A Mini-Guide
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A MINI-GUIDE The Story . .2 Meet the Cast . .3 What is zarzuela? . .5 Meet the Creator of Little Red . .6 The Composers . .7 Activity: Make your own castanets! . .10 The Story: Bear Hug/Abrazo de oso! Bear Hug/Abrazo de oso! is a bilingual (in two different languages) youth opera and the cast sings in both English and Spanish. It is set in a zoo. The Zookeeper enters the stage while feeding some of his favorite animals including Marla, the koala bear, and Polly the panda bear. He admits that while he loves his job as zookeeper, he’s nervous about the grizzly exhibit next door. Grizzly bears are known to eat meat and he feels less than confident. Polly the panda greets the audience and mentions her love of reading and learning. She hears singing next to her exhibit and meets Bernardo, a very special Spanish brown bear and newest exhibit to the zoo. In fact, the entire zoo is decorated to welcome the newest bear! Bernardo, who has just arrived to the zoo and doesn’t speak much English, is nervous and feels lost. He misses his family. Polly distracts him from his loneliness by playing games like charades, trying to understand her new friend. They come across a locked gate. Polly has always wondered what was on the other side of the zoo and her adventur - ous personality starts the bears on a search for the key and out of their exhibit. The two meet Marla, the zoo’s koala bear. Koalas are actually marsupials—that means Marla isn’t really a bear at all! Koala bears are generally sleepy and like to eat plants such as eucalyptus. She agrees to help search for the key. Marla wonders aloud what could be on the other side of the locked gate and begins to name off scary creatures that could be in wait! Could it be lions, or tigers, or bears? OR tarantula spi - ders??? Bernardo hears the word “tarántula” and begins to sing an exciting Spanish folk song about tarantulas! According to Bernardo’s song, a person must dance to save themselves from a spider bite. The three bears dance and sing of the “tarántula,” forgetting momentarily about their search for the key. Marla spots the key that had been dropped in the bushes and holds it up declaring, “llave!” The bears excitedly use the key to open the locked gate. Just then, they hear a scary, low sound and look up to see Griff the grizzly bear looking down on them! Griff chases the bears threatening to eat them! Bernardo has a brilliant idea and runs in to the insect exhibit next door. He grabs a real tarantula spider and rushes to Griff. Griff, who is afraid of spiders, begins to run from the three bears. He finally stops and admits to being afraid of not just spiders, but the dark, thunder, and lightning as well! Marla asks if being mean all of the time makes him lonely. Griff agrees that he pushes other bears and potential friends away be - cause he’s different than other grizzlies and doesn’t want anyone to know he’s actually very sensitive and not scary at all—he even likes writing poems! Polly assures Griff that everyone feels lonely and different sometimes. Bernardo understands how the grizzly feels especially since he’s new to the zoo and so far from home. They all decide that though they may look different, be from other countries, and even speak different languages, they are all very much the same where it counts. Our differences make the world a beautiful place and kindness brings us all to - gether. BEAR HUG! ¡ABRAZO DE OSO! 2 Meet the Cast The cast is made up of Nashville Opera’s Mary Ragland Emerging Artists. These performers come from all over the country and stay in Nashville for three to four months to take part in our training pro - gram. They are part of Bear Hug/Abrazo de oso! and our mainstage productions of Jacques Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann as well as Marc Blitzstein’s The Cradle Will Rock. We asked our singers some questions so that you can get to know them! Chelsea Friedlander, soprano Marla the Koala From Princeton, New Jersey Has sung with Chautauqua Opera, Dayton Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Opera Saratoga, Opera in the Ozarks What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving What is your favorite food? Chinese Dumplings What do you like to do for fun? Sing back-up for Kristen Chenowith! What’s a little-known fact about you? I don’t know how to ride a bike! Sara Crigger, mezzo-soprano Polly the Panda From Alaska Has sung with Miami Music Festival, Tidewater Opera Initiative, Chrysalis Opera, CMA Festival Do you play any musical instruments? Yes! I have performed professionally as a cellist. Do you have any pets? Yes, a dog named Belle What’s a little-known fact about you? I am an accomplished seamstress