Sunday, March 20, 2005

Little Chimney Sweeper

Yesterday we went to an Opera for children, Le Petit Ramoneur/The Little Chimney Sweeper at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. It was a special opera, specifically for children. In the beginning, the conductor explains "what is an opera?" Then he tells the audience there will be a few spots in the opera when he will need their help. It was great fun to hear the audience try to make bird and other noises, practicing their parts.

Most of the main characters were children under 12 years old. Since the subject was pretty serious... a child gets sold by his father to a chimney sweeper who works the child very hard. The child gets stuck in a chimney one day and some children find "Sammy" and hide him from the Chimney sweeper. My daugther got very caught up in the opera, very worried that Sammy's hiding spot would be found out by the adults. It all has a happy ending and the audience sings the goodbye song at the end.

It was only 45 minutes and quite a lively show so the kids were never bored. It was a very nice introduction to Opera. I must add that the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a smaller, yet classically beautiful opera house. I wouldn't mind seeing another show there.

-- said Auntie M in Paris
6:06 PM

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