Members of the OPERA Iowa troupe kept busy prior to the group's performance of "The Barber of Seville" at Roosevelt Auditorium Thursday evening.
Cast members held workshops with Estherville Lincoln Central fourth graders early in the afternoon and then performed "Hansel and Gretel" for students in kindergarten through eighth grade and also high school music students.
In their workshop with fourth graders, music director and pianist Michael Sakir and singers Diana Stoic and Andrew Wannigman taught the students opera terminology and put together an improv performance using student suggestions.
The trio explained how scenery is created using back drops while lighting and music help set a mood. They also discussed how costumes, makeup and wigs make the characters in an opera more believable.
Using suggestions from the fourth graders, Stoic took on the role of Hansel while Wannigman played the witch in an improv segment.
The two played out their roles in prehistoric times, but then played a football game at Kinnick stadium where the witch intercepted a pass from Hansel and returned it for a touchdown. But then the football turned into a bee and stung the witch.
