The Snowy Day an adaptation of the classic groundbreaking and award winning children’s book by Ezra Jack Keats make for a simple but sweet Opera. As one might assume given its picture book origin, this is a short opera running a little over an hour. The subject matter and the length make it a great option for people interested in introducing their musically interested children to the art form. The plot follows a young boy named Peter who wakes up to the first snowfall of the season and the ways in which he spends that first snowy day of the season. We follow along as Peter suffers through his parents insistence that he eat breakfast, put on all his warm clothes and snow gear, and worst of all get his face smeared with Vaseline to avoid chapping. The last one was a new one on me, but I assume comes from the book which was published in 1962. Once finally allowed to go outside we see his disappointment at being told he’s too young to join the bigger kids in a snowball fight. Finding a new friend in a young girl named Amy, and with whom he sleds down a hill, makes snow Angels and a snowman. Before returning home with a snowball in his coat pocket. After lights out he discovers to his disappointment that his snowball has melted, he then has a nightmare in which all of the people he encountered that day appear and begin to melt away as well. When he awakens the next day he finds another fresh layer of snow has fallen and prepares for another day of adventures in the snow.

I’m not knowledgeable enough to discuss the performers singing other than to say for me the best vocals were from John Mburu as Peter’s Daddy, his were the vocals I could hear most clearly as well. Raven McMillon who plays Peter, was too soft to be heard much of the time but gave a very charming performance, childlike without being childish. I also really enjoyed the performance of Leah Hawkins as Mama. She plays it with just the right amount of motherly love combined with, don’t you give me that look, motherliness. They even comment of the fact that she has eyes in the back of her head, my Mom had those too! There are moments such as after Peter has left the house and we stay with Mama as she expresses love and protectiveness that seem to tread water for a little too long. But they are few and though the Libretto by Andrea Davis Pinkney is very simple, one assumes drawing directly from the book for the most part, the music by Joel Thompson is lush and enchanting. The scenic design by Amy Rubin emulates faithfully the look and style of Keats’ original illustrations. There are fun touches like the sledding hill and snowballs. While it lacks the detail and grandness of the spectacular designs we saw in Edward Tulane back in 2022, it perfectly matches this material.

The Snowy Day runs through February 16th at The Ordway in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://mnopera.org/season/2024-2025/the-snowy-day/

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