1 minute read
Community Engagement
WRITTEN BY Jessica Kiger
Behind the scenes of the TAO Film Studio filming The Atlanta Opera Studio Tour production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Clayton County Performing Arts Center.
CANTRELL WILLIAMS
Did you know that over the past 40 years, more than one million students throughout the state have been introduced to opera in their schools through The Atlanta Opera Studio Tour? Founded in 1980, the tour is the Opera’s longest-running educational initiative.
After 18 months of being unable to offer in-school performances, we are excited to announce that we’re back on the road. This season’s Studio Tour brings to life Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular operetta, The Pirates of Penzance, as a special 40-minute version for students! Frederic, apprenticed to a band of tenderhearted pirates, leaves his cohorts on what he thinks is his 21st birthday and falls instantly in love with Mabel, the daughter of a modern Major-General. Their fate is tested through an adventure of hilarious hijinks and tonguetwisting patter songs, as romance blossoms, loyalty is put to the test, and mistakes are forgiven.
The Studio Tour will travel across the state of Georgia for 12 weeks with more than 80 performances. Also, in partnership with Clayton County Public Schools, The Atlanta Opera Film Studio will film the production at the Clayton County Performing Arts Center. This film will be offered as a virtual tour starting in January 2022.
Through our educational programs, we hope to inspire the next generation of artists and audiences. The power of music is deeper than notes on a page. It inspires, it ignites imagination, and it teaches lifelong lessons that go beyond academic outcomes, including social and emotional skill development and growth. When students are introduced to opera for the first time, they sit wideeyed and in awe of the power of the human voice. They leave with an energized confidence and open to new ideas that help them to succeed in the classroom. We can’t wait to get back out on the road and see students in person!
Learn more about the Opera’s education and community programs by visiting us at atlantaopera.org/education. The Atlanta Opera Studio Tour production of The Pirates of Penzance.
TAO FILM STUDIO
