SING ME A STORY
Available SEPTEMBER 16th - NOVEMBER 3rd , 2023 and MARCH 4th - APRIL 26th , 2024
Length: 45 minutes Ages: K-5 Curriculum Guide Available
To book a performance at your school or library, please email Education Director Lyndsay Moy at moy@indyopera.org!
We will always try to work with your budget!
Available SEPTEMBER 16th - NOVEMBER 3rd , 2023 and MARCH 4th - APRIL 26th , 2024
Length: 45 minutes Ages: K-5 Curriculum Guide Available
To book a performance at your school or library, please email Education Director Lyndsay Moy at moy@indyopera.org!
We will always try to work with your budget!
Every year, the Indianapolis Opera Education Department creates a brand new children's opera to share with the youngest members of our Hoosier community, along with their teachers and families. These operas are a part of our Sing Me A Story series, which focuses on bringing the power of opera to elementary school children of all backgrounds.
Often inspired by fairy tales and fables, each children's opera has a moral at the center its story. Children are not only exposed to the thrill of live opera singing, but they are also given the opportunity to learn about important topics like bullying, overcoming fears, acceptance, and making new friends.
This year's opera, Perfect as a Pony, features the music of famous opera composers like Mozart and Bizet and teaches children about standing up to bullies, conquering doubt, and loving yourself just the way you are.
THE STORY OF PERFECT AS A PONY: Penny is a simple pony, who has just moved to a land of unicorns, where she is afraid of sticking out as the only one there without a horn. There is a group of unicorns that she would very much like to befriend, but she decides she needs a horn to fit in, so she attaches a carrot to her head. As she's screwing up her courage introduce herself, Penny hides as two of the unicorns, Clyde Dale Hoofington III and Benji, appear. Clyde's parents run the Hoofington Post and just threw him a big birthday party, where they gifted him with a shiny red birthday balloon, which he shows off to Benji. Benji thinks Clyde is the coolest unicorn around is beyond excited to get to play with Clyde's new present! While they are playing, their other unicorn friend, Adina, shows up in her sparkly party dress that she has been showing off all around town. Unable to maintain her excitement at seeing Adina's, Penny lets out an audible "WOW!" from her hiding place.
The unicorns are a bit startled, but Adina quickly introduces herself, as she is always ready to make new friends. Adina introduces the boys and tells Penny about how she loves to spread laughter, joy, and sparkles wherever she goes! The unicorns invite Penny to play a game of "Bubble Pop," a very favorite game of unicorns. Penny, not being a real unicorn, has never heard of this game. The others think it a little strange that Penny has never heard of "Bubble Pop," but they quickly teach her how to play. As they hop around and pop bubbles with their horns, Penny stumbles to the ground, causing her carrot horn to fall from her head!
Clyde sees that Penny isn't a unicorn at all and has been lying this whole time! Outraged, he tells her to go. Penny runs off, and Adina follows her, as Clyde continues his tirade against ponies. Eventually, even Benji, Clyde's most loyal friend, decides that he can't take any more of this mean-spirited talk, so he walks away to find the girls. Clyde is left alone and decides he doesn't need any friends as long as he has his balloon. Meanwhile, Penny expresses her sadness at not being able to be herself and regrets having deceived her new friends. Adina shows up to comfort Penny, who is shocked when Adina shares that her own grandmother is a pony who taught her to always be kind to others. Adina thinks everyone should embrace what makes them special and encourages Penny to be herself.
Benji appears while the girls are talking and apologizes to Penny for not standing up to Clyde. They resolve to go talk to Clyde about his behavior, but when they find him, he's in a little bit of a pickle, having gotten his balloon stuck in a tree and is unable to free it due to his horn getting tangled in the leaves. If only there were someone around without a horn who could help... but what will happen next?!
Will Benji and Adina stand up to Clyde? Will Clyde apologize to Penny? Can Penny learn to love herself? Watch what unfolds in this brand new experience from Indianapolis Opera!