and like to listen to heavy metal! Darius Thomas, tenor Bernardo, the Spanish Brown Bear From Sherman, Texas Has sung with Knoxville Opera, Janiec Opera Company, University of Tennessee Opera Theatre What’s your favorite book? Harry Potter Series What do you like to do other than sing? Play sports—football, golf and competitive bowling What’s an interesting fact about you? I have a twin brother! Do you play any musical instruments? Piano for 10 years now! 3 Brent Hetherington, baritone Zookeeper Griff the Grizzly Bear From Tyler Texas Has performed with Pensacola Opera, Janiec Opera Company, Central City Opera, University of Tennessee Opera Theatre Favorite Food? Tacos! My least favorite is peas…EW. What do you do for fun? Bake! Before I became an opera singer, I wanted to be a pastry chef and open a bakery. Do you have any pets? No, but I have three older sisters! Interesting fact about yourself? Beyonce once smiled at me— I had a front row ticket to her concert and I’m tall Elizabeth Chua, pianist Tour Music Director Manager/Pianist From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Has performed with Mill City Summer Opera, Opera Steamboat, Apotheosis Opera, Bach Society of Minnesota and Do you have any pets? Two cats—Eddie and Charlie! Do you play any musical instruments? Of course piano and also violin. I started playing both at the age of four. Favorite Holiday? Christmas! Can you speak any foreign languages? Chinese, Cantonese, and Malay! Anna Young, Director of Education & Outreach Stage Director Creator of Bear Hug/Abrazo de oso! From Lives in Nashville, Tennessee, but is from Greenville, South Carolina Pets? A black cat named “Pants” Favorite movies? The Little Mermaid, Goonies, La La Land Favorite food? Chocolate and Tacos What do you do for fun? Read, watercolor, cook, and play classical guitar 4 What Is a Zarzuela? Zarzuela is Spanish opera! Zarzuelas contain popular Spanish songs, dances, and spoken dialogue—just like in operas and musical theater. These operas were inspired by music written in Germany, Italy and France and often had political themes woven within their storylines. The name zarzuela actually means “brambles.” The first zarzuelas were performed at a royal hunting lodge whose walls were covered in “zarzas” or brambles. Theatre-goers associated the sight of the briars covering the walls with the operas going on within them. The name stuck and we now call Spanish operas zarzuelas! Read the history of the art form below. The history of zarzuela In 1657, at the Royal Palace of El Pardo, King Philip IV of Spain and his court attended the first perform - ance of a new comedy. The story was by poet Pedro Calderón de la Barca, with music by Juan de Hidalgo. This comedy, El Laurel de Apolo, marks a new kind of opera called “La Zarzuela.” Zarzuela was named after one of the King’s hunting lodges, situated in a remote countryside thick with zarzas, or brambles. The lodge was often visited by clowns and actors from the city of Madrid! They knew that once they saw the bramble-covered walls outside, there was Spanish opera, zarzuela, being performed inside. Calderón and Hidalgo were known as the best Spanish playwright and composer of the day. Their com - positions were witty and fun with excellent music supported by well-written stories. However, the more popular Italian operas overshadowed Spanish zarzuela. Important pieces such as La Clementina, never re - ceived the acclaim they deserved. There are many styles represented in zarzuelas. The classical style is represented by sophisticated vocal en - sembles in which several singers sing together, and solo pieces matched with spoken dialogue—very much like musical theater! Characters of this style often played relatable, comic characters. This mirrored the way classical Italian operas were written. Francisco Barbieri, regarded as the musical founding father of classical zarzuela, was greatly influenced by Italian composers like Rossini and Donizetti. His music is greatly featured in Bear Hug/Abrazo de oso! Tonadillas were also being written. These were short, 10 to 20 minute musical pieces with dialogue. They are comedic, tiny operas! Bear Hug/Abrazo de oso! could be thought of as a tonadilla because of its light storyline, script and length. Many important zarzuelas were inspired by the city of Madrid. The spirit, sights and sounds of the capital drew composers during the classical period through the beginning of the 20th century. The very best zarzuelas set in Madrid include Tomás Bretón’s classic La verbena de la paloma and Ruperto Chapí’s La Re - voltosa. During the 1920s and 30s, zarzuelas were made popular by featuring the best popular dances of Madrid with fandangos and habaneras—all popular styles of Spanish dance.