Join the Cedar Rapids Opera and TellersBridge for a lively introduction to children’s literature and opera at the Cedar Rapids Public Library’s Whipple Auditorium on Saturday, September 26th at 10 am. This free storytelling and live music event is perfect for K–6 students and families and combines the magic of storytelling with the excitement of live singing and piano. TellersBridge’s Gary Whitehill will read two familiar stories, while CRO singers bring key moments to life with songs from children’s operas by John Davies. The performance offers young audiences an accessible and entertaining way to experience how music, storytelling, character, and imagination can come together on stage.

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The program will feature Jack and the Beanstalk, with music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and words by John Davies, and Goldie B. Locks & the Three Singing Bears, adapted by John Davies with music drawn from works by Offenbach and Mozart. Audiences will meet Jack, his mother, and the Giant in a musical retelling filled with humor and memorable characters, followed by the adventures of Goldie and the three singing bears. Songs include Jack’s introduction, Mother’s song, the Giant’s famous “Fee Foe Fie Fum,” and selections such as “Hello, Good Day,” “Oh, Catching Bugs,” “The Soup Smells Yummy,” and “Every Day in Every Way.” The music is performed by Isabella Koch, Avery Anderson, Calvin Boman, and Ian Wolverton-Weiss, accompanied by pianist Daniel Kleinknecht. CRO has performed both operas previously, making this first collaboration with TellersBridge an opportunity to revisit these delightful works in a format created especially for young listeners.