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LEARNING AT THE OPERA HOUSE 2009
KICKS OFF JUNE 22
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DETROIT, Michigan, May 12, 2009...This summer, Michigan Opera Theatre's Department of Community Programs presents its twelfth year of summer learning programs, Learning at the Opera House, running from June 22 - August 2, 2009 at the Detroit Opera House. Under the leadership of Karen VanderKloot DiChiera, founder and director of Michigan Opera Theatre's Department of Community Programs, Learning at the Opera House has assembled an award-winning and enriching program encompassing visual, written and performing arts.
"Learning at the Opera House includes programs for people of all ages," says Director of Community Programs Karen V. DiChiera. "For over ten years, we have continued to build a legacy of fun, relevant and enriching educational programs."
New this year is a three-day intergenerational learning experience entitled "Lens on the City," July 27-29. In partnership with Preservation Wayne, families or groups of adults and children (8 years to 108 years!), will experience exclusive photo tours of interesting historic sites in Detroit, including Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, the main branch of the Detroit Public Library, and the Detroit Opera House. Participant photos will be displayed in an exhibit at the Detroit Opera House for the final performance and reception of the Opera Camp and Opera Workshop. Budding photographers will also receive instruction on photography basics from a professional photographer. Childern under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Student must bring their own cameras.
Also new this year is a partnership between Preservation Wayne, the Detroit Public Library Main Branch, and Learning at the Opera House for an architectural lecture series. Three architectural series lectures will be held at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library main branch, July 15, 22, and 29. The series will cover a variety of topics, including "Opportunities Lost in Detroit Architecture" and "Talking Shops: Commercial Folk Art," and will feature local Detroit preservationists, including Michael Poris (July 15), Constance Bodurow (July 22), and David Clements (July 29).
Returning this year are adult poetry and creative writing classes, June 30, July 7, 14, and 21. Instructor Dawn McDuffie will guide participants through a series of writing experiences, experimenting with poetry, narrative, and personal memoir. All classes will be held at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Ave. Total cost for the four classes is $40.
Some of Learning at the Opera House's most popular children's programs return this summer to inspire and engage young artists, singers, and musicians.
Arts Camp (June 22-July 2) is a two-week day camp for children ages 5-9 to experience art, drama, and theater at a basic level. Children will be encouraged to be creative and will learn basic acting, improvisation, performance techniques, and plot development.
Create & Perform (June 22-July 2) is a day camp for 10-18 year olds to learn music composition, acting, dancing, poetry, creative writing, and improvisation. These older students will convert their creativity into a final live performance. Each camp costs $200.
Operetta Workshop (July 6-24) is a hands-on theater experience for children ages 10-18 to perform a fully costumed and staged final performance of H.M.S. Pinafore at the Detroit Opera House. During the three-week day camp, young people will learn valuable theater skills in singing, acting, opera, and voice and audition techniques. The cost for this workshop is $300.
Opera Camp (July 20-August 2) is an opportunity for college students and adults that aspire to be professional opera singers. Participants will be given an opportunity for solo and ensemble casting in a day and evening intensive opera camp that includes master classes. At the completion of the two-week intensive, students will perform selected opera scenes, fully-costumed and staged, at the Detroit Opera House. Acceptance is by audition only, and advanced high school students may be considered. Performances include a recital workshop on July 29 and a final performance at the Detroit Opera House on August 2. Cost for the two-week intensive is $1,000. Housing, college credit, and scholarships are available on an individual basis. Contact Trish Shandor at (313) 237-3419 or tshandor@motopera.org for more information.
For opera history aficionados, four opera lectures and one dance lecture will be given during the month of July, and this year will include comprehensive information about various aspects of opera and musical theater. Dr. Wallace Peace, who gives Michigan Opera Theatre's popular pre-performance "Opera Talks," will lecture on Nabucco on Thursday, July 2. Using DVDs and other recordings from his vast collection, he will include a rare CD of Maria Callas singing Nabucco in her debut performance. Musician, Professor Emeritus of Humanities at Wayne State University, and acclaimed lecturer for the WSU "Soar" program, Dr. Marty Herman will explore Puccini's Tosca and how the power of words and music relate to create opera on Thursday, July 9. Oakland University's Fred Love will lecture on A Little Night Music and composer Stephen Sondheim and their importance to musical theater and opera on Thursday, July 16. Head of the Music Theatre/Voice Division at Oakland University, Fred Love has personal knowledge of the works of Stephen Sondheim as both a performer and stage director. The final lecture of the series surrounds the opera Don Giovanni and will be given by Dina Soresi Winter on Thursday, July 23. During the lecture, she will cover such topics as the legend of Don Juan and how Mozart and his librettist approached the treatment of women in his operas. The last lecture on July 30 is a dance lecture given by Detroit Opera House Director of Dance Carol Halsted and local dance historian Larry Glowczewski. The lecture will cover the 2008-09 dance season at the Detroit Opera House and leave plenty of opportunities for discussion.
Private voice instruction will also be offered again this year. Voice and music lessons will be conducted by professional voice teachers Candace de Lattre, Betty Lane, Karen V. DiChiera and Trish Shandor. Private lessons are available year-round at the Detroit Opera House by appointment.
To Register, or for more information on any of the Learning at the Opera House programs, log onto www.MichiganOpera.org, or call the Learning at the Opera House hotline at (313) 237-3270. A complete Learning at the Opera House catalogue is available on the MOT website.
About Learning at the Opera House
Now in its twelfth season, Learning at the Opera House has facilitated learning to thousands of young people and adults in our community with a unique offering of classes, workshops and lectures. Michigan Opera Theatre's Department of Community Programs takes pride in providing an atmosphere where people learn and appreciate their own talents and the abilities of others.
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