A Place to Call Home (opera) facts for kids
A Place To Call Home is a unique American opera. It was created by Edward Barnes, who wrote both the music and the story. An opera is like a play where the characters sing instead of speak. The story of this opera is about young people finding a new home.
The Los Angeles Opera asked Edward Barnes to create this work. It was first performed in the summer of 1993. This first show took place at the John Anson Ford Theater in Los Angeles. After its first performances, the Los Angeles Opera took the show on tour. Other groups, like the University of Texas at El Paso, also performed it.
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What is A Place To Call Home About?
This opera tells the stories of four teenagers. These young people are either refugees or immigrants who came to the United States. A refugee is someone who has to leave their home because of danger. An immigrant is someone who moves to a new country to live.
Real Stories Inspire the Opera
Edward Barnes based the opera on real-life interviews. He talked with teenage refugees from different countries. These countries included El Salvador, Iran, Cambodia, and Angola. The opera shares their experiences of moving to a new place. It shows their challenges and hopes as they try to build a new life.
Who Are the Characters?
The opera features a small group of main singers. There are also many other characters played by a chorus. A chorus is a group of singers who perform together.
- Woman 1 (a soprano, which is a high female voice)
- Woman 2 (a mezzo-soprano, a female voice lower than a soprano)
- Man 1 (a tenor, a high male voice)
- Man 2 (a baritone, a male voice lower than a tenor)
The Chorus Characters
The chorus plays many different roles. They help show the world around the main characters. These roles include:
- Other immigrants and refugees
- High school students and teachers
- People from the community, like "barrio kids"
How Long is the Opera?
A Place To Call Home is about 60 minutes long. This makes it a shorter opera, easy to watch in one sitting.
What Instruments Are Used?
The music for the opera is played by a small group of instruments. This is called the orchestration.
- Two electric keyboards
- One percussion player (who plays drums and other rhythm instruments)
