>> GRAND RAPIDS BRINGS NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT TO GRAND RAPIDS, NEWLY ANNOUNCED CHAMBER SERIES KICKS OFF WITH THE PENNY SO HERE ON COMMUNITY CONNECTION WE DISCUSS WITH THOSE INVOLVED.

HOW COOL THIS IS?

HELLO TO OPERA GRAND GRAND RAPIDS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.

>> COMPOSER OF PENNY.

DOUGLAS.

>> GOOD MORNING.

>> SINGING THE ROLE OF PENNY, CLAUDIA, CHAP PA. GOOD DAY TO YOU.

>> HOLA.

SUNG THE ROLE OF GARY, MAJOR.

SING ME A SONG, GARY?

>> COME ON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> IT IS 24-7 AS OPERA STAR, THAT IS FOR SURE.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

SO HAPPY TO SHARE THE EXCITING NEWS OF THIS OPPORTUNITY AND EMILY, TAKE IT AWAY.

WHAT IS HAPPENING.

YEAH.

SOP YOU KNOW, WE DECIDED WITH THIS SPRING OF 2021 WE WANTED TO KEEP OURSELVES IN PRODUCTION BUT PRODUCING GRAND OPERA WAS NOT GOING TO WORK IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 BUT OUR COMPANY HAS MADE AN EFFORT TO TRY TO IN CORPORATE MORE CONTEMPORARY WORK INTO OUR SEASON.

SO WE INTEGRATED TWO CONTEMPT A ARE RY WORKS IN THIS SPRING.

AND STORY AND SO EMOTIONAL AND IT IS JUST, I MEAN, THE TALENT OF THE CAST THAT WE PUT TOGETHER IS WONDERFUL.

WE FILMED IT YESTERDAY.

WE'RE STREAMING IT VIRTUALLY TO TICKET HOLDERS ON-LINE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, AND SO TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AND OPERA GR!

ORG.

YOU JUST GOING TO PASSWORD.

AND JOIN THE SHOW FOR 24 HOURS.

BUT IT IS A GREAT STORY ABOUT AN AUTISTIC WOMAN IN THE STRUGGLES THAT EVERY HUMAN GOES THROUGH AND BUT IT IS THROUGH THE LENS OF PENNY PARTICULAR CHARACTER AND YOU KNOW, IT IS INCREDIBLY MEANINGFUL BUT WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME PRODUCING THIS SHOW AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT FRIGHT THE OPERA CENTER ON FULTON STREET IN GRAND RAPIDS AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP EMPLOYING ARTIST AND KEEP OUR COMPANY OPEN AND FUNCTIONING WHICH IS SORT OF A MIRACLE IN ITSELF AND WE CAN DO IT WHILE HIGHLIGHTING A SHOW LIKE PENNY MAKES IT EXTRA SPECIAL.

>> AND THIS IS PART OF A PARTNERSHIP WHAT KENNEDY SEN THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA INVOLVE MOOD WELL, NOT REALLY A PARTNERSHIP, BUT WE ARE THE FIRST DOP PRODUCES THIS OPERA SENSE IT IS COMMISSIONED WITH THE OPERA AND THE KENNEDY CENTER IN 2015 SO PARTICULARLY SPECIAL FOR OPERA GRAND RAPIDS TO BE ABLE TO PUT THIS ON, BUT WE ALS ALSO, I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WHEN OPERAS ARE PERM FOD LIVE, IT NICER AUDIENCE IN THAT ROOM, SO RARELY DO WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO ESPECIALLY CONTEMPORARY WORK TO TO BRING THIS OPERA TO SO MANY, MAIN, WE HAVE SOLD TICKETS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY IN EUROPE, AND IT IS A BIG DEAL FOR AN OPERA COMPANY LIKE GRAND RAPIDS.

>> WONDERFUL.

WELL, WITHIN OUR DISCUSSION, WE'RE GOING TO TEASE YOU WITH CLIPS LET'S TAKE OUR FIRST LOOK.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> LET'S BRING NEW THE CONVERSATION, YOU DOUGLAS COMPOSER OF OPINION NY.

GOODNESS GRACIOUS.

IT IS DESCRIBED AS OPERA ABOUT THE POWER OF MUSIC.

YEAH, WHY A CHAMBER OPERA ABOUT AUTISTIC WOMAN DISCOVERED HR MUSIC.

>> YEAH.

SO MY CO-WRITER WERE FULL BREAD SCHOLARS IN POLAND DURING THE TIME THERE AND KNEW A YOUNG WOMAN IN HER CHOIR WHO WAS AUTISTIC AND SHE WAS STAR.

SHE WAS STAR.

SHE WAS CONSTANTLY SING AND THE LIFE OF THE PARTY, REALLY?

AND THIS IDEA OCCURRED TO HER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THIS YOUNG WOMAN IF MUSIC WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM HER?

WELL, HOW WOULD HER LIFE CHANGE?

AND IT WAS AROUND THAT TIME, WE GOT CONTACTED BY WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA TO COMPOSE A PIECE TOGETHER AND SO WE THOUGHT LET'S GO WITH THIS STORY THAN WAS THE TERM OF THE STORY AND IT TOOK DIFFERENT DIRECTION A LITTLE BIT AFTERWARDS, BUT THAT IS WHERE IT BEGAN.

