Did you know that Opera Columbus serves over 13,000 Central Ohio students each spring through our education program?! This 2024-25 season, Opera Columbus is thrilled to partner with Ohio University to present “Jackie and the Giant Bully” as part of our Opera Goes To School education tour.
Jackie and the Giant Bully
Recommended for Grades K-5 | Opera Columbus + Ohio University
Fast forward a couple of generations from Jack and the Beanstalk. What do you have? Jack’s granddaughter, Jackie, and the Giant’s granddaughter who is (no surprise) a giant BULLY. With no Wi-Fi reception in the clouds, Buffy, the giant bully, is right here on earth where she can ridicule, intimidate, threaten and cyberbully. There is plenty of humor and even a little magic as Jackie and her beloved cow, along with the help of the bully’s siblings, find real solutions to this big problem. Bullying is no joke. Jackie and the Giant Bully includes audience participation and invites insightful class discussions after the show. Performers will enjoy the familiarity of singable tunes from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Bizet’s Carmen, J. Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Gounod’s Faust and Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann.
CAST
Sophia Longo is a Soprano native to Columbus, OH cultivating her reputation as a dynamic, genuine, and passionate vocal artist. She is pursuing her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at Ohio University. Sophia has recently performed the roles Clorinda (La Cenerentola) and Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor) at the Mediterranean Opera Festival in Caltagirone, Italy and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) with Maskarade Ópera Estudio in Santander, Spain. Sophia graduated from Ohio State University in 2023 where she studied with Dr. Laura Portune and interpreted roles such as Cendrillon (Cendrillon), Little Red (Into the Woods), and Ariel (The Little Mermaid). She also performed in scenes as Butterfly (Madama Butterfly), Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Anna Leonowens (The King and I), and Patience (Patience). Building experience on the opera stage, Sophia has performed with companies including Opera Columbus, Opera Project Columbus, Ukrainian Opera Ensemble, and Metauro Opera.
Sophia Longo
Katelyn Williams, originally from Cheyenne, WY, is a mezzo-soprano with a passion for music. Most recently, she performed with the Harrower Summer Opera Workshop, performing the roles of Meg March in Little Women and Mrs. Ott in Susannah. With Ohio University Opera Theater, Katelyn showcased her talent in various roles, including Armelinde in Cendrillion, Romeo in I Capuletti e i Montecchi, and Ruggerio in Alcina. She also took on the role of alto soloist in Messiah and covered the role of Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti. Katelyn earned her Bachelor of Music Performance and Bachelor of Music Education degrees at the University of Wyoming, studying under the guidance of Dr. Katrina Zook. Currently, she is furthering her musical education at Ohio University, pursuing a Master of Music in Performance and Pedagogy with Debra Rentz as her mentor. Beyond her musical pursuits, Katelyn enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, indulging in reading, and exploring the outdoors. Soprano Sarah Julien is an Ohio-based performer and arts educator. She received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from The Ohio State University and is currently working toward her M.M. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy at Ohio University in Athens. As a performer, Sarah has enjoyed roles including Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), Armalinde (Viardot’s Cendrillon) and Gianetta (The Gondoliers). She also had the privilege of singing Doofey MacLaren in the Ohio premiere of Sweets by Kate, a contemporary opera by Griffin Candey. This past fall, Sarah was a principal vocalist in the inaugural year of Ohio University’s Opera Outreach Program, performing for local schools and young audiences. As an educator, Sarah taught at RED School of Music as a voice instructor and currently holds a graduate assistantship at OU, teaching both applied students and group courses. She is passionate about vocal health and wellness across disciplines, and holistic vocal education.
Katelyn Williams
Sarah Julien
Alicen Criner (mezzo-soprano) is a first-year graduate student at Ohio University. Alicen received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the Greenwood School of Music at Oklahoma State University in Spring 2024. Alicen has held roles such as Eustazio (Rinaldo), First Witch (Dido and Aeneas), Jack’s Mother (Into the Woods), and Third Woodsprite (Rusalka). In opera scenes she has had roles such as Third Lady (Die Zauberflöte), Public Opinion (Orpheus in the Underworld), and Ma Moss (The Tender Land). At Oklahoma State University, Alicen was in several ensembles such as Opera Theater, Concert Chorale, Chamber Choir, and Spirit Vocal Ensemble. She would like to thank her family and friends for always supporting and encouraging her.
Alicen Criner
Pianist Ilana Joyce Cady is dedicated to providing audiences with authentic and creative performances through collaboration, teaching, and performance. She has played at notable venues including Seiji Ozawa Hall, Koussevitsky Music Shed, Sanders Theater at Harvard, Howard Performing Arts Center and Mechanics Hall, and has given lecture recitals at the University of Texas, Brownsville, and the University of Mississippi for Women, and La Frontera International Conference. Internationally, she has performed at the Styriarte Festival in Graz, Austria, and earned third place in the Puerto Rico Center for Collaborative Piano’s inaugural competition. Ilana holds a faculty position at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute, and recently served as a collaborative pianist for the Worcester Children’s Chorus, Boston Ballet School, Boston Conservatory Dance Division and Wellesley Village Church. She is the music director at College Church and the founder of the Free Concert Series in Lancaster, MA. Ilana will graduate in 2025 with a masters in collaborative piano.
Ilana Joyce Cady
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION OFFERINGS
CONCERTS IN THE CLASSROOM
Concerts in the Classroom presents interactive music programming for your classroom or school. Our artists spend time performing, talking with your students, answering questions, and discussing different elements of opera: performance, practicing, healthy behaviors, productions, traveling, languages, and more.
OPERA CHAT
Contact Dione Bennett at dbennett@operacolumbus.org with school information, version option, and date you would like to schedule. Our staff will be in touch to confirm date and time.
