study guide - Opera Theater of Pittsburgh

Teacher’s Guide
February 24 - 27, 2015
Jack G. Buncher Charitable Fund
Hilda M. Willis Foundation
Howard and Nell E. Miller Foundation
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Table of Contents
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Page 3
Page 12
Welcome to Opera Theater of Pittsburgh
Twisted Fairy Tales Worksheet
Page 4
Page 13
Project Objectives
Audience Etiquette
About Fairy Tales
Page 14
Page 5
Activities and Extensions
What is Opera?
Page 15
Page 6
Meet the Company
Basic Vocal Categories
Page 16
Page 7
SummerFest 2015
About Operatic Singing
Notable Opera Companies
Page 8
Opera and Music Glossary
Page 9
Vocabulary from The Three Little Pigs
Grades K-2
Grades 3-5
Page 10
About The True Story of The Three Little Pigs
Cast of Characters and Singers
Production Credits
The Story
Page 11
Twisted Fairy Tales Activity
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Welcome to Opera Theater
Dear Educator,
Thank you for your participation in Opera Theater’s The True Story of The Three Little Pigs
educational program! This work explores the famous fairy tale with a new spin just for schools!
Our school-time student version lasts around 45 minutes, and is a superb introductory opera for
young audiences and a natural vehicle for cross-curricular exploration of music, writing,
literature, and the mechanics of the fairy tale.
The student matinees take place at the Elsie H. Hillman Auditorium in the Kaufmann Center of
the Hill House Association, Pittsburgh (15219) on February 24-27, 2015. The opera will then be
revived during Opera Theater’s SummerFest season in July 2015.
This Teacher’s Guide for the classroom workshops is a tool to assist in preparing your students
for their exposure to this opera. Opera is a complete art form and expression of culture. It
encompasses music, theater, dance, design, literature, history and social movement in one
sweep. This guide provides background on the composer, history of the source material for the
opera, a synopsis of the story, and extension activities that may be incorporated into your
curriculum.
A table of contents provides a glance of the areas you may wish to cover with your students.
You will find a collection of activities that will engage your students in the world of a story that
illustrates the power of curiosity, accountability, loyalty, love, friendship, well-being, and power.
We hope this involvement will excite them further with opera, music, drama, literature, and
science. Moreover, we hope that this experience compels your students to consider their role
sand responsibilities for the world in which we now live—one in which future generations will
also grow and thrive.
We would like to hear about activities that were particularly successful in your classroom
and see any student work that you would like to share. Your comments are vital in the
planning of future programs and we thank you for your time!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact Dennis Robinson, Jr. at [email protected]
or Yvonne Hudson at [email protected]
or call our office at 412-621-1499.
We hope you and your students enjoy this experience with The True Story of the Three Little
Pigs!
Jonathan Eaton
Artistic Director
Scott Timm
General Manager
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Program objectives
All students who complete the program will:
Understand the characters, their motivations, and the plot of the opera
Learn something about the composer and others involved in writing the opera
Make a connection to the historic and social context of the story
Know some key musical elements, recognize certain melodies, differentiate between voices
Understand the role music plays in expressing emotions and heightening the dramatic
experience
• Understand the various elements of producing opera and the functions of those involved; e.g.
conductor, director, set designer, technical crew, etc.
• Develop the ability to make inferences about the opera, production, and performance.
• Relate incidents in the opera to those of the present day
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Audience Etiquette
The following list of DO's and DON'Ts will help you (and those around you) enjoy the
experience of attending the opera:
DO dress in whatever you are comfortable. However, going to the theater can be
an opportunity to get dressed up and snazzy.
DO be on time! Latecomers disturb everyone. They will only be seated at suitable
breaks and often not until intermission.
DO NOT block your neighbors – if you are wearing a hat, take it off.
DO turn off cell phones, pagers, and all electronic devices. (No texting, sorry.)
DO NOT take photos during the performance (even with your phone.)
DO NOT chew gum, eat, drink or talk. Be aware that you are an active participant
in the theater magic.
DO get settled and comfortable prior to the performance beginning.
DO clap as the lights dim and the conductor appears and bows to the audience.
DO have a great time! Laugh when something is funny and applaud after an aria
or suitable pause in the action.
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What is Opera?
