DATE: Saturday, September 13, 1997          TAG: 9709120042

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH SIMPSON 

        STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   95 lines

OPERA FOR THE CHILDREN "SLEEPY HOLLOW" PREMIERE WINS STUDENTS' PRAISE

UNLIKE MOST world premieres, the audience for this one didn't arrive in opening-night finery, nor did they sit in hushed silence in the Harrison Opera House.

Instead they arrived by school bus, in T-shirts and slacks rather than pearls and white gloves, and then produced enough pre-curtain noise to make the rafters tremble.

But that didn't bother Virginia Opera officials. In fact, the rowdy crowd was expected and welcomed.

That's because the performance - ``The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' - was the company's first world premiere of an opera for children. Attended by 2,700 middle-schoolers from throughout South Hampton Roads on Monday, the performance was a roaring success, at least in the opinion of students.

``I thought it was going to be boring, but it was good,'' said Jamel Mills, a 13-year-old from Churchland Middle School. ``I really liked the part where the Headless Horseman rides out on that horse. And the singers, they sang so beautiful.''

Mills shook his head in an appreciative gesture.

The premiere was an opportunity for those behind the scenes to get feedback before taking the show on the road. Starting Monday, the production will travel to schools throughout Hampton Roads and across the state.

``The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' was commissioned by the Virginia Opera's Education Program and written specifically to appeal to middle-schoolers. While a wide array of operas have been written for elementary-age children, there's less to choose from for middle-schoolers, says Helen Stevenson, director of education for Virginia Opera.

Which is why she approached New York composer John David Earnest about writing a children's opera last year. He, in turn, contacted Mervyn Goldstein to write lyrics for the opera, which is based on Washington Irving's ``The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.''

``The trick is to make sure it's fun and it's age appropriate,'' said Stevenson.

This particular production had a lot that youngsters could appreciate. First off, it was based on a scary story, always a popular tack with a generation weaned on the ``Goose-bumps'' books. The opera also had humor, a lot of action and, best of all - according to the youngsters anyway - enough special effects to keep them hooting and jumping in their seats.

``It was exciting,'' said Shaniqua Horton, an 11-year-old from Hunt-Mapp Middle School in Portsmouth. ``Especially the part with the Headless Horseman.''

The special lighting of a dark, spooky night, the flashes of lightning and the black trees of midnight woods are built right into the stage setting, so the effect won't be lost when the show goes on the road.

Mills said he felt honored to be in the production's first audience. ``It was like the chance of a lifetime to see something like that,'' said Mills, who was attending an opera for the first time.

``I thought it was neat that we were the first to see it,'' said Krystle Whiteside, an 11-year-old from Hunt-Mapp Middle School. ``That made it exciting.''

Peter Mark, general and artistic director of the production, can relate to the youngster's enthusiasm. He sang with the Metropolitan Opera when he was 13. He said directing opera for middle-schoolers takes a special touch.

``You can't treat them like children,'' he said, ``and they're not yet adults. But they have the sensitivities of both.''

And Mark says there's one other guaranteed characteristic of a middle-school audience: ``They give you a frank opinion whether you ask for it or not. And that's great.''

Based on feedback from Monday's performances, for instance, the overture - which is an introductory section of the opera - was shortened to move ahead to the action more quickly.

An added attraction of the performance was the fact that the composer and the librettist - the man who wrote the words to the opera - were on hand to help explain their work to the children. Earnest explained to the children the different themes that went with each character: For Icabod Crane, a jaunty tune; for Katrina, a waltz-like theme; and for the Headless Horseman, a more menacing beat.

``That helps identify the characters,'' Earnest said.

Stevenson not only tries to find productions that are age-appropriate but also ones that will fit into students' educational curriculum. Teachers received study guides in advance of ``The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' so students could understand the story and get a sense of the three main cast members before the students arrived for the opera.

Although the students view the performances as pure fun, Virginia Opera officials also see the children's series as a way to sustain the tradition of opera.

``This art form helps develop the imagination of kids and tie them to basic human experience,'' Mark said. ``The earlier you can reach a child to stimulate their imagination, the more comfortable they are with the elements of opera.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]

BILL TIERNAN PHOTOS

The Virginian-Pilot

Tyrell Nicholson...

Andrea Wilkomirski and Mark Malachesky...

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