San Francisco Opera Education Presents Free Opera in an Hour and Other Family Friendly Events This Spring

Spring time is family time at San Francisco Opera, where a series of fun and accessible events have been created to introduce younger audiences to the world of opera. In April, San Francisco Opera Education presents the sixth installment in the series of free Opera in an Hour films: Gioachino Rossini's Cinderella will be presented Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. and Sunday, April 10 at 11 a.m. (free). Audiences will delight in this charming opera, crafted for families and youth in a one-hour form. A 15 minute live introduction precedes each screening. Information and reservations at: sfopera.com/whats-on.

Immediately before each free film screening, Exploration Workshops are available for families with youth ages 7 and up to explore the music, characters and plot of Cinderella on Saturday, April 9 at 11:45 a.m. and Sunday, April 10 at 9:45 a.m. (tickets: $5). Information and tickets at sfopera.com/familyworkshops or (415) 864-3330.

Coinciding with SF Opera Lab's The Triplets of Bellville Cine-Concert, families are invited to Exploration Workshops to gain a behind-the-scenes look into the films's kooky animated world, with the help of body percussion artist Crosspulse's Keith Terry, on Saturday, April 16 at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 17 at 12:30 p.m. (tickets: $5). Information and tickets at: sfopera.com/familyworkshops or (415) 864-3330.

Performances of The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert, featuring a live orchestra score, are April 14 -23 (tickets: $25). Note: this film is rated PG-13. Information and tickets for The Triples of Belleville Cine-Concert at: sfoperalab.com or (415) 864-3330

All Exploration Workshops will be presented in the John M. Bryan Education Studio and film screenings are held in the Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater, both located at San Francisco Opera's new Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera, on the fourth floor of the Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco.

Cinderella Opera in an Hour Film Screenings

The public is invited to free screenings of Rossini's Cinderella in a one hour abbreviated form. French mezzo-soprano Karine Deshayes, lauded for her "emotional depth and vibrant, beautiful sound" (The New York Times), made her San Francisco Opera debut in the beloved fairy tale about a gentle but courageous servant girl who catches the eye of a handsome prince. This production was lauded as "bursting with wit and vitality" by the San Francisco Chronicle. Screenings, including a live introduction, are presented Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. and Sunday, April 10 at 11 a.m. (free) in the Taube Atrium Theatre. Information and reservations at: sfopera.com/whats-on.

Cinderella Exploration Workshops

In this interactive event, families with youth ages 7 and up are invited to explore the wonderful world of Rossini's sparkling Cinderella, in which the open-hearted and determined heroine triumphs over her mean-spirited relatives. Artists from the African-American Shakespeare Company, which recently presented an acclaimed stage production of this beloved tale, will guide participants as they explore the music, characters and story. Each of the two workshop sessions (April 9 at 11:45 am and April 10 at 9:45 a.m.) cost $5, is followed by a free screening of San Francisco Opera's Opera in an Hour presentation of Cinderella, offering youngsters and adults a perfect bite-sized introduction that the whole family can enjoy. Now in its 22nd season, African-American Shakespeare Company (AASC) continues to highlight artists of color's dynamic cultural vibrancy within classical productions. Among others commendations, AASC's work has received honorary recognition from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome (now Lieutenant Governor) and was recently awarded The Paine Knickerbocker Award for "Outstanding Achievement for a Theater Company" by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Information and tickets at sfopera.com/familyworkshops or (415) 864-3330.

The Triplets of Belleville Exploration Workshops

Families with youth ages 7 and up are invited into the kooky and captivating world of The Triplets of Belleville in Exploration Workshops designed to accompany the SF Opera Lab's presentation of this delightful animated film. Workshop participants will explore the art of body percussion, as featured in the film's soundtrack, with famed body musician Crosspulse's Keith Terry, as well as learn about the music that makes this film so unique. Called "a unique master of percussive motion" by the San Francisco Chronicle, Crosspulse's Keith Terry uses the oldest musical instrument in the world - the human body - as the basis for exploring, blending and bending traditional and contemporary rhythmic, percussive and movement possibilities. Trained as a percussionist, Terry was the drummer for the original Jazz Tap Ensemble when he found his drum patterns becoming hand claps and foot steps. His influences range from Japanese Taiko and Balinese Gamelan to North American rhythm tap and Ethiopian music. Terry's solo works have toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He is also recognized for his collaborations with artists including the Pickle Family Circus, Robin Williams, Tex Williams, Bobby McFerrin, Charles "Honi" Coles and Tandy Beal, among others. Each of the two workshop sessions (April 16 at 3:30 p.m., April 17 at 12:30 p.m.) cost $5. Information and tickets at sfopera.com/familyworkshops or 415-864-3330.

SF Opera Lab's The Triplets of Bellville Cine-Concert

SF Opera Lab presents Sylvain Chomet's award-winning animated film The Triplets of Bellville with live accompaniment by Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville. Led by composer Benoît Charest conducting his original score, including his Academy Award-nominated best song, the experience will transport audiences to the exciting streets of 1930s Paris and Le Jazz Hot. In the movie, a Tour de France cyclist is kidnapped and spirited across the ocean to the teeming metropolis of Belleville. His near-sighted grandmother and her faithful dog follow his trail, with assistance from a trio of eccentric Jazz-era divas who create a spontaneous jam session using a newspaper, refrigerator, vacuum and bicycle wheel as instruments. Film screenings are April 14-23 (tickets: $25). Note: this film is rated PG-13. Information and tickets for The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert at sfoperalab.com or 415-864-3330.