Where would you want Daddy Warbucks to take YOU?

It's been another great summer with the kids! Just one more workshop performance this Saturday at 4, of Willy Wonka. It's free, so join us for a great show at our Second Stage, 1420 Maple in Evanston, IL.

One of the things we do every week is to ask our young actors a question relating to the Musical they have been working on. For "Annie," the question was "Where would you want Daddy Warbucks to take YOU?" Check out their answers here:

Katherine: The Weasley’s house
Jensen: Costa Rica
Elana: Somewhere far, far away!
Katerina: The Bahamas to catch lizards
Juliana: Jamaica
Delaney: Jamaica
Lily: Maine
Eva: Washington, D.C. to meet the President
Rileigh: Poland
A. Odeline: The best place in the world
Brianna: To Hawaii
Remy: 6 Flags and Hurricane Harbor
Sofia: Around the world
Corbin: Around the world in every transportation
Isabelle: Boston
Meg: Around the world in a private jet and submarine
Jane: Sanibel Island
Lucy: Germany, Poland, Ireland, Scotland, all around the world in modern times in Disney World
Alexa: Greece
Lillie: Hogwarts
Lily: Cruise around the world
Firouz: Bora Bora, French Polynesia, a 5 ... no, a 10 star hotel
Laurel: Around the world, including 6 Flags and climbing the Eiffel Tower
Aurora: Middle Earth or Candyland
Julia: A beautiful, mystical, relaxing private wonderland island
Katy: Katyland!
Sophie: Hawaii
Madeline: Cape Canaveral
Eileen: Hawaii
Erin: Ireland or the North Pole
Lindsay: Narnia
Gabriel: Camp Echo
Olivia: Africa
Kinsey: Candyland
Olivia: The beach in Cuba
Talia: Every amusement park in the world
Quinn: Rainforest to swing w/ howler monkeys
Katherine: Hawaii
Isabelle: India and the Netherlands
Maya: To take a few friends on a cruise
Claire: To Australia

Gifts from Little Buttercup- HMS Pinafore

This past weekend, our Summer Musical Theatre Workshop students performed their version of Gilbert and Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore." In this operetta, there is a "plump and pleasing" dock vendor named Little Buttercup who comes onto the British warship HMS Pinafore to sell her gifts to the crew. We asked our students what they would buy from Buttercup... and who they would give their gift to!

Ben: Tea for my mom
Kamari: Houses for people in Africa
Claire: Wrigley Field for my brother
Asia: A mansion for my best friend
Abigail: A lifetime supply of KMR (milk substitute) for my best friend
Ben: $$$ for the country
Raina: A million necklaces for people who are worthy
Danny: 2 money making machines (1 for Haiti and 1 for Japan)
Lillian: A rainbow for my family
Molly: A bag of money (never ending supply) for my family
Abigail: A new speedboat for Dad
Quavan: Money for my family
Kayla: A star for my best friends
Erin: A piece of the moon for my cousin
Olivia: A trampoline for my family
Aurora: A unicorn for my science teacher
Katy: A mushroom that keeps growing for my sister
Sophie: Wings for my sister
Raven: A cloud-pillow so my mom could sleep better
Jack: A new surfboard for Dad
William: A pretty dress for my mom
Charlie: A new DS for my brother
Anna: A cloud to give to my entire family

What activity would you like to do.. but are nervous to try?

This past weekend our Summer Musical Theatre Workshop performed Disney's "High School Musical" at the McGaw YMCA's Children's Center Auditorium. We asked the our students " What activity would you like to do... but you are nervous to try?"

Their answers included:
Alice: Waterskiing
Audrey: Flipping around on a trampoline or going on a hot-air balloon
Sydney: Playing on Team Evanston
Sophia: Skydiving
Annika: Catching a giant spider or swimming with sharks
Anja: Going to Cedar Point
Eva: Playing lacrosse
Claire: Riding an ostrich or white water rafting
Madeline: Going on a scary rollercoaster
Annie: Wakeboarding
Mackenzie: Snowboarding on black diamond slopes
Maggie: Playing lacrosse
Lillian: Skydiving
Emma: Zip lining or skydiving or walking a tight-rope
Leila: Surfboarding
Leigh: Playing baseball
Molly: Going out into a blizzard with only a bathing suit on
Isabel: Dancing
Francesca: Flipping or a banana boat or zip lining
Elizabeth: Skydiving
Ele: Playing lacrosse
Elina: Trying new seafood
P.K.: Bungee jumping
Rachel: Singing a solo
Astrid: Swimming with sharks
Kyle: Skiing into an avalanche
Lila: Skydiving or going to the top of the Willis Tower
Katy: Trying to eat an oyster
Zinzi: Singing a solo
Gabriel: Going on a scary rollercoaster
Kinsey: Singing a solo
Talia: Singing in front of my parents
Lily: Playing football
Anika: Flipping off a banana boat
Emily: Horseback riding
Arielle: Parachuting out of a plane
Maddie: Singing a solo

