Overview:
Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) is New England’s largest opera company. Founded in 1976, BLO is recognized for its artistically excellent productions of a diverse repertoire that entertain and inspire audiences and feature emerging operatic talent. Each season, BLO produces three mainstage productions at the Citi Performing Arts CenterSM Shubert Theatre in Boston and a fully staged, one-hour English language version of a popular Opera for Young Audiences throughout New England. BLO’s programs are funded, in part, by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
For over 25 years these Opera for Young Audiences productions have been introducing children, families, and educators to opera with nearly 750,000 participants so far. Productions feature BLO’s three-tiered approach beginning with a study guide matched to state curriculum standards (MA and CT), optional Previews with a cast member, and the big event…the live performance!
About the performances:
- Performed in English, fully staged in one-hour, with sets, costumes, and lights
- Recommended for children ages 6-12 or grades 2-7; opportunities for students to join the production
- Teachers receive study guides with curriculum-based worksheets
- Flat fee includes: one or two performances; optional pre-performance talk; flexible performance schedule
- Workshops available for students or teachers (additional fee)
Contact:
Julie Oldfield House
Education & Community Programs Manager
jhouse@blo.org
617.542.4912 x242
Back to top
Basic technical requirements:
- 30’ of width x 25’ of depth on stage, 8 to 10’ of wing space on each side of the stage
- Two areas available for dressing rooms, access to bathrooms
- Some basic lighting equipment, 6-20 amp circuits on stage or very near the stage area
- Piano with light
Back to top
Where have we been?
- Recent Boston area venues:
- John Hancock Hall, Boston
- Strand Theatre, Dorchester
- Babson College, Wellesley
- Regis College, Weston
- Duxbury Performing Arts Center, Duxbury
- Merrimack College, North Andover
- Around New England:
- Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord, NH
- Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH
- Edgerton Center for the Arts, Sacred Heart U., Fairfield, CT
- Hyde Cultural Center, Woodstock, CT
- Mansfield Middle School, Mansfield, CT
- Westbrook HS, Westbrook, ME
- Zeiterion Theatre, New Bedford, MA
(our partnership with the New Bedford Standard-Times and public schools was honored by OPERA America)
Back to top
How do we fit your mission?
- Family programming:
- classic entertainment
- captivates children and adults
- Educational connections:
- study guide
- teacher workshops
- curriculum links
- lesson plans
- literature studies
- music education
- Partnerships:
- libraries
- schools
- museums
- newspapers
For ideas about mobilizing your community around the opera, contact Julie Oldfield House, Education and Community Programs Manager, at jhouse@blo.org or 617.542.4912 x242.
Back to top
What do presenters say?
Our 1500 Seats Sell Out Each Year!
The annual children’s production by Boston Lyric Opera is a perfect introduction to opera for students of all ages. Exquisitely staged and performed, the fast-moving, hour-long production is sure to evoke an enthusiastic response from our student audiences every year. Boston Lyric Opera crafts a production that is not only a delight to the eye and ear but also brings in the comic elements that children love. Add to that the excellent study guides that prepare school groups for this unique experience, and it’s easy to see why our 1500 seats sell out each year.
~Phyllis Marsilius, Chairman
Fairfield County Association for Opera New England
Presenting at Edgerton Center for the Arts, Sacred Heart University
Met and Exceeded All Standards!
The Capitol Center seeks to address both educational and aesthetic standards in its School Series and Daytime Series presentations. These standards include high-quality art; innovative productions; links to NH curriculum frameworks; and a connection to the world beyond central New Hampshire. The presentation of Boston Lyric Opera’s The Barber of Seville met and exceeded all of these standards.
~Shawn Powers, Director of Education
Capitol Center for the Arts
‘Magic Flute’ gives children rich delights
. . .on the visual level, then, this production could compete with some of the far more expensive attractions vying for children’s attention, like “Disney on Ice.”
~The Boston Globe
Back to top
Production photos:
Click below to see photos of our productions.
The Barber of Seville (Available 2010)
Finally, an opera for kids that’s a cut above the rest! The legendary barber Figaro uses every trick in the book to free the lovely Rosina from the clutches of grouchy Dr. Bartolo and unite her with the dashing Count Almaviva. Engage the children in your life with the magic, the music, and (yes!) the fun of this ultimate art form – opera combines the very best of music, theatre, dance, and visual artistry. Not only will they thank you, they’ll have a fantastic time … and so will you!
Hansel and Gretel (Available 2011)
Indulge your sweet tooth for adventure with this treat of an opera! In this classic fairy tale, a walk in the forest turns into a discovery of delights and frights. A gingerbread house tempts Hansel and Gretel’s taste buds, but beware…behind those sugar-coated gumdrop walls lurks a witch! Hansel and Gretel must stick together to free the forest from a wicked spell. Come see what two clever children can do!
The Magic Flute (Available 2012)
The ultimate rescue opera! Filled with breathtaking music and a healthy dose of comedy, The Magic Flute celebrates the triumph of courage, virtue, and wisdom through fairy tale elements, magical instruments, a wicked queen, and a handsome prince. In this classic rescue story, the stalwart Prince Tamino and the zany birdcatcher Papageno quest to save Princess Pamina, the lovely daughter of the Queen of the Night. They find not only Pamina, but the truth as well.
Back to top
|
