The Michigan Opera Theatre Children’s Chorus is pleased to announce its first full-length opera performance: Seymour Barab’s “The Maker of Illusions,” on Monday, May 19, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. on the Detroit Opera House main stage.  This is the first children’s opera to be performed completely by Michigan children on a grand scale.  Costumes, sets, props and lighting have all been designed specifically for this performance by Michigan Opera Theatre Staff.  The lead roles and chorus of “The Maker of Illusions” is composed of Metro Detroit children, ages 10-16.

Seymour Barab’s “The Maker of Illusions” has been consistently performed throughout the country as a light children’s opera with moral lessons about inner beauty and caring for others.  Set in a fantasy land, the plot surrounds a wicked queen who has squandered her “life force” on evil deeds.  The queen is exiled to a mountaintop, where she is guarded by a genie and his goblins. Fearing the loss of her beauty, the queen commands the genie to create an illusion that will entice a young boy to the mountain so she can steal his “life force.” The genie’s magic lures the boy, but proves no match for the boy’s sister, who saves him from the evil queen.  In the end, the queen learns that the beauty of a person lies in their affection and compassion for others.