Alberta Opera Musical Theatre for Young People, based in Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, is the major touring Theatre for Young Audiences company in Alberta. It has been presenting original musical theatre adaptations in schools in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

 and Alberta since 1984 and its repertoire includes such fairytale favourites as Rapunzel

Rapunzel

"Rapunzel" is a German fairy tale in the collection assembled by the Brothers Grimm, and first published in 1812 as part of Children's and Household Tales. The Grimm Brothers' story is an adaptation of the fairy tale Persinette by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force originally published in 1698...

, Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots

'Puss' is a character in the fairy tale "The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots" by Charles Perrault. The tale was published in 1697 in his Histoires ou Contes du temps passé...

, Cinderella

Cinderella

"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...

, Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...

, Rumplestiltskin, The Frog Prince

The Frog Prince

The Frog Prince can refer to the following titles:*The Frog Prince ,*"The Frog Prince" , a song by English band Keane*The Frog Prince , the soundtrack album of a British film released in 1984, featuring Enya...

, The Red Shoes

The Red Shoes (fairy tale)

"The Red Shoes" is a fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen first published by C.A. Reitzel in Copenhagen 7 April 1845 in New Fairy Tales. First Volume. Third Collection. 1845....

, and the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award

Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award

The Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award is a local Edmonton, Alberta award presented annually which honours excellence in theatre...

-winning Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk is a folktale said by English historian Francis Palgrave to be an oral legend that arrived in England with the Vikings. The tale is closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant-killer. It is known under a number of versions...

. Besides exploring traditional themes with contemporary eyes, Alberta Opera offers 16 students the chance to actively participate in each production as actors and stagehands.

The company moved to its current office in the Stanley A. Milner Library (Downtown) branch of the Edmonton Public Library

Edmonton Public Library

The Edmonton Public Library is a publicly funded library in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, available for use by any member of the public. Children are eligible for free library cards, while adults pay an annual fee . University of Alberta students can receive free access using the L-Pass...

 in 2008, and it has established itself as one of the finest and most engaging educational production companies in Canada, presenting performances to over one million people since its inception.

The 2008/2009 season consists of an Alberta tour of the world premiere of Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....

, as well as a British Columbia tour of The Frog Prince. Alberta Opera performed for 130,000 children in the 08/09 Season, with 441 performances. "Little Red Riding Hood" received the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Production for Theatre for Young Audiences in 2009. This production was held over into the fall of 2009, touring both Alberta and British Columbia.

Also in 2009, the premiere of "Hansel and Gretel" opened for a two week run at the Varscona Theatre in Edmonton. It is touring Alberta schools throughout 2010.