''A Muskrat Lullaby'' is a one-act opera by Edward Barnes, based on the children's book, '' Mama Don't Allow'' by

Thacher Hurd John Thacher Hurd (born March 6, 1949) is an American artist and the creator of children's picture books including ''Mama Don't Allow'' and ''Art Dog''. Biography Thacher Hurd was born in Burlington, Vermont, the son of children's book creators ...

. The work was commissioned by the

Los Angeles Opera The Los Angeles Opera, originally called the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler P ...

with funding from the

Milken Family Foundation The Milken Family Foundation is a private foundation established by Lowell Milken and Michael Milken in 1982. Lowell Milken serves as chairman and co-founder of the foundation. Goals The foundation is focused primarily on supporting education ...

, and originally premiered in Los Angeles in 1993. The work went on to multiple productions by opera companies across the United States, including The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Columbus,

Orlando Opera The Orlando Opera was a professional American regional opera company located in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 1958, the company ceased operations in 2009 because of financial problems. The opera performed multiple times a year in the Bob Carr P ...

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

Mercer University Mercer University is a Private university, private Research university, research university in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the s ...

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public university, public research university in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM fields, STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advance ...

, and many more. Cast: Miles, a muskrat (tenor) Bird (soprano) Spider (mezzo-soprano) Toad (bass) Boss Alligator (baritone) Alligator Gang (children) Townspeople (children) Duration: 25 minutes Orchestration: Piano, or piano/electric keyboard and percussion

References

External links

Opera America listing for "A Muskrat Lullaby""A Muskrat Lullaby" at Family Audience OperaOpera for Youth Directory at Opera America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muskrat Lullaby, A Operas Children's operas One-act operas English-language operas 1993 operas