Last night, my daughter Jenna and I took advantage of the only opportunity, that would fit our schedule, to see The Forgotten Carols, on opening night, at the Elkader Opera House. Simply put, I thought it was terrific.
This Opera House Players production is a super heartwarming portrayal of a young nurse, Constance, whose heart is hardened by a rough childhood. She is all about getting her work done and burying sensitive issues. Through song, her patient, John, an especially old soul, (it seems he has been alive since before the birth of Christ) makes it his business to tenderly unlock Constance’s buried talents. In an early scene, John, in a friendly gesture, nick names Constance, against her rigid spirit, “Connie Lou,” and from that moment you just know this is going to be a great story.
Ann Franta, flawlessly, and beautifully plays the role of Constance, while John is endearingly played by Craig Stutt. The rest of the small cast is filled out by Opera House veterans, and two well cast and well played newbie’s Joeann Tesar and Joanne Strutt.
I really enjoyed this show it was not predictable, the role of the chorus was nothing but uplifting and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. The show is as usual, so well directed and produced. The staging and lighting are excellent, and certainly add to the enjoyment of this great show.
After a rousing standing ovation, everyone seemed to leave the theater smiling and thrilled for a heartwarming memorable performance by the Opera House Players.
The DishnTunes.com Winners of a pair of tickets to Opera House Players production of The Forgotten Carols at the Elkader Opera House are:
Saturday, Aug 6th at 8pm, 
Tonic Sol-fa has spent the past decade on the road carving their niche as the nation’s top vocal group. In that time, this quartet has been named one of the top five “must see” groups in America, has been awarded numerous original song and album awards in pop, gospel and holiday genres, appeared on NBC’s Today Show and in the pages of Newsweek magazine. Outings with Jay Leno, Shawn Colvin, and Garrison Keillor have propelled album sales to more than 2,000,000 copies (mostly sold from the back of their trailer!) and have earned the group thousands of intensely loyal fans.
“Love That Big Band-A Salute to the USO Shows” performing at the Elkader Opera House on Mother’s Day!
The Opera House Board is pleased to announce a three day residency by the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theater from West Branch, Iowa. The Eulenspiegel (OIL-N-SPEEGEL) Puppets delight audiences with a large repertoire of international folktales and historical fiction. The puppeteers draw on their 30 plus years of experience to teach puppet-making and performance techniques. While at the Opera House the fourth grade students from Central will be trained as puppeteers and take part in puppet making workshops. On Friday, March 11 the students will have the opportunity to share what they have learned when elementary students from Central, Clayton Ridge, Ed-Co, and MFL MarMac attend their performances at 10:30 and 1:30. Limited ($5) seating will available for the general public to join in the fun. This educational opportunity is funded in part with a grant from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts, funds from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust and the generous donations of local businesses.
