Photos: Rootabaga Country to Return to Sarasota Youth Opera

On November 7 and 8, 2026, Sarasota Youth Opera will present Rachel J. Peters' one-act opera Rootabaga Country, a whimsical journey of imagination, family, and self-discovery based on Carl Sandburg's 1922 book, Rootabaga Stories. The company first commissioned and premiered the opera in 2017.

On November 7 and 8, 2026, Sarasota Youth Opera will present Rachel J. Peters’ one-act opera Rootabaga Country, a whimsical journey of imagination, family, and self-discovery based on Carl Sandburg's 1922 book, Rootabaga Stories. The company first commissioned and premiered the opera in 2017.

Since its inception in 1984, the Youth Opera Program at Sarasota Opera has become a national model for opera education, offering instruction from noted professionals in the opera industry and participation in main stage opera productions, concerts, and summer programs. Each year, the Sarasota Youth Opera presents a fully staged production with Sarasota Opera’s world class orchestra, sets, and costumes, with Youth Opera members aged 8-18 performing alongside professional artists.

Abril Sanchez-Rodriguez, 12, who plays Please Gimme in this year’s production, said: “This is my first main role, and it is amazing to be in the center of the story.  I love everything about this magical opera. I hope the audience will feel what I feel and be uplifted by the beautiful music.”

Rootabaga Country was first commissioned and performed by the Sarasota Youth Opera in 2017 as part of the company’s mission to foster new operatic works for children and young adults. Inspired by legendary poet Carl Sandburg’s book of Rootabaga Stories, this colorful adventure follows a father and his two children as they journey through the imaginative landscape of Rootabaga Country to learn more about the mother they miss. Along the way, they discover that love and belonging come in many forms, offering a gentle, resonant reflection on curiosity, courage, and the shape of family. Musically crafted for young voices yet rich in character, Rootabaga Country blends playful storytelling with heartfelt themes.

Composer and librettist Rachel J. Peters always felt a kindred spirit in Carl Sandburg's writing. “With Rootabaga Stories,” she writes, “he struck an uncanny balance of silliness and profundity, resulting in a tone and landscape like nothing I have yet witnessed in the youth opera repertoire. The delightfully odd characters and their shenanigans comprise a world that feels familiar yet reaches far beyond our everyday experience. From the Potato Face Blind Man's accordion-accompanied life lessons to Henry Hagglyhoagly's frozen guitar serenade, so much music already lives in these tales that it is impossible not to imagine it while reading them. I can think of no better vehicle than opera to introduce this uniquely American literary master and folk hero to a new generation.”
 
Artists and Creative Team 
Joining the Sarasota Youth Company performers are two returning members of Sarasota Opera’s Studio Artist program. Tenor Dylan Schang performs the role of Gimme the Ax, while baritone Riley Findley plays the Potato Face Blind Man. The production will be conducted by Jessé Martins and directed by Martha Collins. Scenic design is by Sheryl Liu, with costumes by Howard Tsvi Kaplan.
 
Performance Dates
Saturday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 8 at 12:00 p.m.

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