“Mad Libs” Improv Opera for Kids and their Families

The 2010 performances of Instant Opera! will take the stage at the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods on August 3-7 at 11;15 a.m.!

Exactly What Is Instant Opera!?

PART ONE: Background

During the introductions, the singers introduce the audience to some basic opera concepts – bravo/brava/bravi, an aria is the same as a song, and opera often isn’t sung in English (but that’s OK!). We even place a restaurant order using recitative.

PART TWO: Set-up

Using a Mad Libs format, the cast takes story ideas from the audience.

The formula:

Once upon a time in a _______ (location), there was a ________ (character) and ________ (another character). Every day they would __________ (action), until _________ (a new character) came along and _________ (action).

(As in… “Once upon a time in a castle, a bat and a princess ate green eggs and ham every day until SpongeBob Square Pants came along to steal the princess!”)

PART THREE: The Opera

The cast makes up the story and delivers it via recitative.  Short aria excerpts are sung in original language, and are used as placeholders and magnifiers for emotions and situations.  Somehow, in about 20 minutes, we get to the end of the prescribed Mad Lib story, each one of the four singers has worked in his/her aria, and it’s topped off with a finale!

I have no idea how this actually works, but it does.

POSTLUDE

What do the kids and their parents seem to learn from these crazy mornings of improvisational acting and singing?

That there are smart and funny 20-somethings who sing opera.

That they do it willingly and happily at 11am for hundreds of small children.

That the crazy conventions of opera are pretty simple after all. By the end of the show, everyone knows the difference between bravo, brava and bravi. They can also order pizza in recitative.

That there can be a sense of excitement and total investment in opera that has nothing to do with the stereotype of large immobile people in boring costumes parking and barking.

And, as if that weren’t enough, what do the participants take away from the woods?

Well, for starters, that they can get up on stage and negotiate every curve ball thrown at them for 15 whole minutes and live to tell the tale.

That they have the recipe for Mozart recitative so firmly imprinted on their subconscious that they can navigate around the circle of fifths unerringly and convincingly.

That their colleagues are not only talented, they are also gracious.

That it’s possible to bring their art to the uninitiated without boring themselves or patronizing the audience.

That almost nothing will happen to them onstage for the next 20 years that will surprise them.

See you at the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods this summer!