Children take the spotlight in a weeklong summer camp coming to the area in July.
Children’s Summer Opera and Musical Theater Camp runs from July 14 through 19 at the Historic Triangle Community Service Center.
Open to children ages 8 to 18, the camp started last year as part of the season of Lyric Opera Virginia, a company that performs in Williamsburg, Richmond and throughout the Hampton Roads area. The group had recently staged a production of “The King and I,” led by LOV’s General and Artistic Director Joseph Walsh and Greg Ganakas, New York-based director and choreographer.
Jennifer Burroughs, whose three children were among the more than 100 who participated in the musical, said it was a life-changing experience for both youth and adults.
“I think that when [Walsh and Ganakas] both started and they had their first production with children, they didn’t expect it to be as rewarding as it was,” Burroughs said.
Unlike larger camp experiences, she said LOV’s program has young performers working one-on-one with professionals, with more specialized attention than her children have ever received elsewhere. It is the reason she signed on as camp director for the 2014 season.
Burroughs, who resides in Virginia Beach, said Walsh and Ganakas have a gift for working with children. She spoke to Ganakas’ ability to hone in on the talents of shy children, drawing them out of their shells to highlight their best gifts.
“The more impressive thing was he really worked on the children’s weaknesses, and was really able to bring something out of the children that didn’t seem to be there on the first day when we arrived,” she said.
While last summer’s camp was held in Norfolk, a grant from the Williamsburg Community Foundation brought the program to the Historic Triangle this year.
The camp that cost $195 per child in 2013 will be $45 for each camper this year, thanks to the grant.
LOV also connected with the Williamsburg-James City County Community Action Agency, who will play host to the program and also sought out families who would qualify for eight scholarships for children to participate for free.
“It seemed like a perfect opportunity, because they have the connections to the community to be able to offer this to children who wouldn’t be able to do this,” Burroughs said.
Reba Bolden, the CAA’s executive director, said the agency is always looking to find ways to expand the cultural experiences of children in need. She was delighted to bring them an opportunity to learn and perform opera, something that will be completely new to many of them.
“For some of these kids, this is something that they would never be able to experience,” Bolden said. “Just to go an opera would be unheard of.”
Their camp day begins at 8:30 a.m., with warmups in acting, singing, stretching and various technical aspects of the theater world. Walsh will instruct campers on the music, while Ganakas will lead stage direction.
Recent high school graduates and college students will serve as camp counselors, reviewing and coaching children while also being incorporated into musical numbers.
At the end of the week, the camp will perform for guests. The program includes children’s chorus scenes from operas “Carmen,” “La Bohème” and “Hansel and Gretel,” as well as selections from American musicals “The Sound of Music,” “Oliver” and “The King and I.”
All children in the camp are featured in group pieces, and Burroughs said directors aim to feature as many as are willing in solos and standout moments.
She was amazed at the production that concluded last summer’s camp.
“It seems like such a short period of time but what they produced seems like a professional productions,” Burroughs said.
No musical theater or opera background is needed for children to participate — only a love of music is required.
For enrollment information, contact Yvonne Joseph with the CAA at 229-9332 or [email protected].
