ROLES

• Libretto


  The story
• Librettist


  Writes the words to the story
• Composer


  Writes the actual music, based on the libretto
• Singers


  Actors and actresses who use their voices to sing the music
• Chorus


  Many actors and actresses that portray large scenes with their voices that were set by the composer based on the libretto
• Orchestra


  Group of musicians that play the music that the composer wrote based on the libretto. Orchestral players sit in the pit in front of the stage
• Conductor


  He or she tells everybody when they sing and play. They have to watch the action on the stage and coordinate it all
• Choreographer


  Person who teachers the performed the dances in the show
• Dancers


  Once in a while, the beautiful and elegant dancers appear on stage. They usually always move in packs
• Stage director


  Truly runs the show. Their job is to tell everyone what to do and to worry that it will all come together after much practice
• Scenery


  The artists that make the scenery spend months on it. They have to paint and build and design and decorate and make it look real
• Costumes


  Made by professional skewers. First, they draw a picture of what they want, then they pick out fabric and cut it to fit on a mannequin. Then they call in the singers for a try-on. Costumes come in all shapes and sizes. They can be modern or old fashioned
• Make-up


  The make-up artists have lots to do. Sometimes they have to attach beards, or mustaches, or wigs to the singers. Then, they put on facial make-up, including false eyelashes, sometimes they turn a young person into an old one
• Props


  The items the singers use to make the play look more real
• Lighting


  Make sure that the audience can see the actions
• Crew


  Makes sure that sets get moved on and off and that the props are in the correct place. The whole show would fail if they weren't there
• Publicity


  People who get the word out about the upcoming production they also make the program including the synopsis (plot) and the cast
• Opera


  A large play set to music in which all parts are sung
• Overture


  Music played before the opera begins
• Aria


  A vocal solo
• Acts


  How the opera is broken up
• Duet


  Musical passage for 2
• Trio


  Musical passage for 3
• Quartet


  Musical passage for 4
• Ensemble


  A small group