Michael Orlinsky, Opera for All Teaching Artist
This year with Chicago Opera
Playhouse we have been performing Hansel
and Gretel for schools, and we (Students and Performers) are all having a
great time! The production is done in
English and is adapted to fit the general assembly time.
Throughout the semester we have been teaching
the students in the “Opera For All” program the Gingerbread Chorus at the end
of Hansel and Gretel. In performance, the students are generally
watching, but toward the end they get to stand up and sing with professional
operatic singers. This is an incredibly
enriching process for both the performers and students. The students get a taste of culture and
music, and from a performers perspective; I get to explore the fresh
uninhibited reactions within the audience.
It is a very telling experience and can be rather frightening as a
performer because the kids will be sincere in their reactions for better or
worse. If you’re not working up to their
standard you’ll see that in their reactions!
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| Chicago Opera Playhouse Cast |
As a
Teaching Artist and performer I am able to associate much more with my
students. Last year I sang “The Wolf” in
Jonathan Stinson’s The Knightly News
with Chicago Opera Playhouse, but I wasn’t a Teaching Artist yet. The difference between being a one time
presence for the students and performing for them as someone they know and can
associate with is tremendous. I think
it’s important for them to understand that the arts are within their reach and
important. If they see someone whom they
associate with often as a teacher and then see another facet of their
profession they can understand what they may be capable as well. Through history, young people have learned through
storytelling and the tradition of storytelling is less and less prevalent in
our society. This program opens their
mind to the learning process in new ways.
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| COT Teaching Artists, Michael Orlinsky (Center) and Jennifer D'Agostino (Right) |
Our
performances with Chase Elementary were very fun. The students were well prepared and were
engaged in the performance. During the
morning performance they were very attentive and the classes joining in the
chorus did a superb job of singing. The
encore evening performance was well attended by parents and students
alike. The parents seemed to be enjoying
themselves as well. The students during
the evening performance were excitable and chattered a bit throughout the
performance. Regardless, they were
certainly appreciating the show. They
also sang very well for their parents.
This program is immensely important and effective in the schools. It really opens up the eyes of these young
people to opera and how approachable it can be.
The wall between them and this enriching art form is torn down with this
show.
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| Chase OFA students after the performance |
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