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ARTICLES
CHEERIOS
PLAY STARRING ROLE
IN OPERA
PLAY STARRING ROLE
IN OPERA
General Mills Channel G
June 2, 2014
by Amanda Grayson
Approximately 1,500 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios were recently used in a way we haven't seen before.
They helped create a beach in “Gallo: a fable in music in one act,” a production by Guerilla Opera in Boston.
“This opera pairs many things, which are both familiar and unfamiliar. The familiar landscape of a beach is made unfamiliar by being made entirely of Cheerios,” explained soprano Aliana de la Guardia.
The Cheerios beach, a representation of our memory, was composer Ken Ueno’s idea.
"I grew up eating Cheerios. The daily ritual of eating Cheerios for breakfast fills the landscape of my childhood memory. Alas, as I was thinking of the opera, I thought, what if we could see all the Cheerios I had consumed over my whole childhood? It would be a beach, a whole beach of memory.”
The beach measured 13 by 18 feet. The Honey Nut Cheerios variety gave it a good sand color.
Director Sarah Meyers told us the unique set created an experience for all of the senses.
“We knew what [the Cheerios] would look like, more or less, but they not only look great, they fill the room with an amazing smell, like breakfast and kitchens,” said Meyers. “And they create a whole new soundscape for the production. Every time someone takes a step, they crunch and crumble underfoot. They feel fascinating. We didn't really know until we got them in the space what it would be like to walk on Cheerios, or lie on them, or crawl through them. They are surprisingly comfortable.”
At one point in the performance, de la Guardia actually became buried in Cheerios. She said it felt pretty nice, although, many Cheerios stuck to her in unexpected ways.
Given all the walking, lying, crawling and burying, Gallo went through a whole lot of Cheerios with each performance. Meyers told us the crew cleaned up the beach and stored it in plastic bins after every show.
They laid it back out and added more cereal before each performance.
“We make an incredible mess! That’s just part of the process. Make the beach, make a mess, clean it up, and do it again,” said Meyers.
“Gallo” ended its run May 31. Learn more about the Guerilla Opera at GuerillaOpera.com.
They helped create a beach in “Gallo: a fable in music in one act,” a production by Guerilla Opera in Boston.
“This opera pairs many things, which are both familiar and unfamiliar. The familiar landscape of a beach is made unfamiliar by being made entirely of Cheerios,” explained soprano Aliana de la Guardia.
The Cheerios beach, a representation of our memory, was composer Ken Ueno’s idea.
"I grew up eating Cheerios. The daily ritual of eating Cheerios for breakfast fills the landscape of my childhood memory. Alas, as I was thinking of the opera, I thought, what if we could see all the Cheerios I had consumed over my whole childhood? It would be a beach, a whole beach of memory.”
The beach measured 13 by 18 feet. The Honey Nut Cheerios variety gave it a good sand color.
Director Sarah Meyers told us the unique set created an experience for all of the senses.
“We knew what [the Cheerios] would look like, more or less, but they not only look great, they fill the room with an amazing smell, like breakfast and kitchens,” said Meyers. “And they create a whole new soundscape for the production. Every time someone takes a step, they crunch and crumble underfoot. They feel fascinating. We didn't really know until we got them in the space what it would be like to walk on Cheerios, or lie on them, or crawl through them. They are surprisingly comfortable.”
At one point in the performance, de la Guardia actually became buried in Cheerios. She said it felt pretty nice, although, many Cheerios stuck to her in unexpected ways.
Given all the walking, lying, crawling and burying, Gallo went through a whole lot of Cheerios with each performance. Meyers told us the crew cleaned up the beach and stored it in plastic bins after every show.
They laid it back out and added more cereal before each performance.
“We make an incredible mess! That’s just part of the process. Make the beach, make a mess, clean it up, and do it again,” said Meyers.
“Gallo” ended its run May 31. Learn more about the Guerilla Opera at GuerillaOpera.com.