What Would You Ask Your Fairy Godmother For?

We asked the kids in our Musical Theater Summer Workshop production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella what their Fairy Godmother should bring them.

Tina: Win 1st Place in a book contest
Shannon: Unlimited super powers
Delaney: A horse and stable
Kaitlin: Power to travel into books & change them
Sophia: A time machine
Kyle: Million dollars, house w/ pool, hot tub, trampoline, and R.V.
Lauren: Infinite fat pigs, wishes, and money
Anja: For the whole world to be peaceful
Liz: Peace, love, happiness, & power of invisibility
Natalia: Million dollars and a mansion
Raina: Everything I’ve ever wanted
Elizabeth: Make summer longer
Mabel: A hug from Jack White
Lillian: Place for all homeless animals & people
Kayla: To see my grandmother again
Mae: More wishes
Olivia: Have a bunch of different personalities
Brooke: Invisibility, be super-fast, and shape-shift
Caroline: To get a dollar every step I take
Mia: To never have a cavity
Lola: A store where people can adopt dogs
Olivia: $1,000,000
Lauren: To time travel and have world peace
Meredith: Flying, invisibility, & super-fast powers
Lanie: Ability to control weather & an iPod Touch
Christina: To live in a mansion w/ a dog, a horse, and a google dollars.
Kate: Nintendo DS-I
Lily: To live w/ my family in Iselburo, Maine
Hannah: My very own pasta factory
Lucy: World peace
Emma: No school
Sarah: $1,000,000 every day & to never die
Katie Jane: Fly & have other super powers
Liana: Get the oil out of the Gulf & save the animals
Isabelle: iPod, laptop, iPad, desktop, & iPhone
Maya: Google dollars & nice homes for all pets
Cameron: A dog

I like the girl who wants "peace, love, happiness and the power of invisibility." (An awful lot of these kids want to be invisible. Just exactly what are they planning?) Which is your favorite?

Meet our Summer Workshop counselors

We're gearing up for another summer of the Musical Theater Summer Workshop, our 10th! Program manager Anya Plotkin is back with a great team of counselors. They'll start planning and training next week, and then on with the show on the 21st.

Counselor Will Allan's favorite things to do (besides theater) are play baseball, read, go to the movies, and play with his stellar rock band. He could not be more pumped to be a part of this year's workshop. In addition to his excitement about teaching, Will has an impressive theatrical background. His recent acting credits include A Separate Peace at Steppenwolf Theatre, The History Boys at TimeLine Theatre, The Hundred Dresses at Chicago Children's Theatre, and The Good Soul of Szechuan at Strawdog Theatre. Look for him this summer in Strawdog Theatre's remount of Red Noses. As an actor, he can't think of a more fun and awesome way to spend the summer than teaching kids and performing.

Dyan Flores was born and raised in the Chicago area, then moved out to study theater at New York University. While in New York, Dyan studied musical theater at Musical Theatre Works, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Workshop, and NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. She also studied improv and sketch comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and The PIT. Since returning to Chicago, Dyan has acted and performed comedy at various theaters around the city. This summer she will be a contestant in Impress These Apes starting June 7th at ComedySportz.

Briana Bower will be a senior in theater at Northwestern University this fall. During her time at Northwestern, she has performed in several musicals, including A New Brain, The Wizard of Oz, and Side Show and has also enjoyed teaching at Haven Middle School , helping with their most recent fall musical Fiddler on the Roof. She hopes to pursue a career in theater for young audiences after graduation, and is thrilled to be teaching alongside and working with the Light Opera Works team this summer!

There are still spaces for kids ages 8 to 15 for Cinderella (June 21-26), The Pirates of Penzance (July 12-17) and Once Upon a Mattress (July 26-31). Check out the website or call Monday through Friday 10-5 for info, 847-869-6300.

Wordless Wednesday- annual staff retreat

Well, almost wordless. Special thanks to Hilton Garden Inn of Evanston for the generous donation of the conference room, wireless, and a very delicious breakfast!