The celebrated On Site Opera Company will hold Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt, a new family friendly site-specific work is taking place in the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History! The world premiere will be held on Saturday, September 23rd, and will be the first ever opera performance in the museum’s famed fossil halls.
We were lucky enough to attend the show’s preview, and to learn more about the incredible On Site Opera performance troupe. Read on as we go behind the story, and detail how you can catch this limited run performance before it becomes extinct and travels on to other cities.
Reading the program before the show
Behind the Opera: Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt
This opera is based on the real-life experiences of Rhoda Knight Kalt and her grandfather Charles R. Knight, the famous naturalist illustrator, who was hired to bring the museum’s fossil collection to life for visitors. Through his paintings, Knight brought visitors back millions of years to view dinosaurs as active creatures. Every weekend while Knight attended to his illustrations, his granddaughter, Rhoda, joined him at the museum, while he worked. Rhoda watched as the fossils were unpacked by the museum paleontologists, and then in amazement as her grandfather transformed the bone structures into living creatures on his painted canvas.
Rhoda with her grandfather Charles R. Knight during the performance
The Performance
The twenty-minute opera piece follows 6 year-old Rhoda (played by the incredible Jennifer Zetlan) and her grandfather Charles R Knight (Robert Orth) at the museum, while he worked. A third character, Dr. Henry Osborn, takes the fossil hall stage as well, (played by Patrick Cook), who was then President of the American Museum of History. The performance is performed in the museum’s incredible Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs, directly under the famous fossils that Charles R Knight was illustrating, and encourages visitors to follow Rhoda around as she hunts for missing fossils, surrounded by the Museum’s iconic Tyrannosaurus Rex, Apatosaurus, and other skeletons. The opera performance is accompanied by a live orchestra led by composer John Mutso that has a wide range of instruments including violins, violas, cellos, flutes, and clarinets.
Rhoda with her Grandfather during the show
Rhoda helping to fill in the pieces of the skeleton
Rhoda and characters during the performance
Watching Charles R. Knight at work during the performance
On the hunt for fossils
Watching the performance
The live orchestra during the show
Meeting the cast after the show
Small But Mighty
With a voice as big as the prehistoric giants that surrounded her – we were blown away by the incredible vocal talent of Jennifer Zetlan, and the entire cast. Hearing the beautiful operatic voices and incredible string instruments acoustically play against the backdrop of fossils and prehistoric crustaceans is an experience you don’t want to miss. We especially loved the intimacy of the On Site Opera performance, and felt as if we were part of the show, not just the audience. Our son’s first opera, and he absolutely loved it! Having it take place at one of his favorite museums in the city, will be a special memory we will always cherish.
Small, but mighty, this wonderful performance is perfect for a first opera experience, dinosaur fans, and anyone who appreciates an incredible musical performance. A must see. We loved it so much we cant wait to come back and see it again.
Know Before you Go:
- Tickets to the opera are free with museum admission, but reservations to attend the opera are required. Call 212-769-5200 to make reservations.
- The family-friendly performances are recommended for ages 5 and up.
- The opera is sung in English, and the performance lasts 20 minutes, and moves about the Saurischian Fossil Hall. Expect to follow along. and move with the performance.
- The show requires children to be a quiet listeners, however at certain times they can clap and cheer on the performers.
- Look closely at the fossil exhibits after the show! The famous illustrations of Charles Knight are still on view at the museum today.
- If you visit, be sure to grab a program of the performance. Inside the program is a drawing game, as well as the entire libretto (script) from the performance which is fun to read with kids.
- The story doesn’t end here! After the museum premiere, the production will be performed among Knight paintings and fossils in museums in Chicago and Pittsburgh as well.
Dates and Times:
- The Opera runs Fridays, September 29–October 13, 2017 at 11:30 am and weekends, September 23–October 15, 2017 at Noon & 2:30 pm
