Arts & Entertainment

Pied Piper Theatre Performs Opera

Pied Piper Theatre Actors have been preparing to sing at the Castleton Opera Festival.

The sounds of children singing echo through the halls of the Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory as members of the Pied Piper Theatre prepare for the Castleton Opera Festival. 

For the second year, these 28 young actors and singers ages 9-15 have been given the opportunity to participate as the children’s chorus for Castleton’s summer festival.   Under the direction of world renowned conductor, Lorin Maazel, the Castleton Festival program brings gifted young singers and orchestra members from around the world together to work and study with professional artists. 

For the past three weeks, the children’s chorus has been rehearsing under the direction of Milos Repicky, a pianist, conductor, and coach on staff at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.  Born in Slovakia and raised in France and Canada, Repicky is responsible for musical preparation of all repertories and served as Czech language coach for Jenufa.  He has been heard on radio and satellite broadcasts and has appeared on the Alice Tully Debut Recitals, at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, on Montreal’s Jeunesses-Musicales, and many other performance venues.   As a talented teacher, Mr. Repicky has emphasized diction, rhythm, and dynamics to hone the children’s chorus and prepare them for their parts in the upcoming operas.

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This year, the Pied Piper Theatre children’s chorus is singing in George Bizet’s opera Carmen and Giacomo Puccini’s La Boheme.   They are working hard to learn both French and Italian lyrics for the operas.  They are also attending staging rehearsals and costume fittings at the Castleton site in Rapphannock County and preparing for final dress rehearsals. 

Area children involved in this exciting opportunity include Amber Armstrong, Emily Baker, Morgan Berkheimer, Courtney Chapman, Grace Fisher, Alexandra Frilles, Julianna Gedney, Rebecca and Marisa Kiser, Grace Klebine, Alden Lester, Dillen and Staten Longo, Elizabeth Martin, Irene Martin, Ansley Meeker, Ella and Max Montgomery, Tyler Parowski, Becca Parsons, Tommy Richman, Seamus Robinson, Burke Romans-Murray, Cooper Sheehy, Lilly Bette and Sarah Jane Scott, Daniel Waldman, and Nathan Yannarell.

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Carmen performances are scheduled at the Castleton Festival Stage on June 30 at 7pm, July 6 at 7:30pm, and July 8 at 2pm. For more information, visit castleton

A concert performance of La Boheme is scheduled for July 7 at 8pm at the


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