Kids with a flair for singing can land a lead role or chorus spot in a fully staged opera this fall at the Sarasota Opera House, with audition registration open through Sunday, Aug. 30.
Sarasota Youth Opera is casting its production of Rootabaga Country, a whimsical opera by composer and librettist Rachel J. Peter that puts young performers front and center. The children sing lead roles and chorus parts backed by professional sets, costumes and a live orchestra. Performances are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
The program has two tiers. Prep Chorus serves ages 8-10 (children must turn 8 by Dec. 31, 2026) at $250 tuition. Mixed Chorus is for ages 11 and up, based on ability (must turn 11 by Dec. 31, 2026) at $325. Need-based tuition assistance is available.
Auditions are held by appointment. The semester begins the week of Monday, Aug. 17. Families can register at sarasotaopera.org/youth-opera-program.
About the opera
Inspired by Carl Sandburg's 1922 Rootabaga Stories, the opera follows a father and two children journeying through an imaginative landscape to learn about the mother they miss. The characters carry Sandburg's playful names: Gimme the Ax, Please Gimme and Ax Me No Questions. Sarasota Youth Opera first premiered the work in November 2017. This fall's staging is a revival.
The program has operated since 1984. Sarasota Opera calls it "the most comprehensive youth opera program in the U.S.," according to the company's 2026-27 season announcement. Richard Russell, Sarasota Opera's general and artistic director, leads the company into its new season.
Beyond Rootabaga Country
Enrollment in the Youth Opera opens doors to two additional performance opportunities this season. Members can audition for the Children's Chorus in Sarasota Opera's fall mainstage production of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, which opens Friday, Oct. 30, at the Opera House. Those young singers would share the stage with professional opera artists.
Members can also audition for the Children's Chorus in Sarasota Orchestra's Carmina Burana, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 5, 2027, at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. That concert features Chicago's Grant Park Festival Chorus.
Upcoming dates
- Through Sunday, Aug. 30: Audition registration open (sarasotaopera.org/youth-opera-program)
- Week of Aug. 17: Fall semester rehearsals begin
- Oct. 30: Hansel and Gretel opens at Sarasota Opera House
- Nov. 7-8: Rootabaga Country performances at Sarasota Opera House
- Feb. 5, 2027: Sarasota Orchestra's Carmina Burana at Van Wezel
