Presents

 

As part of the 2015–2016 Season

 

 

THE LITTLE PRINCE

 

A holiday revival of a family favorite

December 4 - 20, 2015

HGO Children's Chorus and Joshua Hopkins as the Pilot in Houston Grand Opera's production of THE LITTLE PRINCE based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Photo by Lynn Lane/Houston Grand Opera

 

 

An Accessible Art Form

Interview with Karen Reeves, Children’s Chorus Director at the Houston Grand Opera

By Theresa Pisula
Theresa@HoustonTheatre.com

December, 2015

 

 

HGO Children's Chorus Director Karen Reeves

 

 

With her short, pixie blonde haircut, Houston’s own Karen Reeves reminds me of Julie Andrews as Maria in The Sound of Music as she teaches the von Trapp family children how to sing.  Since 1991, Karen has prepared the Houston Grand Opera Children’s Chorus and child soloists for such operas as Otello, Carmen, La boheme, Tosca, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hansel & Gretel.  For this Christmas season, she directed the Children’s Chorus for THE LITTLE PRINCE as she did for the opera’s world premiere at HGO in 2003 and its revival in 2004.

 

When asked about her role as the Director for the Houston Grand Opera, she states “my role is to prepare the children musically to fit into and add to a professional level opera production.”   Additionally it is most important to her to have the children and families understand the level of commitment in terms of time and work.   Karen explains “I also communicate with the music and production staff the needs of the children’s chorus and any concerns that may arise in staging the opera. I hope that the children and their families come to view opera as an exciting, accessible art form that they will continue to enjoy.”

 

She was a member of the Houston Grand Opera Chorus for 13 years.  Being an opera singer herself, she received her Bachelor of Music Degree from Southwestern University and her Master of Music Degree from Rice University.  She has greatly enjoyed her years as a lyric soprano opera singer but found it a very interesting job to be part of the team that puts the opera together.  She says “I would never have thought of early in my musical life.  Having sung with HGO’s chorus helps me understand the needs the children’s chorus.”

 

During the 1999 – 2000 Season, she became the founding Director of the High School Voice Studio, HGO’s year - long intensive program for high schools preparing for further vocal music study.  When asked about this program, she answers “I no longer direct this program, but we encourage singers from any and all schools in the greater Houston area to audition for the studio.  When asked if the search for talented singers take her outside of Houston, she says “Not far; if the studio singers are too far away it is difficult to participate fully in the studio program and be a good student.  We audition singers in the spring of their junior year in high school. The studio is a one-year program, beginning in the summer before their senior year.”

 

She was the Children's Chorus Director for the HGO’s 2003 & 2004 productions of The Little Prince.  Ten years later for Christmas 2015, HGO’s production is doing a holiday revival.  I asked Karen, “How is it different in today?  Is the preparation process the same as it was back then?”  Karen explains, “In 2003, we were feeling our way with a new work and discussing what works best for the children’s chorus as the opera developed. In 2004, having recently performed it, the process was much simpler. In 2015, although I knew the work from before, since it had been so long, it was almost like starting new.”

 

When asked about the number of children and their age range, she said she worked with a total of 19 children.  “One 7 year old and one 16 year old and everything in between.  For boys, when their voice changes they are no longer able to sing with us. For the girls, we will audition as old as age 17. The average age for most of our children’s choruses is 10 – 13.

 

“In auditioning both soloists and chorus singers, first, they must sing in tune. Next, is there enough sound produced in a natural manner that they will contribute well.  Is the sound appealing?  And is it right for the production?  The color of the sound for the chorus in Carmen is different than the one in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for instance. Lastly, do they look right for the chorus or role?  Age does not always determine this, but does contribute.  We do not want our children’s chorus looking like the adult chorus.”

 

 

 

 

HGO Children's Chorus in Houston Grand Opera's production of THE LITTLE PRINCE based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Photo by Lynn Lane/Houston Grand Opera

 

Karen Reeves chooses Texas to be her home, “Houston offers so many opportunities for people in every walk of life. It has been good for me, my husband, and a good place to raise our children.  Actually, now I have two grown children, a daughter and a son. Both of them sang in the children’s chorus at Houston Grand Opera.  Both were in the voice department at High School of the Performing & Visual Arts and sang throughout their college years as well as now.  When asked about her inspiration, she muses, “The love of music and singing and the enjoyment of performance. The first opera I saw was Aida - I saw it in the fourth grade. I was awe-struck by the grandeur of the opera and the fact that people could sing that way. I thoroughly enjoyed my years of singing, but as I grew and learned more, I found I enjoyed teaching in a way I had not thought I would. That led me to find new environments for teaching.”