An opera, like a play, is a dramatic form of theater that includes scenery, props, and costumes. Opera
consists of many dimensions that are combined to make a unique whole: the human voice, orchestral
music, the visual arts (scenery, costumes, and special effects), drama (tragedy or comedy), and
occasionally dance. Literally the word opera is the plural of the Latin word opus, which means “work.” The
orchestral music is an equal partner with the singers, creating mood, foreshadowing and emotion.
Opera originated in Florence, Italy, in the late 1500’s, with a small group of
intellectuals, poets, and musicians who were members of a Camerata
(Italian for society). These men decided they wanted words to be a featured
aspect of music to coordinate thought with emotion. They used ancient
Greek drama as their inspiration, including the use of a chorus to comment
on the action. The first significant composer to fully develop the ideas of the
Camerata was Jacapo Peri (1561-1633), whose opera Dafne was performed
in 1594 and was regarded as the first opera. Some purists regard the later
L’Orfeo, written in 1607 by Claudio Monteverdi as the first real contribution to
the art form.
The Camerata laid down three principles for their new art form:
1. The text must be understood; the accompaniment must be very simple
and should not distract from the words.
2. The words must be sung with correct and natural declamation, as if they were spoken and not rhyme
like songs.
3. The melody must interpret the feeling of the text.
Over the years, opera has adapted to reflect popular taste, ethnic traditions, political climate and modern
technologies. In America, opera has evolved to reflect our unique lifestyle and diversity.
Many American composers, including Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, felt that
American musical forms such as jazz and rock could communicate emotions as powerfully as traditional
classical music and therefore could be used as the musical vehicle for opera as well.
Many question the difference between an opera and a musical like Les Miserables or Phantom of the
Opera... Even music experts have a hard time with this question, but there are some traits to look for.
First, most operas are through-composed, meaning there is no spoken dialogue, while musicals tend to
alternate between spoken scenes and songs. There are of course exceptions. Many present-day
musicals are indeed through-composed and are often referred to as “rock operas.” Examples include
Rent and Jesus Christ Superstar. There are musical differences between the two as well. Operas
generally require classically trained singers who must be able to sing in a distinct style, and typically
without amplification, while there is more variety in the voice of a musical theater performer and they often
use microphones.
Operas are divided into scenes and acts that contain different types of vocal pieces for one or many
singers. An aria is a vocal solo that focuses on a character’s emotions rather than actions. A recitative is
sung dialogue or speech that occurs between arias and ensembles. Composers write the score or the
music for the opera. Sometimes the composer will also write the text for the opera, but most often they
work with a librettist.
The story of the opera is written as a libretto, a text that is easily set to music. In the past, the libretto (or
script) was bound and sold to the audience to read during the performance. Today, the audience can
easily follow the plot with the use of supertitles. Supertitles are the English translation of the libretto,
which are projected on the screen above the stage. Opera Theater performances, however, are sung in
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Basic Vocal Categories
Women
Soprano: The highest female voice, similar to a flute
or violin in range and tone color. Usually plays the
heroine in the opera since a high, bright sound can
easily suggest youth and innocence.
soprano Renee Fleming as Lucrezia Borgia
Mezzo-soprano: The middle-range female voice,
similar to an oboe in range and tone color. Called an alto in choral arrangements, can play a
wide variety of characters including gypsies, mothers, nurses, and even the part of a young man
(also called a trousers role).
Contralto: The lowest female voice, similar to an English horn in range and tone color. Usually
plays unique roles including fortunetellers, witches, and older women.
Men
Tenor/Countertenor: The highest male voice similar to a
trumpet in range, tone color and acoustical “ring”. Usually
plays the hero or the romantic lead in the opera. A
Countertenor sings even higher, in the same range as a
contralto or mezzo-soprano, usually in his falsetto range,
and often plays the part of a young man or boy.
Baritone Eric Owens performs as
Alberich in Wagner’s The Ring Cycle
Baritone: The middle-range male voice similar to a French
horn in tone color. Often plays the leader of mischief in
comic opera, or the villain in tragic opera. Is occasionally
the hero.
Bass: The lowest male voice, similar to a trombone or bassoon in tone color. Usually portrays
old, wise men, or foolish, comic men.
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Operatic Singing
Operatic singing developed in Europe during the 17th century. The vocal demands are far
greater on an opera singer than on any other singer. Opera singers rarely use microphones and
therefore must develop their voices to make a sound that will project above an orchestra in a
large theater.
