UD students to perform 'Through the Looking Glass' with fourth, fifth graders

1:15 p.m., May 10, 2011--ProjectMUSIC Opera, a collaborative performance featuring University of Delaware students and fourth and fifth graders from Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, will present Through the Looking Glass, a one-act musical version of the Alice in Wonderland story, on Friday, May 13.

The performance will be held in the Loudis Recital Hall of the Amy E. du Pont Music Building. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will start at 7 p.m. Admission is free and open to all students, faculty and staff, and community members.

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Seventeen UD students, ranging from actors and actresses to musicians, choreographers, public relations managers and directors are participating in this annual event as a service-learning project. Students are asked to compile everything for the show including music, props, sets and choreography.

On top of all of this they are asked to teach elementary school students elements of opera performance.

Over the course of the semester, UD and Thurgood Marshall Elementary students have rehearsed six times. Cera Babb, a junior who will be playing Alice, attended all of the rehearsals with the elementary students. She said, “The most beneficial part of this experience is being able to spread the love of music to a younger generation.”

During their time together they taught lessons on voice projection, moving on stage, and acting. After a semester of learning, the fourth and fifth grade students will be prepared to perform live, on stage, with UD students, in front of an actual audience. For many of these children this is the first time they will step into the spotlight. 

Sophomore director Jacquie Adams said, “It is wonderful for us to have the opportunity to impact the lives and artistic experiences of children. We hope that we are able to give them a musical foundation and spark an interest that they can build upon in coming years.”

Article by Greta Gibboney