ELY—The Lyric Opera of the North, better known as LOON, is returning to Ely to once again put Washington Elementary School students on stage along with professional opera singers. LOON is bringing an abridged version of Antonin Dvořák’s most successful opera, “Rusalka.”
Every year, LOON takes an operatic adaptation on the road to northern Minnesota schools, designed to include up to 16 student singers in the production. For the last several weeks, Ely music teacher Mike Rouse has been teaching his students at Washington Elementary the music and words for the chorus piece. He will then pick the students who get to sing with LOON’s vocalists. LOON will stage its adaptation of “Rusalka” for the students of ISD 696 next Thursday, Feb. 13.
“LOON does so much for us,” Rouse told the Timberjay as he showed off the thick binder of teaching material LOON hands out to the schools it visits. “LOON brings everything, including the sets and even costumes for the kids.”
Fundraiser
Last year, LOON did even more. When the Duluth-based opera company visited Ely last year to perform Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel,” they also performed a benefit concert to raise money for the Ely Memorial High School production of “Disney’s Frozen, the Musical.”
This year, LOON is giving another fundraising concert, but this time the proceeds will go to a fund to help bring LOON back to ISD 696 next year.
“It’s expensive to bring them up,” Rouse commented. “It’s a struggle to find the funds every year.” Last year, LOON’s travel to Ely was underwritten by a private donation. This year, Rouse applied for and received a grant from the Donald G. Gardner Trust to bring LOON to the Ely Public Schools. Next year, at least some of the travel funds for LOON will be seeded by the money from next week’s benefit concert.
LOON will perform “A Winter’s Eve Opera Cabaret,” sponsored by the Ely Parent-Teacher Organization. The event will be upstairs at the Boathouse Brewpub, 47 E. Sheridan St., starting at 6:30 p.m. The PTO will accept donations at the door. Concert attendees can purchase food and beverages at the Boathouse. All the proceeds will be committed to future programming by LOON.