Elijah’s Kite

OVERVIEW

Title: Elijah’s Kite
Composer: James Rolfe
Librettist: Camyar Chai
Commissioned By:

Manhattan School of Music and Tapestry Opera

Language: English
Producer:

Tapestry Opera

Run Time:

Roles:

Role	Voice Type	Range ?	Character Description
Elijah	middle	D3-Bb4	A boy with a kite, age 9
Keisha	high	D4-Bb5	A girl, age 10
Miriam	high	D4-A5	The "new girl," age 10
Billy Brett	middle-low	Bb2-F4	A bully, age 11
Nikki Leroux	middle-high	C#4-A5	Billy's sidekick, age 11
Billy's crew and a chorus of children	silent-spoken	silent	Actors
Children's Chorus	high	Chorus	Children

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Orchestration: Percussion, Electric Keyboard/Organ, Bass Guitar

SYNOPSIS

In a schoolyard full of kids, nine-year-old Elijah still feels alone. He’s had a lot of trouble from Big Billy Brett, who takes every opportunity to bully and tease Elijah and his friends. For comfort, Elijah brings his favourite kite to school. One day, they meet a strong new girl called Miriam. Miriam isn’t afraid of Billy and stands up to him. But Miriam’s fierceness soon turns into meanness, and she becomes a bully too. In the end, they all learn to turn something negative about Billy into something positive, and discover what it takes to make Elijah’s kite fly: cooperation.

The work is intended for all ages from elementary through secondary level schools and is most effective when audiences include all ages.

MUSIC DESCRIPTION

Rolfe’s music is rhythmically driven by drum set and bass guitar. In the fast-paced 33 minute show, there are also emotionally lyrical moments where the messages of the story are felt. The writing for the singers is exemplary, limiting the range and duration when belting is required, and giving each character their moment in the light for their classical sound. The optional children’s playground chorus is a great opportunity to deepen the relationship with each school and audience, modelling how professional musicians work in a very limited timeframe. The choral scores can be sent in advance and can be adapted to the capabilities of any group.

SCORES FOR PURCHASE

Piano Vocal Scores:

Elijah’s Kite – Piano Vocal Score

Purchase This Score

Libretto:

Elijah’s Kite – Libretto

Purchase This Score

Arias & Excerpts:

Elijah's Kite - Act 1, Scene 1: "Lunchtime!"

It's lunchtime in the schoolyard.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Elijah	middle	D3-Bb4
Billy	middle-low	Bb2-F4
Keisha	high	D4-Bb5
Children's Chorus	high	Chorus

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Elijah's Kite - Act 1, Scene 2: "I wish I could fly away"

Three unhappy kids dream of flying away on a kite.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Elijah	middle	D3-Bb4
Miriam	high	D4-A5
Keisha	high	D4-Bb5

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Elijah's Kite - Act 1, Scene 3: "Five little kids came out one day"

Elijah and Keisha tell Miriam about Billy the bully. Billy bullies Elijah, then Miriam stands up to Billy.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Elijah	middle	D3-Bb4
Nikki	middle-high	C#4-A5
Miriam	high	D4-A5
Keisha	high	D4-Bb5
Billy	middle-low	Bb2-F4
Billy's crew	silent-spoken	Spoken
Children's Chorus	high	Chorus

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Elijah's Kite - Act 2, Scene 1: "Miriam is so cool"

Miriam becomes a bully and destroys Elijah's kite.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Elijah	middle	D3-Bb4
Miriam	high	D4-A5
Keisha	high	D4-Bb5
Nikki	middle-high	C#4-A5
Nikki's crew	high	Chorus

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Elijah's Kite - Act 2, Scene 2: "Well now look who's here"

The kids all make up and fly Elijah's restored kite.

Character	Voice Type	Range ?
Miriam	high	D4-A5
Elijah	middle	D3-Bb4
Keisha	high	D4-Bb5
Billy	middle-low	Bb2-F4
Nikki	middle-high	C#4-A5
Nikki's crew	high	Chorus
Children's Chorus	high	Chorus

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PREMIERE PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Premiere Production:

April 9, 2006 at Gordon K. and Harriett Greenfield Hall, Manhattan School of Music, New York, NY

Producers:

Tapestry Opera

Cast:

Role	Name
Elijah	Daniel Ozan
Keisha	Maeve Höglund
Miriam	Andrea Arias
Billy Brett	Ben Bloomfield
Nikki Leroux	Alicia Miles
Billy's crew and a chorus of children	Manhattan School of Music Undergraduate Students
The Kite	Neel Nagarajan

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Premiere Production Team:

Role	Name
Conductor/Dramaturg	Wayne Strongman
Music Director	LeAnn Overton
Stage Director	Gordon Ostrowski
Assistant Director	Karen France
Costume Designer	Anna-Alisa Belous

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SUBSEQUENT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Subsequent Production: October 30, 2006 at Rideau Hall, Ottawa
Cast:

Role	Name
Elijah	James McLennan
Keisha	Neema Bickersteth
Miriam	Jennifer Rasor
Billy Brett	Giles Tomkins
Nikki Leroux	Jessica Lloyd

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Production Team:

Role	Name
Piano	Lizzie Lavado
Bass Guitar	Peter Bleakney
Bass Guitar	Louis Simao
Percussion	Blair McKay

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CREATION

DEVELOPMENT

Elijah’s Kite, an opera for young people, premiered in New York City on April 9, 2006, as part of the Manhattan School of Music Opera Outreach Triple Bill Concert for Families and Children. A co-production between MSM and Tapestry, it is one of only a handful of Canadian operas ever to premiere in New York City.

Elijah’s Kite was developed around the issue of bullying and features an extensive outreach component for primary school students (ages 6-12). Tapestry is pleased to have the support of Dr. Debra Pepler, an internationally noted expert in the field and one of the principal forces behind PREVNet (Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network).

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