Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 8, 1994 TAG: 9406080067
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By KATHLEEN WILSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
When Jason Salter heard that he and his fellow fifth-graders at Monterey Elementary School would be devoting the better part of this school year to studying opera, he wasn't exactly psyched.
``Opera,'' he recalled, rolling his eyes. ``I always thought opera was all about big fat ladies singing songs I couldn't understand while wearing horns on their heads. It sure didn't sound like any fun.''
That was before Jason - who wound up as production manager - and John Powell - who wound up performing - discovered that opera could be ``awesome.''
Monterey was one of only 20 schools selected from a field of more than 300 that applied to participate in the New York City Metropolitan Opera Guild's 1994 Creating Original Opera Project, the brainchild of Education at the Met.
Education at the Met, funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge and General Electric foundations, began as an in-school opera program, in which employees of the Met were sent to the New York City school system to work on developing operas with students for eight weeks. It has now expanded into a regional and international program.
Monterey's foray into opera didn't mean it would be putting on a mini-production of a standard starter opera such as ``The Magic Flute,'' ``The Barber of Seville'' or ``La Boheme.''
No, Monterey's 10- and 11-year-olds were going to have to start from scratch, just like Mozart, Rossini and Puccini.
``Full Moon Rising'' - composed, written, performed and produced by Monterey's fifth-graders - debuts this morning. There will be seven performances, running through Friday evening.
``Full Moon Rising'' is open to the the public - which includes students from other schools and even kindergartners - and some special invited guests.
Executive Director Judy Clark of Opera Roanoke certainly plans to attend.
``I am unbelievably proud. And I wish to heaven I could say we could take some credit for this, but we can't,'' she said. ``They've done it all themselves.''
Not only that, but Monterey Elementary School even beat Opera Roanoke to the punch in Roanoke's arena of original opera.
``Travels,'' an original opera inspired by ``Gulliver's Travels,'' composed by Victoria Bond, written by Ann Goette, choreographed by Carol Crawford and to be directed by Jonathon Arak, an assistant of Broadway director Hal Prince, will open here May 18, 1995
Clark admits that there's a part of Monterey's project of which she is incredibly envious.
``You just can't beat how much you can depend on the marvelous creativity of children,'' she said.
Robert Vidale of the Education at the Met program thinks adults too often underestimate the creativity of children.
Among the operas he's seen produced in this program have been ones about pollution, history and, mostly in New York City, violence.
``Full Moon Rising'' is a mystery story about an accident that happened long ago at an amusement park in a small town. A Ferris wheel was rigged, and people were seriously injured. Over the years in this small town, there had been much gossip about who had rigged the wheel and why. In ``Full Moon Rising,'' a group of friends sets out to solve the mystery.
``They were told to come up with a plot or a theme,'' explained Deborah Frashure, a classroom teacher who helped out. ``In `Full Moon Rising,' the theme is integrity.''
In the end, several children have to make some tough decisions about what to do when they solve the mystery and whether to turn in the culprit, even though it might mean hurting a friend.
At Monday's first full rehearsal, things were rather frantic.
``This isn't our best,'' Jessica Martin, a makeup artist, whispered apologetically. ``This is really just our first time.''
It would be a whole lot better when they opened today, she promised.
Sean Deel, who plays Jason, was a little nervous. ``I know my lines,'' he said with conviction. ``I'm just not quite sure when I'm supposed to say them yet.''
The class agreed that the hardest part was writing and composing.
``But it was easier than I thought it would be,'' said Jasmin Owen. ``We just sort of hummed a tune, and then someone wrote it down.''
Crystal Dalton's responsibility as stage manager sounded overwhelming. ``I'm supposed to make sure that everything goes right,'' she said, wincing a little.
Kyle Jackson served as an electrician, along with Phillip Cabbler and Candice Plumb. That sounded a little dangerous, especially when they showed off the footlights they'd made themselves out of empty peach cans and light bulbs.
``The trick is that the screw can't touch the metal, or else you'll get electrocuted,'' explained Kyle, very matter-of-factly.
Didn't they get any help or advice from grown-ups?
``Well, one did open the first peach can,'' conceded Kyle. ``But after that, we were pretty much on our own.''
``It surprised me how much fun it is,'' said Valerie Miller, who not only helped write ``Full Moon Rising,`` but also is doing makeup and performs an off-stage voice.
During rehearsal, the cast practiced its four compositions, which are a rap-like ``Mom Gets Ballistic,'' ``Extra, Extra, Read All About It,'' ``Things Are Never the Way They Seem'' and ``I Can't Take It Any More.''
(During ``Extra, Extra,'' Jessica leaned over to explain that the reason Ashley Potter was cracking gum and blowing bubbles all the time was that her character, Lisa, was supposed to.)
``Full Moon Rising'' has all the makings of an entertaining 30-minute opera. It's filled with fifth-grade lingo, such as ``Can you have a bad hair day at night as well as in the day?'' and ``Jealous! Oooh! Act scared. NOT!''
There's even some high drama when Kayla Walker, who plays Stacy, faints onstage.
Teachers Rose Ann Burgess and Frashure couldn't really estimate the number of hours they and the pupils have put into this production. It was required that the teachers devote 100 hours, but they've gone way past that.
But when the footlights have dimmed, the bows have been taken and the curtain finally closes, the best part about ``Full Moon Rising'' won't have anything to do with the performances, costumes and music.
``I've seen the personalities of some of the students totally change,'' said Burgess. ``Some who have never felt themselves leaders have become leaders. It's really changed how some of them are viewed by their peers.''
by CNB