45' Cast: S, Mz, Bar
Grades: K-6.
For Professional Singers to Perform
Ordering from Boosey and Hawkes
Watch the baritone change from performer to wolf to huntsman and learn why little Red Riding Hood should have listened to her mother. A Barab classic, Little Red Riding Hood has been performed more than 250 times worldwide.
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| Children watching a performance of Red Riding Hood in Edgewater, NJ | The Wolf sings out, with children as trees |
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THE DETROIT NEWS JANUARY 1, 1991
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'Little Red Riding Hood' opera is a howling success |
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| _________________________ BY ELLYCE FIELD ________________________________________ Seymour Barab is well known in opera circles as a prolific writer of both music and libretti for nearly 100 short comic operas, most intended for children. As parents, we owe Barab a round of applause. Here is a man who can present opera to children and make it work. ...Barab's Little Red is a delightful adaptation of the fairy tale classic, in which the scary wolf is transformed into a comic character and important lessons about life are learned. In December, I watched the show with 100 well-mannered elementary school-age students at Detroit's Peace Lutheran Church, who gave it an enthusiastic "thumbs up." MOT's Mark Vondrak, dressed in a brown velour suit and furry wolf-snout hood, creates a lovable wolf who hates sweets.
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This proves his downfall when he tries to fulfill
his part of the story. Just a mention of candy or strawberry shortcake turns
his stomach queasy and he loses his appetite. Alicia Hunter plays both Little Red's overprotective mom and old-fashioned, kvetchy grandma. Her soprano nagging and improvisational waltz win the hearts of the audience. ...Barab leaves in just enough classic story--"But Grandmother what big eyes you have!"--to reassure his audience. And even though the kids know how the story's supposed to end, they sit on the edge of their chairs. After the wolf has met his tidy end, the players come out and ask the children what they have learned. The Peace Lutheran students were eager to answer. "Do what your mom tells you," "Don't talk to strangers," "Do your homework." Nothing like an opera with a message. |
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Ordering from Boosey and Hawkes