Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers
- Ana De Archuleta
- Apr 20, 2022
- 1 min read
Updated: May 13
Music by: Kamala Sankaram
Libretto by: David Johnston
Duration: 45 Minutes
Commissioned by: Houston Grand Opera and developed in partnership with American Lyric Theater
This 45-minute opera for youth audiences fuses together folktales from around the world to tell the story of Monkey and his brainy sister, Francine. The siblings must learn to cooperate to escape a hungry crocodile and outwit the greedy Lord of the Tigers. Combining multiple styles of music from Bollywood, Ethiopian jazz, Latin, and classical, this opera shares the timeless message that we all have different strengths, but when we work together, anything is possible.
FORCES
Singers:
Four Singers
Orchestration:
Optional Percussion
Piano
Reviews
“This little gem may have been composed with children in mind, but its creators, composer Kamala Sankaram and librettist David Johnston, know that being kid-friendly doesn’t mean dumbed-down. Drawing from sources that range from Indianand Chinese mythology, William Blake and Bollywood to Ethiopian jazz, the libretto was sophisticated and fresh, whilethe music was witty and eclectic. You tapped your toes and found yourself singing along whenever ‘Crocodile Crunch’ or‘Monkey Royal Family’ was reprised. Sets and costumes would have been great, but who needed them with this great castand a cool bongo player.”-Rick Perdian, Seen and Heard International
MEDIA
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