"Opera Children's Cafeteria" Nationwide — A New Cultural Model Expanding with 10 Performances of 'Hansel and Gretel' and Educational Partnerships

Nikai BLOC Pocket Opera supports April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to express dreams. This press release is the dream of "Nikai BLOC Pocket Opera."

Nikai BLOC Pocket Opera (Representative: Mari Tomita) is a social contribution group founded in April 2017 by opera singers belonging to Tokyo Nikikai. With the aim of popularizing music and art, especially small-scale opera, in local communities, they have delivered high-quality performances in familiar settings under the concept of "Opera in your pocket."

Our Continuing Dream — "Opera Children's Cafeteria"

Every year, we have set a dream through April Dream.

That is, To spread the "Opera Children's Cafeteria" throughout Japan.

We aim for a society where opera is not a "special thing" but a culture in everyday life—a place like a children's cafeteria where anyone can easily drop by, encounter music, connect with people, and feel their hearts filled.

Our dream for 2023

Our Goal and Practice: 10 National Performances of 'Hansel and Gretel'

As a concrete initiative towards its realization, we have set the goal of performing the opera 'Hansel and Gretel' with original Japanese lyrics 10 times nationwide.

This work has been developed as: - Japanese lyrics that are easy for children to understand - A composition that can be performed with a small ensemble - Content suitable for schools and local communities

Without compromising the charm of opera, we have repeatedly performed this reconfigured repertoire, which can be delivered to any region.