The last few weeks of our season included two opportunities to engage budding opera fans. First, the Instant Opera residency at the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts:
The kids choose characters, locations and actions, and the cast takes it from there, mixing original language aria excerpts with improvised English recitative. My favorite improv plot of the week came on Saturday:
Scooby Doo & Elmo go to the mall and get their nails done. Darth Vader comes along and messes up the manicures. Captain America challenges Darth Vader to a duel -arm wrestling-and wins! The moral of the story is that everyone should make their own choices, and to not be so ‘judgy’ of others!
Oh, and just in case you think the young ones have all the fun, you’ll be relieved to know that Wolf Trap’s Club 66 (Young Professionals Organization) was treated to its own version of Instant Opera last weekend.
The plot was just a bit different…
In Amsterdam, Michael Phelps & Martha Stewart share a cigarette. Michael & Martha get a bikini wax, Lady Gaga takes his hair for a beard for her new persona: Abe Lincoln. Napoleon tries to claim the last bikini wax, but Martha objects. They fence (with a mallet and a headless baby) then share the bikini wax, resulting in a happy ending.
This looks like a ridiculously good time. :)