Students Get Into the Act With Opera

Ten-year-old Rudy Contreras turned into a hungry alligator Friday afternoon and helped teach his classmates at Canterbury Avenue Elementary School that opera is more than “la, la, la.”

Along with 60 fourth- and fifth-graders, Rudy sang with professionals from Los Angeles Opera in a 20-minute production of “A Muskrat Lullaby,” a story about Miles the muskrat and his friends, a spider, toad and bird. They practice singing in a swamp until a crew of hungry alligators tries to eat them, but the quartet escapes by lulling the alligators to sleep with a lullaby.

After five weeks of practice with Los Angeles Opera performers, Canterbury students gave two performances Friday for an estimated 200 classmates. This month, nearly 1,000 students will also perform the opera at 15 elementary schools throughout Los Angeles.

Before the first performance Friday, a Canterbury teacher asked the audience to define opera.

One girl raised her hand and said, “It’s when you sing la, la, la.”

By the end of the performance, it was clear that an opera is “when everyone sings the story,” said Rudy, who enjoyed performing as an alligator so much, he may write his own opera one day.

“I might do this when I grow up,” he said.

Such comments are music to Dan Bridston’s ears. As Los Angeles Opera’s director of community programs, he has helped thousands of children “discover the freedom of opera” with similar productions.

“It’s profound to see the kids appreciate music,” particularly since many have never seen a live performance, said Bridston, who is called Opera Man by students. “Some of them might even want to go into music.”

Besides singing, students also make their costumes--green hats, for example--and learn about the technical aspects of production.

With the help of private grants, performers said, the nonprofit Los Angeles Opera hopes to provide music and art lessons that have been eliminated from public schools.

Fourth-grade teacher Lisa Call said performing gives her students confidence socially as well as with language and reading.

“Many of these students have limited English skills,” she said. “This helps them feel more comfortable.”