Education Through Arts: Dance and Theater in Oklahoma City 2013-2014

Local arts events can supplement curriculum or even provide a framework for it. Many ballets and plays are based on books which can be used in literature curriculum (and history to a lesser extent). For students interested in a particular type of art, these performances also provide an opportunity to learn about the history and influential figures of the art form.

This post focuses on the major dance and theater performances in Oklahoma City over the next year. Note that some of these seasons are over the summer (Lyric and Shakespeare in the Park) and some are throughout the school year.

Oklahoma City Ballet

Mowgli -- Read Kipling's Jungle Book. Kipling also wrote The Second Jungle Book, and Pamela Jekel wrote The Third Jungle Book. If you want more Kipling, the Just So Stories are excellent and could also serve as an introduction to pourquoi/origin stories.
Nutcracker -- You could read Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King or Dumas' adaptation, but neither is commonly read. For people who really enjoy ballet, it's much more interesting to find DVDs of several versions (or if you have access to the Ovation TV channel, watch Battle of the Nutcrackers) and compare the choreography and storylines.
Carmen -- Read the Prosper Merimee novella, either in French or in English. It's useful to have some notion of Spanish geography and languages. The depiction of the Romani people could lead to discussion/research of the group's history, current issues with discrimination and forced repatriation, and the portrayal of Romani in other fictional works. (One of the most notable is Hunchback of Notre Dame.) Watch or listen to the Bizet opera. There are also several film adaptations.
Rubies -- Listen to a lot of Stravinsky music and discuss/research his impact. Watch the other two ballets that form part of Jewels -- Diamonds and Emeralds. Read about Balanchine and discuss/research his impact on ballet, and watch as many of his works as possible (preferably non-story works).
Beauty and the Beast -- Read a variety of versions/retellings of the story and compare. Possible books are Alex Flinn's Beastly, Robin McKinley's Beauty, Robin McKinley's Rose Daughter, Cameron Dokey's Belle, Nancy Holder's Spirited, Mercedes Lackey's The Fire Rose, Donna Jo Napoli's Beast, Chris Anne Wolfe's Roses & Thorns, Juliet Marillier's Heart's Blood, and Amber Jaeger's The Cold King. There are plenty of others as well!
If studying French at a sufficiently advanced level, read either Villeneuve's or Beaumont's version of La Belle et la Bête.  

Celebrity Attractions

Wicked -- Read Frank L. Baum's Wizard of Oz. There are also other Oz books. Older students could read Maguire's Wicked and sequels.
Chicago -- Study Prohibition, as the musical is set in Prohibition-era Chicago. Also study satire because Chicago is a satire of celebrity criminals. Look at articles from The Onion for modern satire. A Modest Proposal is also always good satire reading.
Andrew Lloyd Webber -- Choose a couple of Webber musicals and watch them. If you choose Cats, read T.S. Eliot's poetry from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. If you choose Evita, study Eva Peron and Argentinian history. If you choose Phantom of the Opera, read Gaston Leroux's novel (in French if sufficiently advanced).

Lyric

Tarzan -- Read Tarzan of the Apes. Note that there is significant racism.
The King and I -- Read Anna and the King of Siam. Study colonization in southeast Asia.
The Will Rogers Follies -- Study the 1920s and 1930s.
Big River -- Read Huck Finn. Could also read Tom Sawyer. There are a lot of materials available online related to Huck Finn because it's very common high school reading. This could also be tied to history of the late 1800s South.
Christmas Carol -- Read "A Christmas Carol."

Reduxion

Cabaret -- Cabaret is set in 1931 Berlin, so study Weimar Germany and the rise of Nazism. Read Goodbye to Berlin or I am a Camera (musical is based on these).
As You Like It -- Read "As You Like It."
Henry V --  Read "Henry V." Study the Hundred Years' War and the actual reign of King Henry V.

Shakespeare in the Park

Measure for Measure -- Read "Measure for Measure." Watch a film adaptation -- the 1979 BBC version is most faithful.
Ring Round the Moon -- Read "Ring Round the Moon." If sufficiently advanced in French, read "L'invitation au Chateau," on which "Ring Round the Moon" is based.
King John -- Read "King John" and study the actual history of King John's reign. This could lead to exploring various versions of the Robin Hood stories.
King Lear -- Read "King Lear." There are a number of film adaptations, but if you can only watch one, watch Ran, which is set in Japan.
Sonnetathon -- 15 sonnets every 30 minutes at the state capitol. Listen or participate!