The Canadian Children’s Opera Company is remounting The Hobbit two decades or so after its premiere. The Tolkien-inspired opera by composer Dean Burry was written for the CCOC back in 2004.
It involves about 90 cast members between the ages of 7 and 18, and the talents of Canadian baritone Doug MacNaughton, who performs the role of Gandalf and the voice of Smaug, the gold-loving Dragon. Performances take place at Harbourfront Centre from May 31 to June 2.
We spoke to Music Director and Conductor, Principal Chorus Teri Dunn, director and choreography Allison Grant, and composer Dean Burry about the company and the upcoming show.
The Canadian Children’s Opera Company
Opera still has something of a reputation as an esoteric and rarefied art. What do kids get out of the experience, when most are probably too young to know whether they want to be opera singers, or anything else?
“I would say that the biggest thing is that it teaches the real strength of team work,” says Teri Dunn. “Working together, you can create really powerful and beautiful things.”
Along with developing the specific skills required to sing and act the roles, the CCOC’s singers develop a relationship with art itself. Few become opera singers; many more become opera goers.
“[They learn] the strength of what can be built when you work together,” she adds.
Dean notes the particular qualities of opera. “It is the ultimate multimedia performing art,” he says. Teaching after school opera programs in previous years, he points out that an operatic production truly has a role for everyone, with its combination of music, design, dance, construction, and so many other elements that need to come together.
“Every part of your brain [is used],” he says, “it really just is a full experience.”
“I think that, like any theatre experience, what kids get out of it is learning how to communicate,” adds Allison. “It instills such a love of music.”
A few may already have a performing career on their minds. “There are a few that certainly see themselves on that path,” Teri says. Working on a shared goal fosters a sense of achievement, and above all, community, including many friendships that will last a lifetime. “They really do have to learn how to trust each other.”
Along with CCOC dedicated productions, the company is often invited to perform with the Canadian Opera Company in children’s roles. “That’s a really thrilling experience.” Along with the big stage and audience, there’s an opportunity to see how a professional production is put together from backstage.
Opera becomes accessible.
Allison has spent about 20 years working with the CCOC, and she reports that many of those young singers go on to work in the arts and culture sector as administrators as well as musicians.
“It’s extraordinary,” she says. “It’s a wonderful group of kids. I’m having such a great time with them right now.”
Dean cautions that it’s a mistake to look at the CCOC as simply an exercise of sorts. “It’s easy to look at it as an educational thing,” he says. “They are opera singers — it’s not a bunch of opera singers in training.”
Kids progress through five different choirs at the CCOC. As Allison points out, by the fifth stage, they’ve received a great deal of training. They dive into the work and study is seriously, building skills and friendships along the way. Children’s opera isn’t a kiddified version of adult fare.
“It’s not a cut down version of Carmen,” Dean says. “It was written for them.”
Dean Burry’s The Hobbit
Tolkien’s The Hobbit deals with several themes through its story of Bilbo’s adventures with dwarves and dragons. Burry’s opera, written under license from Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC, © 2004, doesn’t water down its principles. Naturally, the story still features Elves, Goblins, wolves, and spiders, the quest to restore Thorn Oakenshield to his dwarven throne, and the dragon Smaug.
“It’s one of those iconic stories,” Dean says. “Bilbo is Luke Skywalker […] he’s the underdog.”
As he points out, one of the issues of children’s opera is who it is written for. Is it an opera to be performed by children for other children? Or, is it opera performed by children to audiences who could be anyone?
The Hobbit takes the latter approach. Along with the exciting and scary parts that are easy to absorb, he’s built in a recognition of who else might be in the seats. “There is a very clear, fun story that runs through it as well.”
Permission from the Tolkien camp came as something of a pleasant surprise. “It’s not a kiddie opera, he says. “If you’re a Tolkien aficionado or fan, there’s lots of Easter eggs for adults in the show as well.”
Allison says the young singers are rapt as they listen to McNaughton’s grey wizard, and by the source material. “The kids are really taken by the story,” she says. That goes whether they are already familiar with it or not.
The production uses the original sets and costumes by Julia Tribe, lovingly refurbished. “They’ve really stood the test of time,” Allisons notes. “It was beautifully designed.” With no less than 12 different episodes, each in its own specific setting, recreating the sets would have been an enormous task. “It’s quite elaborate.”
“There are puppets involved too,” Teri says.
Barry’s story uses the construct of the Elven Council mentioned in The Hobbit. In the Council scene, Elrond asks Bilbo to create a drama that will tell his tale — building a play within the play, so to speak. It allows for creative storytelling.
It’s hard to compete with the movie versions, but the operative version still engages the audience. The last time The Hobbit was on stage was in 2016, and Teri recalls the excited reactions of the audience to the spiders and other fun elements of the show.
“It’s so effective,” Teri says. “I think it’s because their imagination is engaged.”
“It’s pretty special that it’s the 20th anniversary,” Dean adds. The production has been performed across the United States and in Slovenia. “It’s so great now to see it interpreted in many different ways.” It will be touring elsewhere in the US later this year. “I think that’s a testament to what a great piece it is.”
- There are a few tickets left for one of the three performances. Find details and tickets [HERE].
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