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Baby Dancers
With more than 200 local children and young adults, the Oregon Ballet Academy's Sleeping Beauty follows last year's successful Nutcracker for a kid-friendly-length production of a ballet classic. Organizers expect the four performances to sell out the large LCC Performance Hall (220 kids means a lot of parents, grandparents and siblings, after all), but it's just possible that you can get tix to John Grensback's production. The OBA teaches tons of local classes, and Grensback, a former New York City Ballet dancer, always has lots to teach the adorable youth of Eugene/Springfield. That's why all of the roles, including the principals, are danced by children. Take your own kids to see the classic tale of Prince Florimund and his fairy-cursed love, Princess Aurora, and get ready to buy some ballet shoes for the Solstice (or whatever holiday you celebrate). Performances are at 2 pm and 7 pm Saturday, Dec. 15, and 1 pm and 6 pm Sunday, Dec. 16, at LCC's Performance Hall. Tix are $12 for children and $15 for adults, available at Safeway, www.ticketswest.comand at the door. Call 338-7800 for more info. — Suzi Steffen
Elves at the Market Come watch and learn from aspiring young writers during this weekend's Holiday Market — and maybe get a beautiful stocking stuffer from the wandering minstrels. The Young Writers Association (YWA) will be showcasing some talented amateur authors this Sunday at the Market. Starting at 10:30 am, young writers (ages 7-18) will share their poetry and short stories with the public. After performances end, young writers will be walking around the market all day delighting shoppers with handwritten scrolls of their work. The YWA began in 1994 to encourage Eugene children to express themselves through creative writing that they could share with the community. The nonprofit organization conducts literary workshops about reading and writing and offers the writers the chance to be published. KLCC's "Mixed Voices" is a radio show on which a young writer can read a short story or poem. Literature camps are also held in the summer to help students. — Katie Cornell
High Cs in High-D
I got to meet Peter Gelb, newish Metropolitan Opera general manager, in October. The journalists at the event had lots of questions about "the movies" — that is to say, the live simulcasts of operas from the Met, the ones that sold out movie theaters on Saturdays last year in towns across England, Canada and the U.S. Gelb admitted some surprise at the overwhelming nature of their success, but he said he appreciated the stagehands' willingness to work with the idea (New York stagehands can be a bit challenging if management doesn't want to compensate for new platforms), and he was looking forward to expanding the audience even further this year. Now the year's about to begin with the kickoff HD simulcast of Gounod's sensual Roméo et Juliette, starring Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna, at 10 am Saturday, Dec. 15, at Cinemark 17 in Springfield (it repeats, not live, at 2 pm Sunday, Dec. 16). And Hansel and Gretel kicks off the new year (read the Met's blog about the countdown to the opening of this piece at blog.metoperafamily.org) in Springfield at 10 am on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008 (with the taped version to follow on Jan. 6). Hey, if you're awake and willing to fork over the $22 at that point, more power to ya! I'm particularly looking forward to Macbeth (Jan. 12 & 13), Peter Grimes (March 15 & 16) and, of course, La Boheme (April 5 & 6). Get tix early at www.cinemark.comor be prepared to lose out on a seat! Seriously. These things are popular, people! And having seen the Met in action this year, I can tell you the scenery, lighting and costumes (and, sometimes, the acting) improve on that of many big-budget flicks. See you there! — Suzi Steffen
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