After a chat with Amarillo Opera’s Carol Coleson, I was excited to have the opportunity to interview the full cast of an upcoming children’s production of The Billy Goats Gruff, playing four times this week across Amarillo. Based on the Grimm’s fairy tale, this story promotes an anti-bullying message focused on bravery, compassion, and true friendship. HPPR spoke with Marie Smithwick, Emily Holter, Paul Vasquez, and Shayna Tayloe, all of whom are affiliated with Texas Tech’s School of Music. This performance marks the beginning of a community performance collaboration between Amarillo Opera and Texas Tech. Here is the performance schedule:
Wednesday, July 22nd
Amarillo Zoo (11:30 am CT)
Amarillo Botanical Gardens (5:30 pm CT)
Thursday, July 23rd
Sam Houston Park Stage (11:30 am CT)
Sam Houston Park Stage (5:30 pm CT)
If you’re not able to attend, rest assured you can still view the show. The cast will be recording a live performance so that it’s widely available to schools across the region for in-class or online airing. It will be available in early August, and HPPR will share it when it’s ready. If you have any questions, please contact Carol at Amarillo Opera at 806.372.7464.
To hear the full interview, click the link below.