Contributed by Mary Heveran
On Friday, January 19, our fifth-grader students attended the final dress rehearsal of Verdi’s opera IL Trovatore. It was a special student performance presented by the Metropolitan Opera. Students arrived at school dressed in their finest clothes, excited to see the opera we had been studying. Students were in awe of the opera house: the Austrian Crystal chandeliers, the plush red carpet, the gold leaf ceiling, the rosewood decor, and of course, the magnificent opera production. One of the benefits of seeing an opera at the Met is that students can witness what their individual opera jobs are like in the professional world. Students marveled at the set design, the lighting, the costumes and make-up, the musicians and singers. It was a magical experience, and one that we hope will inspire an appreciation of opera that will stay with them for a lifetime.