Cherity Koepke introduces schoolchildren to opera
Ask any kid to take their pick: opera or broccoli, and they’ll usually run and hide. Cherity Koepke will step in and steer them to opera — and win every time.As director of education and community engagement for Englewood-based Opera Colorado, she has sent portable, scaled-down versions of operas to various Front Range schools since 2008, charming the dickens out of thousands of school kids. And none of them left asking for broccoli.“They love it,” Koepke said of her young audiences. “They cheer, they yell `Bravo!’ We taught them to say that. Some went out singing the tunes and dancing.”These programs are one part of Opera Colorado’s activities, far removed from its performances at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in downtown Denver. Before COVID struck in 2020, Koepke’s programs averaged an annual attendance of 45,000. A number of factors contributed to a recent drop down to around 25,000. As Koepke pointed out, “that’s more than the attendance for the main-stage productions.”So, who are her audiences? “We take opera anywhere now, wherever we’re asked,” she said, discussing the program’s 40 annual visits, running from late September to the end of May. Host venues are charged $600, with scholarships available. Sponsors include Genesee Mountain Foundation and individual donors.“We have a high percentage of visits to inner-city schools, providing them with translations (of sung texts) and learning materials,” Koepke noted. “We’ll present these programs for kids with autism, ones who are hard of hearing. These shows transcend everything.”Each year, two operas make the rounds. For 2024-25, Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” and Rossini’s “Barber of Seville” receive reduced treatments, performed by a cast of six with piano accompaniment. “The thing about ‘Hansel and Gretel’ is that it’s so much fun to watch,” Koepke reported. “The kids giggle. When they hear that first high note, they put their hands over their ears — but then they get used to it.” Most of her audiences consist of third- and fourth-graders.Koepke stressed that her job doesn’t stop with putting on mini-operas. She organizes two field trips each year, where school kids attend dress rehearsals in the Opera House. Plus, there are three or four workshops held backstage, where students learn about what goes into presenting a production. And the little ones are not left out. “We have Storytime Sessions for preschoolers in libraries, where we have a pretend bookshop with books that open up and start singing.”Opera Colorado is presenting a family-friendly showing of “Hansel and Gretel” on March 8 in the PACE Center in Parker. Credit: Courtesy of Jamie KrausAll this is a perfect introduction to opera — without any of the intimidation. Koepke stressed that the mini-operas are not limited to the younger generation. In recent years, they’ve have been performed for older folks at retirement communities, such as Wind Crest in Highlands Ranch, where “Barber of Seville” was presented in January. In addition, shows open to the public have been scheduled, such as the two March 8 performances of “Hansel and Gretel” at the PACE Center in Parker.Audiences aren’t the only ones benefitting from this program. The six singers, members of the company’s artist-in-residence program (managed by Koepke), are gaining experiences that can carry them through a lifetime in performance.“Each year we receive around 520 applications from around the world,” she said. “We’ll boil it down to 120 live auditions and then choose the final six. For them, it becomes a full-time job.”Those six will sing in all 40 performances. The cast, pianist Oleg Bellini, plus cardboard sets and costumes travel in a van and perform in gymnasiums, cafetoriums or, in the case of Parker’s PACE Center, an actual theater.For cast members, digging into a role for a whole season is priceless, Koepke emphasized. “Usually, an opera singer will arrive for rehearsals, do a few performances and then move one,” she said. “Not the case here. Plus, they get professional development, they get to be part of a team.”Many have gone on to major careers, including bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, who’s sung leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera.But the biggest winners are the kids. “They begin to understand what’s out there in their community,” Koepke said. “They’re seeing what opera actually is — not some silly thing on TV. They learn that it’s simply telling a story with singing. And they learn how to enjoy watching it. We tell them they can laugh and clap and cheer. It’s OK to have fun.” You can’t do that with broccoli.This coverage comes courtesy of a grant from the Littleton Arts and Culture Program. As a matter of policy, funders exercise no control over editorial decisions.If you goOpera Colorado will present an hour-long version of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” at 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday, March 8 in the PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker. Information: 303-805-6800 or https://parkerarts.org.The post Cherity Koepke introduces schoolchildren to opera appeared first on Colorado Community Media.
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