Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) performed Hansel and Gretel for the third-graders at the Eliot Innovation School in the North End on Monday afternoon.
As part of the Boston Lyric Opera’s School Partnership program, Artist Classroom Visit 101, performers introduced the students to the art of opera with an interactive one-hour presentation. The children were encouraged to participate during Monday’s performance and were even given a brief taste of the Brother Grimms fairytale performed in its original German language.
“This is a kick-off to our Create Your Own Opera Partnership,” said Rebecca Kirk, Director of Education Programs at BLO. “Most of our schools will be writing, composing, and performing their own original opera.”
From publishing their first school newspaper to experiencing the wonders of the opera, the students at the Eliot Innovation School kicked their school week off with an exciting Monday. Principal Traci Walker Griffith expressed her excitement at introducing the students to the powerful story-telling of opera. The curriculum and experience at the Eliot Innovation School offers many unique hands-on learning opportunities for both faculty and students alike; the school recently added ice skating as a classroom activity.
BLO has visited the Eliot School before when the company was preparing for their performance of Pagliacci next door at the Steriti Rink in September 2019. Their visit is one of sixteen planned school visits across the Greater Boston area as part of their youth engagement program that aims to encourage and foster an interest in live musical performances.