April 5, 2004 - Part Two

In Part Two of the spectacular, a complete transformation of the stage took place as the Anchorage Opera Studio Theatre and 21 students from Miss Bornheimer's K-5 class presented a rousing musical version of story, "Stone Soup." Considering they had just one day of instruction, the talented Opera singers, really did perform magic as they transformed the young students into a chorus of actors and singers. In the story, tenor Mark Craig, played a soldier who was lost and very hungry. Since he had no money and no friends to give him food he devised a plan to create a soup made of "magical" stones. He met the town butcher, played by bass, David Schmidt and the Vegetable Lady played by soprano, Wendy Baker. He tricked them into adding meat and vegetables to a boiling pot of water. He also charmed the town major, mezzo-soprano, Lexa Ferrill and the townspeople, students of Susan B. English School, into adding their favorite spice and foods, thus making a delicious smelling soup and the whole group sang, " There is nothing I like better than to smell a good smell….". Acommpanied by pianist Tom Getty, and aided by the Director of the Anchorage Studio Theatre Cecelia Schieve, Opera came alive for those of us who have had very little contact with this art form.

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