I don't think any of us here at Light Opera Works will be "going out into a blizzard with only a bathing suit on" anytime soon. Maybe it's okay to be nervous about that one.

Many of our Summer Musical Theatre Workshop students conquered their nerves and sang solos in "High School Musical," just as the characters in the show did!

Where would you want Daddy Warbucks to take YOU?

Every week at our Summer Musical Theatre Workshop, we ask our young students a question relating to the Musical they are working on. For "Annie," the question was "Where would you want Daddy Warbucks to take YOU?"

Katherine: The Weasley's house
Jensen: Costa Rica
Elana: Somewhere far, far away!
Katerina: The Bahamas to catch lizards
Juliana: Jamaica
Delaney: Jamaica
Lily: Maine
Eva: Washington D.C. to meet the President
Rileigh: Poland
A. Odeline: The best place in the world
Brianna: Hawaii
Remy: 6 Flags and Hurricane Harbor
Sofia: Around the world
Corbin: Around the world in every transportation
Isabelle: Boston
Meg: Around the world in a private jet and submarine
Jane: Sanibel Island
Lucy: Germany, Poland, Ireland, Scotland, all around the world in modern times in Disney World
Alexa: Greece
Lillie: Hogwarts
Lily: Cruise around the world
Firouz: Bora Bora, French Polynesia, a 5... no a 10 star hotel
Laurel: Around the world, including 6 Flags and climbing the Eiffel Tower
Aurora: Middle Earth or Candyland
Julia: A beautiful, mystical, relaxing private wonderland island
Katy: Katyland
Sophie: Hawaii
Madeline: Cape Canaveral
Eileen: Hawaii
Erin: Ireland or the North Pole
Lindsay: Narnia
Gabriel: Camp Echo
Olivia: Africa
Kinsey: Candyland
Olivia: The beach in Cuba
Talia: Every amusement park in the world
Quinn: Rainforest to swing with howler monkeys
Katherine: Hawaii
Isabelle: India and the Netherlands
Maya: To take a few friends on a cruise
Claire: Australia

I think I'd like to join them on a few of these trips!

Flowers for your favorite star

An (almost) wordless Wednesday big thank you to Ron Lopez of Sun Garden flowers for providing flowers at all the performances of our Musical Theater Summer Workshop.

If you'd like Ron to provide flowers for your event, give him a call at 773-875-2679.

What happens between the shows?

Well, getting ready for the next show, of course, which is The Student Prince, opening on Saturday August 18.

But we're not just getting ready for the next show; we're getting ready for the next generation, with the Musical Theater Summer Workshop.

Last Saturday we had our first performance, of the every popular Annie, and as always, it was a sell out, with parents, friends, grandparents and fellow travelers filling the auditorium at the Second Stage to watch an amazing group of 40 kids perform the Broadway Junior® version of the show.

The Musical Theater Summer Workshop is a full time theater camp held in 5 one-week sessions every summer. Children ages eight to fifteen learn, rehearse and perform an entire show in a single week, with a final public performance at the end of six intense days.

There are still spots for H.M.S. Pinafore, the week of July 11. There are no auditions. To sign up your young thespian just call our box office at 847-869-6300.

Wordless Wednesday: Brigadoon Opening Night

McBing

I think the heat was getting to the interns

Reception at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, sponsored by Whole Foods Evanston.

General Manager Bridget McDonough with Musical Theater Summer Workshop director Anya Plotkin and sound board operator David Bradke.

There are still tickets available for the last three performances of Brigadoon at LightOperaWorks.com or through the box office at 847-869-6300 (Box office hours 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)