Lyric Opera 2022-2023 Issue 6 - Hansel and Gretel

39 | Lyric Opera of Chicago something of a practice run himself, when Lyric managed to invite students from several schools to attend a dress rehearsal for the hit Fiddler on the Roof earlier this season. Throughout the afternoon, Jones could sense the students’ excitement and curiosity. “I feel like a lot of students are surprised by dress rehearsals,” he says. “ Fiddler is such an energetic show, and I heard students ask ‘How did they do that?’” That sort of curiosity is often the first step for many of these students as they begin their artistic journey. The inside look at the inner workings of the arts can plant a seed for generations to come. Hansel and Gretel offered the first official opportunity in two seasons to bring the program back and enthusiasm ran high. Months in advance of the dress rehearsal for Hansel and Gretel , the Learning and Creative Engagement team had reserved more than 1,645 seats for students and teachers. For schools where travel can be a barrier, Lyric offers bus scholarships that cover the cost of transportation to and from the opera house. “The Spring rollout is so exciting, for students and for everyone,” Jones says. “And given the nature of the story, I expect Hansel and Gretel will be especially interesting.” Amy Cholod, music teacher at Hitch Elementary and a CPS arts liaison, agrees. A former opera singer, and an educator for more than 20 years, Cholod saw Lyric’s original production of Hansel and Gretel back in 2012 and can’t wait to share the experience with her students this season. She considers such efforts essential. “We live in a beautiful city with world-class opera,” she notes. “My students should be exposed to that. And these dress rehearsals make music come alive.” Cholod helped initiate the partnership with Lyric in 2018, and today Hitch Elementary is participating in two Elementary Opera Residencies, and an Opera Discovery Project—and she’s planning visits to the opera house for dress rehearsals. She says some of her former students now perform at theaters and opera houses around the country—and she knows experiences like visiting the opera house planted the seed in those young talents. There’s no dress code,but lots of the attendees don their best. Kyle Flubacker Kyle Flubacker