Family-Friendly Opera CAMILLE'S RAINBOW Prepares to Delight Little Ones at MOT

An immersive opera for babies, designed to allow space for playfulness and spark wonder in young children? A thousand times yes! My husband and I actually took our eight-month-old to experience Camille’s Rainbow at Carnegie Hall in the spring of 2024. It was a singular and oh-so-special experience.

Now, thanks to Milwaukee Opera Theatre (MOT), Milwaukee is welcoming Camille’s Rainbow—May 21 through June 1, 2025. On the cusp of her second birthday, I’m so excited to see how my daughter will respond to Camille’s Rainbow this time around. And there's no one I'd trust more with this concept than the ever-whimsical Milwaukee Opera Theatre.

I was fortunate to sit down with Producing Artist Director, Jill Anna Ponasik, who told me all kinds of wondrous things about the show: 

What’s the elevator pitch for Camille's Rainbow?
Camille's Rainbow is an immersive opera experience specifically designed for babies, toddlers, and their caregivers.  It's a beautifully gentle, playful, 45 minutes to spend together in community with other little ones and their families.

What makes Camille's Rainbow such a great fit for Milwaukee Opera Theatre?
We don't talk about it a lot, but each year at MOT, we try to do something we've never done before.  It's a way to keep us exploring and growing as artists.  And Camille's Rainbow certainly fits that bill.  Programming for the very young is something we have been curious about for years.  We were just waiting for the right opportunity to come along.  It's also important for us that we center the whole artist in each of our projects; this means being mindful of people's lives outside of their artistic work. In the case of Camille's Rainbow, we have parents of young ones in the cast, which allows them to bring their littles to rehearsal and integrate their singing and parenting.

Milwaukee Opera Theatre always works within such unique venues. Where is the show being performed and why?
This was a tough one! Camille's Rainbow requires a spacious, but cozy, baby safe environment, where people will feel comfortable sitting on the floor with the children.  It also needs to be visually neutral in order for the projections to have their full effect.  After exploring many options, we decided to transform an empty office suite at 790 N Milwaukee St into an adorable baby theatre.  It's accessible, has space to park strollers, plenty of room for little ones to roam, and a perfectly boring, clean and comfortable performance space we can make magical with lighting and music.

Can you give some background on the creation of Camille's Rainbow?  
Camille's Rainbow was co-commissioned by Minnesota Opera and Carnegie Hall. The creators, Thomas Cabaniss, Saskia Lane and Zoë Palmer all have experience working with the very young, and carefully developed this musical idea around the ways in which children learn and play. Dan Scully designed gorgeous, artful projections that are coordinated with the piece and transform it into something that fills the entire environment.

Camille's Rainbow had its world premier at Carnegie Hall in 2022—can you speak to how this version might recreate or evolve that staging? 
Absolutely! We're performing the piece as imagined by its creators, so the concept, the score, and the projections will be the same.  We have designed our production to serve smaller audiences enabling us to perform without amplification. The piece itself has several sections of improvisation where the artists create ideas on the spot inspired by what they notice children in the audience doing. So, these will be at least a little bit different each time it's performed.

I heard that Camille's Rainbow was developed to ignite awe in the brains of children—scientifically! Can you tell me more about that? 
Isn't that the coolest thing ever? Yes, there are a multitude of studies that examine the positive social effects that feelings of awe inspire. Camille's Rainbow is designed—musically, physically, and visually—to provide its young audiences with opportunities for curiosity and wonder, which are important precursors to feelings of awe. Of course, what we're really talking about is rich, free play and human connection, which are the ideas the piece is built upon.

What are some aspects of the show that you're most excited about? 
I am so looking forward to watching this cast interact with young audiences. Our singers know each other very well and have sung together in multiple configurations. So, they have a beautiful, lively sense of ensemble, and their voices blend gorgeously. I can't wait for little baby ears to hear them.

What do you hope audiences take away from this production?
We just discussed this as a cast at our last rehearsal. My hope is that audiences leave with a refreshed sense of play, especially around music and singing. And the feeling that they've just experienced something beautiful. 

Who would you say this show is perfect for? 
Those who are caring for the very young (ages 0-4) and those who want to rekindle a sense of childlike wonder. (We'll have a few chairs for grown ups available at each performance.)

What are your thoughts on theater for children this young—have you ever experienced anything like this before? 
I think children deserve enriching experiences that are designed with their needs in mind. I've never experienced something quite like Camille's Rainbow before, but I confess that I have been wondering about such a piece for years, and MOT was considering commissioning something ourselves when I stumbled upon this one.

What would you say to parents who are interested in Camille's Rainbow, but nervous about their child being "well behaved"? 
As the parent of a child who has always struggled with behavioral expectations, I would have felt so relieved to have had the opportunity to try something like Camille's Rainbow with my son.  Here, the children are allowed to roam throughout the performance space.  The four singer-actors will all be attentive to the children, engaging them individually and collectively.  And if someone has a melt down, we can guide them to a quiet space and they can return if/when ready. 

Photo Credit: Original Carnegie Hall production with photo by Dan Scully