Opera charms students at Lakeland Hills

Published 3:43 pm Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Fresh from performing on the bright stage, young Jerena Layacan learned that beautiful music can tell an engaging, expressive story.

“It was a wonderful experience,” said Layacan, a fifth-grader at Lakeland Hills Elementary, who joined the Seattle Opera cast in staging a kid-friendly adaptation of Wagner’s Ring cycle called “Siegfried, and the Ring of Fire” last Friday. “It wasn’t about the high voices, it told a romantic story.”

Layacan, who played a mythical Valkyrie in the opera, was of one nearly 60 students at the school who became instant actors, musicians, dancers and designers during the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program’s four-day artist-in-residency workshop.

Six opera singers, a pianist, a music director and a stage manager worked with students and teachers to present the opera. Students spent the week designing costumes and props, learning blocking and signing.

Students spent the first few days of the residency working with the teaching artists before joining the Young Artists to polish the production.

Members of Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program sang the leading roles of Wagner’s gods, goddesses and heroes. Students – primarily fifth-grders – shined as Valkyries, fire spirits and forest birds, while third- and fourth-graders contributed as the orchestra.

The week culminated with a rousing, 50-minute performance of the children’s opera in front of classmates, family and friends.

It was a challenging and rewarding experience for the professional cast and for its creator, Jonathan Dean, Seattle Opera’s education artistic administrator. He hopes young students came away with a greater understanding and deeper appreciation of opera.

“The biggest goal was for people to come away thinking, ‘Opera is cool,’ “ Dean said afterward. “We wanted them to have a good time, a good experience … to engage with decent music, with a great story and with characters they can relate to.”

Unlike other more conventional, dialogue-driven stage productions, opera provides a different twist on tales. “Siegfried and the Ring of Fire” presented a good way to demonstrate that, Dean said.

“That’s what makes opera different than any other kind of theater,” he said. “The music is the storyteller first and foremost.”

Challenging job

Dean had the daunting task of shortening the five-hour, German-language opera into an hour-long, English adaptation that’s understandable and accessible to kids.

“It’s quick. It’s an ambitious project,” Dean said. “In the business of theater education, this is what it’s about. It’s jazzing people up and giving people a little taste of what it’s like.

“It’s complicated, but on the other hand, the interesting thing about Wagner is the stories are great,” Dean added. “They’re good for all ages, certainly for those interested in ‘The Ring.’ “

Composed by Richard Wagner, “The Ring” is an epic series comprised of four operas based on characters from German and Norse mythology. Wagner’s “Ring” took many years to complete. A complete “Ring” performance usually consumes 16 hours.

But the shortened version struck a chord with students. The story, from the later chapters of “The Ring”, carried many qualities that appeals to young audiences, a mixture of mythology and chivalry, combat and love, humor and compassion.

The opera proved to be an inspirational, lively production.

“The kids did an excellent job. They loved working with the staff with the Seattle Opera,” said Sarah Samuelson, the school’s music teacher. “They responded so well to their direction. They were focused … they knew their songs. They were thrilled to be a part of it.”

The program – a collaboration among the Seattle Opera, the City of Auburn and Lakeland Hills Elementary – is designed to integrate arts in the existing elementary curriculum.

Seattle Opera handpicked Auburn for the residency to honor longtime Auburn arts advocate Gertrude Sprenger. “Gertie,” as she was familiarly called, was deeply committed to arts education and a devoted patron of opera. She was a founding member of the Auburn Arts commission. She also was one of only four lifetime members of the Seattle Opera Board of Trustees and a driving force behind the creation of the Seattle Opera’s Education Department, of which the Young Artist Program is a large part.

Lakeland Hills Elementary was one of five schools chosen for the the Young Artists’ tour. The others were Lawton Elementary (Seattle), Saint Benedict’s (Seattle), Cottonwood Elementary (Yakima) and Evergreen School (Shoreline).

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Seattle Opera and the City of Auburn staff contributed to this report.

For more information about Opera Goes to School and Seattle Opera’s educational programs, visit www.seattleopera.org/discover/programs.