How do they do it? After years of practice and study, an opera singer learns to use his or her
body as an amplification device by controlling the air flow through the vocal chords and
therefore the vibrations in the cavities in the head. This control allows opera singers to use their
bodies as an amplification system.
Many singers begin their operatic training in college. In addition to performance skills, music
history, foreign languages and music theory. After university, singers begin to work in the
professional world. Their first roles are usually small parts, but if they continue to study and
train, they may move on the bigger principal roles.
Since the principal artists are required to have their parts memorized before rehearsals begin,
singers must prepare well in advance of each contract. After the role has been studied intensely
and the singer is hired to perform, the singer arrives at the opera company for the rehearsals.
This time is spent refining the music with the conductor and staging the action with the stage
director.
For opera vocabulary, story synopses and opera games, visit: http://azopera.com/learn.php
Activity for Discussion: What stories or events from
your experience would make for a great opera?
Notable Opera Companies
The Bolshoi, Moscow, Russia
Florida Grand Opera, Miami, FL, USA
La Scala, Milan, Italy
Metropolitan Opera, New York City, NY, USA
The Royal Opera House, London, England
San Francisco Opera, San Francisco, CA, USA
Opera Australia, Sydney, Australia
Vienna Staatsoper, Vienna, Austria
Washington National Opera, Washington, DC, USA
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Lincoln Center
Metropolitan Opera, NYC, NY
Opera and
Music Glossary
Accompaniment - An instrumental or vocal
part designed to support or complement a
principal voice, instrument, or group of voices
or instruments. In an aria, the voice is the
primary focus and the orchestra is the
accompaniment.
Aria - An extended musical passage
performed by one singer. It is used to
express feelings or comment on the action
and is accompanied by the orchestra. The
action usually stops while an aria is sung.
Bravo - Literally “brave, courageous.” A form
of applause when shouted by members of
the audience at the end of an especially
pleasing performance. Strictly speaking,
bravo is for a single man, brava for a woman,
and bravi for more than one performer.
Composer - The person who writes the
music of an opera or other genre.
Finale - Literally “the end.” The ending
segment/song of an act or scene. It usually
involves many singers and is very dramatic.
Chorus - In opera, a group of mixed voices,
or the musical passage sung by such a
group.
Improvisation – creating music “in the
moment” to re -imagine a song in an
individual way.
Intermission - A break between acts of an
opera. The lights go on and the audience is
free to move around. Intermissions usually
last up to twenty minutes.
Libretto - Literally “little book.” The text of an
opera. The libretto is always shorter than a
normal play because it takes so much longer
to sing a line than to say it. The action is
often interrupted for an aria which limits the
length of the text even more.
Lyricist - Person who writes the words to a
song.
Conductor - The person who leads the
orchestra & singers.
Curtain Call - At the end of a performance all
of the members of the cast and the conductor
take bows. Sometimes this is done in front of
the main curtain, hence the name. Often,
however, the bows are taken with the curtain
open.
Diva - Literally “goddess,” it refers to an
important female opera star. The masculine
form is divo.
Encore - Literally means “again.” It used to
be the custom for a singer to repeat a
particularly popular aria if the audience called
Encore loud enough. While this is still done in
countries like Italy, it is rare elsewhere.
Production - Combination of sets, costumes,
props, lights, etc.
Principal - A leading role or character in the
opera.
Props (Properties) - Small items carried or
used by singers during a performance, such
as fans, letters or a rope.
Score - The written music for a piece or
group of pieces with separate lines for each
instrument and each singer’s voice.
Set - The decoration on stage that indicates
the place and overall world of the opera.
