Alice’s Adventures In Operaland

Victorian Opera was created not so much to replace the Victorian State Opera, but to fill gaps in the operatic canon and educate the public. This has included involving community choirs from the country, performing in schools and a young artists’ program which leads to a Master of Music (Opera Performance) associated with the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

So it was I attended Alice’s Adventures in Operaland, performed by the young artists, which involved a bored Alice talking to a White Rabbit who suggested she might find excitement in Operaland. Both Alice, played by Emma Muir-Smith, and the White Rabbit, played by Michael Petruccelli, also assisted in the various scenes which opened up.

Dividers on wheels were swung around to reveal different scenes and various singers came on to sing ensembles from well-known operas. All were sung in the original language and, though there were no surtitles, there were explanations for the kids of what was happening. The costumes were colourful and there was plenty of action.

In this instance we had an orchestra under the watchful eye of Phoebe Briggs, but obviously this production could tour with piano to smaller venues and become a great vehicle for educating the younger generation. At less than an hour, it was long enough for the younger ones to maintain concentration, but I didn’t have a young person to consult on whether this met the target audience expectations.  Hopefully these people would enjoy the music they heard and be open to attending a more major work in the future.

Well done Victorian Opera.

Graham Ford

Photographer: Bri Hammond