Utah Festival Opera facts for kids

The Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre (UFOMT) is a special performing arts group in Logan, Utah. Every July and August, they put on six big shows with a full orchestra. These shows include different types of performances like operas, operettas, and musicals. Talented singers, actors, technicians, and musicians come from all over the United States to be part of the festival. Some even come from famous places like Broadway and the Metropolitan Opera.

How the Festival Began

The Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre started in 1992. It was founded by Michael Ballam, an opera singer who teaches music at Utah State University. Michael Ballam grew up in Logan, Utah. Besides leading the company, he has also sung many main roles in their shows over the years.

The very first show performed by the company in 1993 was Naughty Marietta by Victor Herbert. They also performed Puccini's La Bohème and a double show with Trial By Jury and The Impresario. For the first few years, they performed three different shows. In 2001, they expanded to four shows, including The Barber of Seville, South Pacific, Naughty Marietta, and Susannah. Besides the main shows, UFOMT also offers many concerts and learning programs. The American Festival Chorus, led by Craig Jessop, often performs too.

The Dansante Building

The offices, where they build sets, and where they make costumes for the company are all located in the Dansante building. This building is right next to the Ellen Eccles Theatre. The Dansante used to be a dance hall. Now, it also has a Recital Hall, which is a smaller performance space. There are also rooms for rehearsals and practice.

The Utah Theatre's Story

In 2007, UFOMT bought the Utah Theatre. They worked hard to fix it up, and the renovation was finished in June 2016. This new theater allowed the company to perform two or three smaller shows. They also started showing classic and silent movies there. The very first show at the renovated Utah Theatre was Peter Pan. Michael Ballam played Captain Hook, and Adam T. Biner played Peter Pan.

Learning with Opera by Children

Opera by Children is a special program led by Pamela Gee. It helps teachers learn how to guide over 75,000 children in creating their own operas right in the classroom! This program helps kids in Utah and other western states feel united, discover new things about themselves, and get excited about learning. Utah teachers can join for free because the state helps pay for it. They just pay a small fee for materials and attend a training workshop. After that, they can be part of the full year-long program.

Youth Conservatory for Performers

UFOMT also has a Youth Conservatory for young people aged 8 to 18. Here, kids can learn all about performing in musical theatre. Classes include acting, dance, and singing. These are taught by real musical theatre professionals. During the main Festival Season, the Conservatory holds a week-long camp called Broadway Bound. It's an intense camp for musical theatre. In 2014, they had to split the camp into Junior and Senior groups because so many kids wanted to join! Stefan Espinosa is the director of the Conservatory.

Academy for Adults

During each Festival Season, UFOMT offers special learning courses for adults. These courses are related to the shows being performed. Vanessa Ballam runs this program. Michael Ballam teaches a week-long seminar where he explores each show. He looks at its history and other works by the same composer. A cool part of the Academy is the Presto Change-O(ver) class. Here, people can watch the technical crew quickly change the sets from one show to another in less than an hour after a matinee performance! The Academy also has Late Night Cabarets where Festival artists perform outdoors under the stars.

High School Musical Theatre Awards

Since 2011, UFOMT has been part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards program. This program celebrates amazing musical theatre performances in high schools across the country. Throughout the school year, people from UFOMT visit high school shows to judge them. Schools and students who are nominated perform, and the winners are announced at an awards ceremony. The winners for Best Actress and Best Actor get to go to New York City! There, they participate in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmy's. These students get to perform on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre, which is where The Lion King is currently performed.

Awards given include:

• Best Musical
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Supporting Actor
• Best Supporting Actress
• Best Cameo
• Best Director
• Best Choreography
• Best Ensemble
• Best Orchestra
• Best Scenic Design
• Best Costume Design
• Best Lighting Design
• Best Technical Crew
• Student awards in Choreography, Costume Design, Set Design, and Lighting Design

Images for kids

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  The Dansante building, home to UFOMT offices and rehearsal spaces.

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  The Utah Theatre on Center Street in Logan, UT, renovated by UFOMT.