Stage Director - The person responsible for
directing the movement of the characters and
creating the story on stage. 8 of 16
Vocabulary from The Three Little Pigs
Grades K-2
Blow
to be moved or affected by the wind
Brick
A small, hard block of baked clay that is used to build structures
Chimney
A part of a building through which smoke rises into the outside air
Cozy
small, comfortable and warm
Dash
To run or move quickly or suddenly
Huff and puff
To breather in a loud and heavy way because of physical effort
Let
To allow or permit
Little
small in size; not tall
Piglet
A baby pig
Straw
The dry stems of wheat and other grain plants
Vocabulary from The Three Little Pigs
Grades 3-5
Budge
To move slightly - usually used in negative statements
Conversation
an informal talk involving two or more people
Exhaled
to breathe out
Inhaled
to breathe in
Ravenous
very hungry
Sob
to cry noisily while taking in short, sudden breaths
Trembled
to shake slightly because you are afraid, worried, or excited
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About The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Music and Libretto by: DR. WALLACE DePUE
Cast of Characters and singers
Mother Pig
1st Pig
2nd Pig
3rd Pig
Big Bad Wolf
Mary Beth Sederburg, mezzo soprano
Anqwenique Wingfield, soprano
TBD
Billy Coakley, tenor
Zach Luchetti, baritone
Production Crew
Stage Director
Conductor
Scenic Designer
Costume Designer
Stage Manager
Dennis Robinson, Jr.
Karen Jeng-Lin
Christine Eunyong Lee
Elizabeth Rishel
Donovan Smith
The Story
Mother Pig is forced to send her children into the world to fend for themselves. Intent upon
building a house, each of the three piglets chooses to explore a different direction. Upon
completion of their dwellings, each piglet has an encounter with the Big Bad Wolf. All of them
leave their homes and return to Mother Pig. To their disappointment, they are tracked by the Big
Bad Wolf.
The wolf tries to break into Mother Pig's house by ramming the front door with his head. He gets
injured he can not remember anything. The pigs persuade him that he is a bear. They send him
"home" to Mrs. Grizzly's den. She is not pleased to receive him and says that he is really "for
the birds." Convinced that he is a bird, the wolf tries to fly from a cliff and is injured even further.
As the pigs celebrate the end of the wolf, they are interrupted by Mrs. Grizzly Bear. She pounds
upon the front door and begs to enter. When the pigs refuse to admit a bear into their home,
Mrs. Grizzly becomes hostile and promises to return. The pigs prepare to cope with their new
problem.
At the same time an opera story is unfolding on stage, the pianist is trying to present a formal
piano recital on the same stage! They are surprised to become involved in the operatic action,
even becoming engrossed in what is happening and providing appropriate musical
accompaniment. The simultaneous activities of opera and recital finally merge with the moral of
the story: “Sometimes a problem can seem to last for an eternity”!
The True Story of The Three Little Pigs is performed in one act with no intermission.
The performance will be followed by a question and answer session with the cast and crew.
Running time is approximately 45 minutes.
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Twisted Fairy Tales!
Pick a favorite fairy tale using the list to help you.
What could have happened in the story differently than we all
remember from the classic story?
Aladdin
Examples
Beauty and the Beast
What if
Aladdin’s
Genie Lamp
was empty?
What if
Cinderella’s
stepmother
was nice?
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Cinderella
Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
What if Beauty
had rejected
the Beast?
Hansel and Gretel
Jack and The Beanstalk
Little Red Riding Hood
Peter Pan
Princess and the Frog
Rapunzel
Sleeping Beauty
Thumbelina
The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (2014)
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Your turn!
Old Fairy Tale Title:
__________________________________________________________________________
New Fairy Tale Title:
__________________________________________________________________________
WHERE does the story take place?
WHEN does the story take place?
WHO are the characters?
WHAT happens in the story?
Beginning:______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Middle:_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
End:_____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
WHY is the story important to tell?
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About Fairy Tales
What are Fairy Tales?
A fairy tale is a kind of folktale or fable. In these stories we meet witches and queens, giants and
elves, princes, dragons, talking animals, ogres, princesses, and sometimes even fairies and
other magical beings. Marvelous and magical things happen to characters in fairy tales. A boy
may become a bird. A princess may sleep for a hundred years. A seal may become a girl.
Objects, too, can be enchanted — mirrors talk, pumpkins become carriages, and a lamp may be
home to a genie.
The oldest fairy tales were told and retold for generations before they were written down. French
fairy tales were the first to be collected and written down, but now we can read fairy tales from
almost any culture. When these stories were studied together, something amazing was
discovered. From countries as distant and different as Egypt and Iceland similar fairy tales are
told. Both Egypt and Iceland have "Cinderella" stories, as do China, England, Korea, Siberia,
France, and Vietnam; and the list doesn't stop there. There may be a thousand versions of the
Cinderella story, each with a unique telling which carries cultural information about the time and
place the story was told. One thing is for sure; people everywhere like stories in which truth
prevails over deception, generosity is ultimately rewarded, hard work overcomes obstacles, and
love, mercy and kindness are the greatest powers of all.
