‘A night at the theatre’: 11 June, sleeping in a tent in the halls of the Teatro Massimo
Room for thirty children aged between 8 and 11, bookings now open
Games, treasure hunt, dinner, breakfast and final concert under the guidance of the scouts
The Massimo is the first Italian opera house to launch the initiative
One night camping at the Massimo Theatre, the largest theatre in Italy. A night to play, have fun with the treasure hunt, sleep inside the tents and wake up to the sound of music. Who knows if they will meet the ghost of the nun who, according to legend, roams the stages, the 30 children aged between 8 and 11 who will participate in “A night at the theatre”, the new initiative of the Teatro Massimo, the first Italian opera foundation to open its doors at night to children.
From 6.30 p.m. on Saturday 11 June to 12.30 p.m. the following day, Sunday 12 June, the youngsters will be in the care of the Palermo 11 Scout Group, who will accompany and guide them in setting up the tents, personal cleaning, dinner (offered by Galloway) and the morning breakfast, which will be served in a sort of ‘camp kitchen’ set up outside. You will go to bed and wake up to the sound of the bugle: in the evening it will be time for the lowering of the flag, and in the morning the flag-raising. Tents will be set up in the splendid Sala Onu and Sala Stemmi, and the games will all be themed, to discover the secrets of the extraordinary building designed by Basile at the end of the 19th century. Just like for a camping trip, the children will have to bring a water bottle, a pocket light bulb, a colouring box with a pencil, pen, eraser and various colours, a plastic cup for breakfast, a rubber mat, a summer sleeping bag or alternatively a double sheet. And then what is needed for the night: a pair of pyjama trousers or light tracksuit, a T-shirt (or pyjama top), a change of underwear, a pair of socks with non-slip grommets, a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and a placemat.
The ‘adventure’ will culminate the following day at 11.30 a.m. in the vocal concert ‘The Colours of Music’, during which two masses, one African and one Latin American, will be presented: the Missa Luba, rich in popular songs and improvisations, led by the Senegalese griot soloist Badara Seck, whose singing line enhances the ethnic style, together with the Children’s Choir; and the Missa Criolla for Choir and Children’s Choir, characterised by the use of traditional rhythms of Argentine music.
Tickets cost 15 euros including meals. There is time until Sunday 5 June to book at notteateatro@teatromassimo.it.