2008-2009 Season

Indianapolis Opera celebrates its twelfth exciting year of MUSIC! WORDS! OPERA! (M!W!O!), the national curriculum program that combines study of the great works in opera and literature with the creation of original works in opera, theater, creative writing, and visual art.  Click for more information about Music! Words! Opera!

The 2008-2009 subject is the ever-popular Hansel and Gretel, based on the Grimm Brothers' children's tale.  It is ideal for upper elementary,  middle, and high school teachers of music, art, drama, German, and language arts, as well as other subjects.

About the Production

IO’s Hansel and Gretel production was designed by world-famous children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak.  Mr. Sendak explores the dark side of the story, with its issues of poverty and abandonment, but also shows how children’s resourcefulness and teamwork can triumph against adversity.  The lost children in the woods, who will be portrayed by members of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, are not merely a gingerbread fence that comes to life at the end, but are an integral part of the story.  The set is a visual wonder—a Sendak storybook come to life on the stage.

For Teachers

Participation in MUSIC! WORDS! OPERA! includes a free summer workshop for teachers, comprehensive study guides for students, and priority seating at the dress rehearsal of Hansel and Gretel on the evening of Wednesday, November 19, 2008.

Our summer workshop for teachers will take place at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis on June 16-20, 2008.  Teachers must complete an application (PDF format) by June 6, 2008 to participate in the program.

Click for more information about the 2008-09 M!W!O! program, including summer workshop and performance details.  Questions?  Contact Patty Harvey, IO's Director of Education, at (317) 283-3531 or pattyh@indyopera.org.

Education Partner

Visit the Children's Museum of Indianapolis online for information about their new permanent exhibit, "The Power of Children," which provides a wonderful complement to our study of Hansel and Gretel.

Music! Words! Opera!  is sponsored by The Indianapolis Foundation