It’s a special treat for them to see a superstar like Domingo conduct and listen to his very personal stories.
The young singers, not much older than the children in the audience, represent a variety of backgrounds. They perform all the famous arias from “Carmen” in costumes designed by students at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in partnership with the WNO costume director. The Ellington students model the costumes they made and explain why they created designs typical of the 1930-40 Spanish Civil War era.
During the interactive program, the children are taught by the head coach how to tap and clap along with the castanets and the stage crew shows them how special effects, such as a fire and stars, are created with lighting techniques.
The goal is to illustrate how much fun opera can be. Parents as well are captivated by the opportunity to prepare their children in advance through the study guide and to share the joy of hearing the gorgeous music on a CD that can be cherished for years.
If you go
Maestro Plácido Domingo conducts and Maureen Bunyan narrates Washington National Opera’s “Family Look-In” on “Carmen,” 11:30 a.m. Nov. 15.
Venue: Kennedy Center Opera House
Tickets: $10 to $15 for children 15 and under, $15 to $35 for adults (Note: Tickets must be ordered in advance to allow the Kennedy Center ample time to mail families the Student Guide and CD)
More info: 202-295-2400; 800-876-7372; dc-opera.org