 

In The Little Prince, she pursues the opportunity to make Opera an accessible Art form for all children.  “For new and young audience members, I feel this is a very approachable opera – I hope they find opera something they would like to try again. For everyone, I hope they enjoy the story as told with beautiful music, both from the stage and from the orchestra pit. By performing this in the Cullen Theater versus the larger Brown Theater, there is more intimacy, which I hope translates to being pulled into the story more easily.”

 

“Many people will think this is for children because the story is a child’s story. This is a piece that will appeal to children, but is more than that. The story asks us to see more clearly than what is visible to the eye, to dig deeper in all relationships. This is something we can all benefit from – no matter our age.”  The musically gifted Karen Reeves is another brilliant reason why Houstonians should be proud to enjoy the Houston Grand Opera, for both the young and the young at heart.

 

 

 

HGO Children's Chorus in Houston Grand Opera's production of THE LITTLE PRINCE based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Photo by Lynn Lane/Houston Grand Opera

 

WHAT:         Houston Grand Opera (HGO) continues its cycle of holiday operas with its presentation of  The Little Prince from December 4–20, 2015. Based on the classic children’s book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince is an adventure-filled family experience that brings hope, love, and a childlike imagination to life.  

The opera in two acts is a whimsical tale of a little prince and a lost pilot’s adventures in the desert. They become unlikely friends, and together, while experiencing lessons from the desert’s many creatures, they discover what is essential in life.  

HGO revives the popular Francesca Zambello production and welcomes the family-friendly story and score from composer Rachel Portman and librettist Nicholas Wright   to the stage for the second time since its 2003 HGO world premiere. In this production, newcomers Andy Jones of Houston and Cohle H. Smith of Humble will alternate in the role of the Little Prince. HGO Studio alumnus Joshua Hopkins reprises his 2004 portrayal of the Pilot. The Snake/Vain Man will be sung by American tenor John Kapusta. HGO Studio artist Sofia Selowsky will sing the Fox. Ellen Douglas Schlaefer will be the revival director, and HGO’s Bradley Moore conducts. Sung in English with projected text.   

 

 

 

 

 

Andy Jones as The Little Prince and Joshua Hopkins as the Pilot in Houston Grand Opera's production of THE LITTLE PRINCE based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Photo by Lynn Lane/Houston Grand Opera

 

 

 

 

Houston Grand Opera's production of THE LITTLE PRINCE based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Photo by Lynn Lane/Houston Grand Opera

 

CAST:

The Little Prince………Andy Jones………….Cohle H. Smith

The Pilot………………Joshua Hopkins………………..Ben Edquist+

Snake/Vain Man……………. John Kapusta

The Fox……………….. Sofia Selowsky

 

 

CREATIVE TEAM:

Composer, Rachel Portman

Librettist, Nicholas Wright

Conductor, Bradley Moore  Emily Senturia*

Production, Francesca Zambello

Revival Director, Ellen Douglas Schlaefer

Set and Costume Designer, Maria Bjørnson

Original Lighting Designer, Rick Fisher

Children’s Chorus Director, Karen Reeves 

*Alternate Conductor

+Alternate Cast   

* * * * *

 

 

Houston Grand Opera's production of THE LITTLE PRINCE based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Photo by Lynn Lane/Houston Grand Opera

 

 

 

Andy Jones as The Little Prince in Houston Grand Opera's production of THE LITTLE PRINCE based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Photo by Lynn Lane/Houston Grand Opera

 

 

Houston Grand Opera's production of THE LITTLE PRINCE based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Photo by Lynn Lane/Houston Grand Opera

 

About Houston Grand Opera 

Since its inception in 1955, Houston Grand Opera has grown from a small regional organization into an internationally renowned opera company. HGO enjoys a reputation for commissioning and producing new works, including 57 world premieres and seven American premieres since 1973. In addition to producing and performing world-class opera, HGO contributes to the cultural enrichment of Houston and the nation through a diverse and innovative program of performances, community events, and education projects that reaches the widest possible public. HGO has toured extensively, including trips to Europe and Asia, and has won a Tony, two Grammy awards, and two Emmy awards—the only opera company to have won all three honors.   

Through HGOco, Houston Grand Opera creates opportunities for Houstonians of all ages and backgrounds to observe, participate in, and create art. Its Song of Houston project is an ongoing initiative to create and share work based on stories that define the unique character of our city and its diverse cultures. Since 2007, HGOco has premiered 18 new works along with countless innovative community projects, reaching more than one million people in the greater Houston metropolitan area.  

 

 

 

Andy Jones as The Little Prince and Pureum Jo as the Rose in Houston Grand Opera's production of THE LITTLE PRINCE based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Photo by Lynn Lane/Houston Grand  Opera