Central City Opera
Presents...
Central City Opera, in partnership with the Colorado Children’s Chorale and
Colorado Chamber Players, will present the children’s opera, Brundibár,
and select pieces from I
Never Saw Another
Butterfly, a collection of songs composed from poems written by
children during the Holocaust. Terezin camp survivor Ela Stein
Weissberger will also share her experiences as part of this production.
Public performances will take place on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
and Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. Special student performances for children
from schools in the Denver area will take place on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 9:45
a.m. and 11:15 a.m. All performances will be sung in English and take place in
the Gates Concert Hall at the Newman Center for Performing Arts.
The evening begins with the Colorado Children’s Chorale Concert Choir in their
performance of three songs from American composer Charles Davidson’s collection
called I Never Saw Another Butterfly . The
songs were composed based on poetry written by children during their
imprisonment in the concentration camp at Terezin. Associate Director and
Conductor of the Colorado Children’s Chorale, Mary Louise Burke, is music
director and conductor for both Brundibár and I Never Saw Another
Butterfly. For more information on the Colorado Children’s Chorale, visit
www.childrenschorale.org.
The Concert Choir will be followed by Terezin survivor Ela Stein
Weissberger, who performed the role of the Cat in the original
concentration camp performances of Brundibár. Ms. Weissberger is one of
100 survivors of the 15,000 children imprisoned at Terezin. She travels
throughout the world to be a part of Brundibár productions sharing her
experiences of both performing in the original performances and of being
interned in a concentration camp. “The music was part of the resistance against
the Germans,” commented Weissberger in her appearance with Opera Theatre of
Saint Louis. “This is a memorial for those children who were sent to the gas
chamber.”
The final offering of the evening is the children’s opera, Brundibár.
Czech slang for “Bumblebee,” Brundibár was composed by the late
Czechoslovakian Hans Krása prior to his imprisonment in the Terezin
concentration camp, with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister. This production was
translated by Tony Kushner, the award-winning playwright of Angels in
America. Kushner also recently joined forces with author Maurice Sendak to
publish a children’s book based on the opera. Brundibár was performed
55 times by children imprisoned in Terezin in 1943-44. This short opera of under
an hour tells the story of a brother and sister who are on a quest to get milk
for their sick mother. Along the way, their attempts are thwarted by the
bullying, villainous street musician, Brundibár. With the help of a cat, a dog
and a sparrow, the children are triumphant. Central City Opera’s new production
of Brundibár is fully staged with costumes by Wanda Price and scenery
by Michael Gorgan. Robert Wells is stage director for these performances.
Members of the Colorado Children’s Chorale Regional Tour Choir comprise the
cast in this production, with the exception of the role of Brundibár, which will
be performed by Andy Caldwell, a 19-year-old Chorale graduate.
The Colorado Chamber Players will provide the onstage
12-piece orchestra for Brundibár. For additional information on the Colorado
Chamber Players, visit
www.coloradochamberplayers.org.
A brief talk-back session with featured guests will take
place immediately following the performance during preparation for an intimate
champagne and dessert reception on stage. Spaces are still
available for the reception at a price of $50 for adults and $30 for
children under 18 (includes performance ticket and reception). Call
303-292-6500 to make a reservation and/or for more information.
Brundibár tickets are $24 and $17 for adults; $18 and $12 for
students 18 and under. This family production is recommended for ages 6
and up. Ticketing service charges apply. Purchase tickets at the Newman Center
Box Office, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday (SW corner of University & Iliff), and
at all Ticketmaster ticket centers including Foley's, Christy Sports, Angelo's
CD's & More, and Tower Records. Charge by phone at 303.357.ARTS (2787)
or order online at
www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, call
303.871.7720.
Currently in its 73rd year, the Central
City Opera House Association is the nation’s fifth-oldest opera company, located
just 40 miles west of Denver in one of Colorado’s official National Landmark
Historic Districts. The company continues to pursue its four missions to present
artistically excellent, fully professional opera; to offer career-entry training
to young singers; to maintain education and community service programs; and to
preserve and maintain the Opera House and 30 other Victorian-era properties.
