Peter and the Wolf: A Successful Artistic Collaboration!
Peter and the Wolf: A Successful Artistic Collaboration!
We all have performances we’re proud of. Performances that show off our strengths and ingenuity. We recently participated in what could only be defined as a once-in-a-lifetime performance. It took place in our facility and was entirely youth-focused. Students from First Stage Children’s Theater, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Milwaukee Ballet joined together to present Peter and the Wolf at Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. A series of rehearsals and performances took place outside of all of our normal rehearsal/activity schedules. Students were asked to volunteer additional time—and they did so willingly—knowing that this would be worth the effort.
Tickets were very reasonably priced and all performance were SOLD OUT. More than half of the performances were scheduled during the day to accommodate area school groups. Youth Arts Center, the largest rehearsal hall in MYAC, was completely taken over for the performances. It was spectacular. With the intimate setting, the audiences felt as if they were IN the show. There was an orchestra, actors, dancers, sign language interpreter and a beautiful set.
Let me stop here and give my colleagues a chance to share their thoughts. The process certainly wasn’t perfect. There were challenges, hurdles and conflicts. We all focused on the end product and knew that it would be worth the “trouble.” It was more than any of our individual organizations on our own could have imagined! And that’s what collaboration is all about. Isn’t it?