Today, some authors still like to retell and invent new fairy tales. The Cinderella story was
recently re-imagined by Diane Goode in her book Cinderella: The Dog and Her Little Glass
Slipper. Jon Scieszka's fractured fairy tales in The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid
Tales are another example of a retelling but with humor.
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Activities & Extensions
1. When you think of opera what do you expect? What type of singing? What kinds of
instruments? What type of storyline and characters?
2. Have students watch for references to opera in their everyday lives. Radio, TV, magazines
and movies often refer back to the classics.
3. Have students use Google to find different Fairy Tales and to search and explore the origins
of the fairy tale. Students can then use Google Maps or a physical map to show us where
their story began.
4. Be a composer! The Three Little Pigs began its life as a fairy tale. Almost every piece
(opera, musical, play) started as some other story. This story is called the source material.
Choose a different fairy tale that you know or have read and think about adapting it into an
opera or piece of musical theater. You would have to choose which parts of the drama would
be highlighted with which sorts of music. When would there be duets, trios or quartets?
Write and outline and try to structure the beginnings of an opera.
5. Compare your students’ favorite types of music with classical music. What does each style
have in common? How are they different? Here are some questions to consider: What
instruments are used? Is it improvised or already written on paper? Is the music composed
by one composer or a collaboration of musicians? What is the subject matter of the lyrics?
What emotions or messages are common themes? What audience (age, gender,
community) did the composer intend his music to be heard by? Are there singers involved?
How do the singers display their vocal skills?
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Meet the Company
Opera Theater of Pittsburgh crosses boundaries. Opera Theater reaches out across
traditional lines of demarcation in the arts, presenting works which engage diverse, new and
younger audiences, bringing in supporters of music, theater, dance and the visual arts.
Jonathan Eaton, Opera Theater’s current General and Artistic director, joined the company in
1999. An internationally renowned stage director, Eaton continues Opera Theater’s mission of
creating new works, reinterpreting older works in new ways, building diversity in programming
and casting, supporting emerging talent, and broadening audiences through outreach and
education to bring people from diverse backgrounds together and involve them in experiences
that have meaning and impact. Founded in 1978 by noted mezzo soprano Mildred Miller Posvar,
Opera Theater of Pittsburgh is in its 37th year of presenting innovative opera for imaginative
audiences.
In 2012, Opera Theater reinvented itself as a summer festival, SummerFest. In 2015, Opera
Theater SummerFest presents its fourth year of opera, musicals, concerts, recitals and cabaret,
July 10 - August 2. Our venues are the intimate Art Deco spaces of The Twentieth Century Club
in the heart of Pittsburgh’s original cultural corridor — Oakland. Patrons enjoy dinners,
receptions and ancillary events as well as opera performances, and end their evenings with a
cocktail and cabaret. Family events will include our reprise of The True Story of The Three
Little Pigs on Saturday mornings at 11 am on July 11,18, 25 and August 1. The mainstage
repertoire for the festival will includes new productions of The Marriage of Figaro, Capriccio,
and the beloved American musical Damn Yankees. Opera Theater will also feature the world
premiere production of a new opera inspired by the work of environmentalist Rachel Carson
entitled A New Kind of Fallout.
July 10 - August 2, 2015 at The Twentieth Century Club,
adjacent to the University of Pittsburgh campus, Oakland.
otsummerfest.org
twentiethcenturyclub.com
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Enjoy SummerFest
with our exclusive Educator and Family Discounts
Single Tickets:
Use code TEACH2015 for 15% off the full ticket price
Groups:
Save 10% when you book a group of 8-10% for groups of 20 or more!
Family Four Pack Savings:
Special Family Four-Pack Savings for SummerFest Daytime events!
Enjoy post-show activities, special guests and treats at these kid-friendly events.
Damn Yankees
2PM on Saturdays, July 25 and August 1
Four Tickets: $80. Save up to $100 off BEST AVAILABLE SEATS!
use code SAT4YANKEES when you order online or by phone.
The Three Little Pigs
11am on Sat, July 11, 18, 24 and August 1
Four Tickets: $20. Save up to 75% OFF GENERAL ADMISSION!
use code SAT4PIGS when you order online or by phone.
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