The children’s opera Strega Nona (Grandma Witch) has some pretty big lessons to teach, like respecting other people’s property, taking responsibility for your mistakes and forgiving your friends. Perfect for elementary and middle-school students, Strega Nona is based on the book of the same title by Tomie dePaola. In it, Strega Nona hires Big Anthony to help her with chores around the house. Along with a list of duties, Strega Nona gives Big Anthony one warning: Don’t touch the magic pasta pot. (It produces pasta on command.) When he’s left alone in the house, Big Anthony decides to do a little cooking and treat everyone to some magic pasta. The trouble is that while he knows how to turn the magic pot on, he doesn’t know how to turn it off. (A tiny but important detail.) Once it gets started, the magic pot churns out a never-ending stream of pasta, eventually flooding the whole town. See how Strega Nona and Big Anthony solve their plenty-of-pasta quandary in this Opera to Go! production. 11 a.m. today through Friday, October 3. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 100 Concert Drive, Hermann Park. For information, call 281-373-3386 or visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com. Free.
Mon., Sept. 29, 11 a.m.; Tue., Sept. 30, 11 a.m.; Wed., Oct. 1, 11 a.m.; Thu., Oct. 2, 11 a.m.; Fri., Oct. 3, 11 a.m., 2008
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2008.