Lyric Opera 2022-2023 Issue 4- Don Carlos

39 | Lyric Opera of Chicago Opera in the Neighborhoods has evolved in numerous ways over the years. Early on, the series consisted of abridged, family- friendly versions of canonical operas, an approach familiar to most arts educators (and to most parents, for that matter). “There would be a mini Magic Flute , a mini Barber of Seville , and so on,” LaBarge says. For the 2014/15 Season fall tour, after extensive surveying of all the stakeholders, Lyric decided to commission original works, as well as search out new works, written speci cally for younger audiences, exploring themes that resonated with those audiences. Over the years, the productions have varied greatly in topic and style, all being performed at the professional level required of any Lyric show. In Lyric’s 2015/16 season, the commission went to on-the-rise composer (and MacArthur genius) Matthew Aucoin, whose Second Nature , set 100 years into the future, tackled climate change (and kids’ relations with pesky adults). The 2019/20 Season offering, premiering not long before the pandemic, was Earth to Kenzie , co-commissioned with Seattle Opera and written by Francis Pollock and Jessica Murphy Moo. That story centered on “a fth grader with homework, asthma, and a big imagination,” as its program notes; when she and her mother have to move into a family shelter, Kenzie nds refuge in the world of video games. The show is lively and entertaining, while dealing with housing insecurity and self-respect. In May 2020, Lyric created an innovative site-speci c production of Hansel & Gretel in the Park , directed by Matthew Ozawa (now Lyric’s new Chief Artistic Administration of cer), with costumes and set design by Lyric’s highly regarded Scott Marr and featuring gender uid casting. Audiences experienced the various scenes of the show—which was also lmed and made available to teachers and students via streaming—by literally strolling through the Walking Stick Woods nature area in North Park Village. Among the most successful offerings to date is The Scorpions’ Sting , which is being revived this year. Premiered in 2017, the work, by acclaimed Canadian composer and librettist Dean Burry, takes as its inspiration the ancient Egyptian legend of Isis and the Seven Scorpions. Geared for audiences aged 7–12, the story follows a group of young archaeology students in a race against time to save their professor, who has been stung by a poisonous scorpion. Set in a world full of wonder and mystery, the opera explores themes about the quest for knowledge and the power of forgiveness. Stories like these, which capture the imaginations of school-aged children, can increase the multifaceted bene ts of arts programs. Educators, Potter says, have seen “two years not necessarily lost to COVID, but that were compromised by COVID. Opera in the Neighborhoods can not only foster a love of the arts in young audiences, but also help to increase student engagement in school while supporting young people in their social and emotional development.” Learn more about The Scorpions’ Sting and other Lyric Unlimited programming by visiting www.lyricopera.org/learn- engage/ In The Scorpions’Sting ,the students must nd a way to help their af icted teacher. Michael Brosilow