‘T. come Turandot’, the challenge of an opera for children aged 3 to 4
Monday at the Teatro Massimo Puccini reinterpreted in a baby key.
A new challenge at the Teatro Massimo, that of staging an opera for children aged three to four. On Monday 1 February, at 10 and 11.30 a.m., in the Sala degli Stemmi, “T.come Turandot”, freely adapted from Puccini’s masterpiece, in collaboration with the Teatro Sociale of Como, with the direction of Lisa Capaccioli, the musical dramaturgy of Federica Falasconi, the dramaturgy of Francesca Marchegiano.
The show is part of the side bill “0-18 Musica per crescere fin dalla culla” (0-18 Music to grow from the cradle), with which the Massimo proposes a season tailored to children, right from their first wombs, or even before, right from their mothers’ wombs. “T. come Turandot” is the first show that the theatre dedicates to children of pre-school age. They will be involved in the story of Turandot, the beautiful princess born with coldness in her heart, who loved to make riddles and who one day fled to the moon to marry no one.
“We are working for a Massimo Theatre that is open to everyone, in terms of age, gender and social condition,’ says the superintendent, Francesco Giambrone. ‘With this collateral season, which is next to the institutional one, we are realising the dream of seeing theatres animated with shows every day, with shows that on the one hand aim at building a new young, attentive, aware and critical audience with important pedagogical meanings and strong educational potential; on the other hand, at families, who thus have in the theatre a place for gathering and sharing.
In this tale of love and whimsy, laughter and words to guess, adults and children are reminded that one must open one’s heart to others, because only in this way can one grow and become a better person. But the story also tells of Calaf, a prince as beautiful as the sun, who fell in love with Turandot and wanted to ask her to marry him. Finally, the story tells of the sweet and courageous Liù, the servant girl who went up to the moon to remind Turandot that there is only one life and that one must love her.
The children are prepared for the performance thanks to a booklet created specifically for the chosen opera, where by drawing and cutting out, they can learn both the story and the main themes of the opera.