Lost in New York, tech week at Reilly!
The tech week at Reilly was a whirlwind of rehearsing. We were deep in preparation for our June 8th performance, making sure that every career hat had its finishing touches, that hand-made Gucci bags were glittered and "glammed," and that dance moves were energized to their fullest. The kids have been having a ball using their newly finished props that they hand-made. We used the cardboard taxicab/cop car to its full extent, with kids "driving" it around the entire auditorium and catching criminals in the act. My favorite moment this week was when we assigned one girl to be the statue of liberty, and she was so excited that she asked me about ten question in the span of 3 minutes regarding her costume. "What will I wear? Do I need to get green makeup? How will I change clothes between scenes? I should wear my sandals, right? That's what the statue wears." It's encouraging to witness this kind of investment!
The dances to "Without You" and "Wild Ones" have really come together these past few rehearsals, and it's exciting to see the kids that were previously struggling take ownership of the movement. It's hard for me not to dance along because their excitement is contagious! Our biggest production number is definitely "Lost in New York," which we worked very hard to clean this week. I think the kids are beginning to feel much more confident about their entrances and exits, and we added some movement to help them remember when to sing. I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this production, and to help these kids learn what it means to work as a team. They are learning invaluable skills about respecting their peers, overcoming their feelings to work toward a bigger goal, and improving their performing skills while having fun. Break a leg, Reilly!
Amanda Compton
A blog from the Teaching Artists in Chicago Opera Theater's outreach and education programs
