Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera had the Bucyrus Campus buzzing during their March 6th visit. As part of their Opera on the Go! program, the Florentine Baumgartner Studio Artists performed a world-premiere opera based on the SHARP Literacy story, “A Busy Bee.”
The sweet saga tells the story of Bella the honeybee and the adventures she undergoes while trying to find her place in the hive. The theme reflects a bit of wisdom St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care is based on—everyone has a purpose, a reason that is true, a very special something that only you can do.
Throughout the opera, Queen Camille and Bella’s bee friends try to help her find her special calling. In the process, the audience learns about the various roles needed to keep the hive functioning, and the importance of teamwork. Finally, Bella discovers that when you “try, try, try” and encourage one another, you can accomplish your goal…which for her was becoming a flower scout and keeping her colonywell-stocked with nectar and pollen.
St. Ann Center’s children and adults were bee-witched by the voices of four artists-in-residence–soprano Rachel Blaustein, alto Ashley Puenner, tenor Edward Graves and bass, Nathaniel Hill. The opera was composed by Ruben Piirainen, Florentine opera staff accompanist.