Rolling Meadows students groove to opera

Elementary school students in Rolling Meadows put on a grand opera performance last month.

As part of a program through the Lyric Opera of Chicago, fifth- and sixth-graders at Central Road School learned about the art form, practiced it and held a performance.

Opera in the Classroom is part of the Lyric's educational division. Schools in the city and across the suburbs are involved and volunteers come and teach kids about opera.

"At first they were hesitant, but they really enjoyed it," said teacher Kristin Cibulka. "They didn't realize how much they heard opera every day."

The 43 students in this gifted class made everything for the final performance including sets and props.

They also ran music, video taped the event and created brochures for the performance of "La Cenerentola," which was lip-synched.

As part of the program, volunteers from the Chicago organization go into the classrooms. At the District 15 school, it was Toni Savadel.

"Many times, students don't realize they heard opera and recognize it from cartoons or TV ads," she said.

Schools can request this program and generally give a donation to the Lyric Opera for it, although some classrooms get it sponsored, she said.

Usually, the lessons target third- to sixth-graders, she added, and there are at least 30 volunteers going into local schools.

"It's a very rewarding thing because the children really, really get a lot out of it and they love to do the production," Savadel said. "If we can bring opera to the young children at an early age, it doesn't look so foreign for them."

For more information on the program, call (312) 827-5912.