Tim: WOULDN'T IT BE FUN IF
YOU COULD KNOW WHAT THE FRIENDS
IN THE FOREST ARE THINKING OF
AND TALKING ABOUT?
WELL A NEW PLAY AT KRANNERT
CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
SHARES THIS STORY, AT LEAST AN
IDEA OF IT.
JOINING US ON THE ciSTAGE, "THE
ADVENTURES OF LITTLE SHARP
EARS."
WE HAVE THE DIRECTOR, SARAH AND
COSTUME DESIGNER, LAURA, WHO IS
GOING TO DON THE FOX HAT THING.
SARAH, TELL ME WHAT THIS IS AND
HOW YOU CAME UP WITH IT.
Guest: IT'S FULL-SCALE
OPERA, 90 MINUTES IN LENGTH.
WE WANTED TO BRING YOUTH INTO
THE CANNKRANNERT CENTER, SO THIS IS
ABOUT THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND
NATURE!
AND THE COSTUMES YOU'RE GOING TO
SEE ARE FANTASTIC!
THERE ARE FOXES, GRASSHOPPERS,
CRICKETS, BADGERS, DRAGON FLIES!
SO IT'S REALLY A LOT OF FANTASY.
IT'S A MYSTICAL SHOW.
Tim: SO PEOPLE WILL NOT ONLY
ENJOY VISUALLY, BUT BECAUSE IT'S
IN ENGLISH, THEY'LL UNDERSTAND
WHAT'S GOING ON.
Guest: ABSOLUTELY.
THEY'LL UNDERSTAND IT.
IT'S IMPRESSIVE SINGING WITH A
60-PIECE ORCHESTRA, FULL-SCALE
OPERA.
BUT 90 MINUTES FOR ALL
AUDIENCES.
CHILDREN AND ADULTS WILL LOVE
IT.
Tim: LET'S JUMP TO YOU
QUICKLY AND TALK ABOUT THESE
COSTUMES.
I IMAGINE, LIKE A FOX, THAT'S
IMPRESSIVE.
BUT SOME OF THE OTHERS SHE
MENTIONED, THAT CAN'T BE EASY TO
COME UP WITH THE COSTUMES
VISUALLY APPEALING AND ACCURATE
AND EASY TO WEAR.
TELL ME ABOUT THE PROCESS.
Guest: IT'S A CREATIVE
CHALLENGE.
WAY BACK AT THE END OF LAST YEAR
WHEN WE STARTED PRODUCTION,
SARAH SAID SHE WANTED THE
ANIMALS TO BE SUPER LIFE LIKE
AND FURRY.
I REMEMBER YOU SAYING FURRY.
AND THAT'S, LIKE, YOU CAN'T JUST
COVER SOMEBODY IN FUR AND THROW
THEM ON STAGE.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO MAKE THAT
LOOK GOOD.
AND THE IDEA I HAD WAS TO DRAW
ON THE CULTURAL ROOTS OF THE
OPERA ITSELF.
AND BASE IT ON CZECH FOLK DRESS,
TRADITIONAL FESTIVAL WEAR.
Tim: WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN
YOUR HAND THERE?
Guest: NOT TERRIBLY CZECH,
BUT I HAVE A CHICKEN.
THIS IS ONE OF OURS.
THERE ARE 7 CHICKENS IN TOTAL.
THIS IS A MOTHER HEN.
THERE'S A ROOSTER.
AND FIVE CHICKS.
Tim: AND THEN, SOME BIG,
GREEN GLOVES.
UH-HUH.
Guest: YEP, THESE ARE FOR
THE FROG.
Tim: OH, YEAH.
Guest: I'M OBSESSED WITH
THESE.
Tim: BUT YOU ONLY HAVE FOUR
HOLES FOR THE FIVE FINGERS.
Guest: YEP.
YOU HAVE TO FIND WHERE THEY END
UP.
Tim: NICE.
AND THE FOX, OF COURSE, OR SHARP
EARS AS WE'RE CALLING HIM/HER.
I GUESS IT'S A HER.
Guest: HER, UH-HUH.
Tim: LAURA, TELL US ABOUT
YOUR ROLE.
I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SINGING.
YOU'RE AN OPERA MAJOR AT
ILLINOIS.
MY ROLE AS SHARP EARS, YOU
CAN FOLLOW HER THROUGH HER LIFE.
THERE'S YOUNG SHARP EARS AND WE
TURN INTO OUR OLDER SELF.
AND SO, OF COURSE, THIS IS --
YOU'VE GOT TO SEE THE REST OF
THE COSTUME.
IT'S INCREDIBLE!
Tim: I HEAR THERE'S A GIANT
TAIL!
Guest: YES, A BIG, FLUFFY
TAIL.
THERE IS A LOT OF MOVEMENT
INCORPORATED IN THIS, MOVING
LIKE A FOX.
IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING
OPPORTUNITY.
Tim: WHEN YOU GOT INVOLVED
IN OPERA, OBVIOUSLY, YOU WANTED
TO SING.
Guest: YES.
Tim: DID YOU EXPECT THERE
WOULD BE ALL THIS OTHER STUFF
THAT WOULD GO ALONG WITH IT?
Guest: THIS IS NEW TO ME.
I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
AND I HAVE DANCED BEFORE AND
EVERYTHING.
BUT GETTING INTO HOW A FOX
MOVES.
AND HOW DOES A CHICKEN MOVE.
AND WATCHING VIDEOS ABOUT THAT,
HAS BEEN REALLY COOL.
AND YEAH, THIS IS DIFFERENT AND
A FUN EXPERIENCE.
Tim: QUICK QUESTION.
I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW,
WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?
Guest: OH!
Tim: YOU DON'T HAVE TO
ANSWER THAT.
[LAUGHTER]
Tim: SORRY.
SARAH, TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFICS
OF THE PERFORMANCE AND HOW
PEOPLE CAN SEE THIS AND GET
TICKETS.
Guest: SURE.
WELL, WE OPEN ON NOVEMBER 15th,
NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL 5:00 SATURDAY
PERFORMANCE, WHICH IS NOVEMBER
16th.
SO YOUTH CAN GET IN AND OUT AT A
VERY REASONABLE BEDTIME.
THE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE
KRANNERT CENTER BOX OFFICE OR
ONLINE AT THE KRANNERT CENTER'S
WEBSITE.
Tim: IT SOUNDS LIKE A
FASCINATING PERFORMANCE.
A TON OF WORK AND SKILL HAVE
GONE INTO IT.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING SOME WITH
US.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
WE'LL GET YOU THE DETAILS ABOUT
THE PERFORMANCES AND HOW YOU CAN
CHECK THEM OUT ON YOUR OWN AT
www.CILiving.tv.
IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR WEBSITE
THERE ON YOUR SCREEN, AND AGAIN,
www.CILiving.tv IS WHERE YOU CAN
FIND ALL THE EXTRA DETAILS.
WE'LL TOSS IT OVER TO
HEATHER.
Heather: ALL RIGHT.
THANKS, TIM.