>> YES.

>> AND MORE OF THE STORY LINE AND OF COURSE, WE'LL GET TO YOUR CAST, BUT THERE HAD TO ABE LOFT BEHIND THE SCENES WORK, THE STUDY OF AUTISM, THE STUDY OF THE FACTS.

>> VERY MUCH SO.

WE GOT VERY INVOLVED WITH SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO MISREPRESENT ANYONE OR ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE AND SO VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT WITH BOTH HERE AND IN GRAND RAPIDS AND THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION AND VERY HELPFUL TO GET TO KNOW HOW TO TALK ABOUT IT.

HOW EVERYBODY FEELS ABOUT IT.

SHOULD BE TALKED ABOUT IT AND SO ON.

VERY MUCH PART OF THE PROCESS.

THERE IS MANY SPOTS IN THE OPERA WHERE THAT IS BROUGHT UP.

HOW DO WE TALK ABOUT YOU A TIM.

HOW DO WE TREAT HOME?

WHAT IS APPROPRIATE?

SO ON.

IT IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE STORY.

INTEREST LIG AND SPEAK SO THAT IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING PROBLEM FOR AN OPERA WITHIN ARE WHEN THE STAR CANNOT SPEAK OR SING.

SO WE FOUND A CLEVER WAY TO MANAGE THAT, I WON'T SPOIL IT FOR YOU.

IT IS A FUN WAY.

IT IS A FUN WAY.

>> WHY OPERA GRAND RAPIDS NOR PRESENTATION.

NDY THE KENNEDY CENTER AND THE ORCHESTRA MANAGER WHEN WE WERE DOING THE ORIGINAL REDUCTION AND HE HAS COME TO THE BOARD OF THE GRAND RAPIDS ORCHESTRA AND OPERA WHEN THE PANDEMIC OCCURRED AND LOOKING FOR OPERAS SUGGESTED HAVING FIRSTHAND WHICH WAS GREAT FOR ME SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, VERY FEW OPERAS ARE BEING PUT ON AT ALL AND VERY FEW BY LIVING COME POSITIONERS, SO HEY, BEST OF BOTH WORLDS FOR ME, REALLY, IT IS A TRUE JOY AND HONOR.

>> SO TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINESS OF PENNY.

A TIME WHEN, WELL, MAYBE WE NEED A LITTLE HOPE.

WELL, WE COULD USE BIT OF AN UPLIFT AND THE POWER OF MUSIC AND IT IS POWERFUL MEDIUM, IT HAS HEALED ME PERSONALLY THROUGH MANY CHALLENGES AND IT IS NOT, IT IS NOT JUST FOR AUTISM OR JUST FOR AND EVERYBODY, WE ARE GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIME AND MAYBE WE'RE SUFFERING SILENTLY.

MAYBE IT IS MORE PUBLIC THING WITH COVID, BUT, WE NEED A WAY TO GET OVER THE CHALLENGES, AND TO KEEP GOING, AND MUSIC CAN BE A POWERFUL WAY TO DO THAT.

WE WATCH BENNY GO THROUGH BIG CHALLENGES SAN REALLY OVERCOME THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSIC.

WE HOPE IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT OTHERS CAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH THIS OPERA?

>> IMAGINE, CHALLENGES, CHALLENGING IN A VIRTUAL WORLD TO PRODUCE?

>> OH, YES.

I WISH WE COULD SHOW YOU THE CONCERT SPACE THAT JUST THE SPACIOUSNESS OF THE ROOM, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY, WITH OPERA, YOU HAVE THE STAGE, YOU THE PIT ORCHESTRA, WE CANNOT HAVE A PIT ORCHESTRA.

WE HAVE IT ONE-HALF OF THE SORT OF CAFETERIA SIZED SPACE, AND WE GOT THE STAGING ON THE OTHER HALF, AND OUR MAGICAL CONDUCTOR AUSTIN IS DOING A 360-DEGREE ACT MAKING SURE EVERYBODY CAN COME IN AND AT THE RIGHT TIME AND THE RIGHT PLACE, AND BRILLIANTLY SHOUT OUT TO AUSTIN.

IT WAS CHALLENGING.

>> AND LET'S SEE ANOTHER CLIP.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> AND NOW PLAYING PENNY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU CLAUDE CHAP PA IN MASK AS YOU SHOULD BE IN TRANSIT AS AN OPERA STAR LEADS HER LIFE I DON'T KNOW LAST YEAR BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU CLAUDE.

>> THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> YES.

WHAT STRUCK TO YOU WANT TO, WELL, BE PENNEY?

WELL, AS YOU LO, A LOT OF HAVE BEEN OUT OF WORK FOR BAR A YEAR AND WHEN, WHEN OFFERED A ROLE OF A LIFETIME, I MEAN, THEY DON'T REALLY COME VERY OFTEN, MAIN HOW CAN I SAY NO.

I HAVEN'T PERFORMED IN A YEAR.

THERE IS A LOT OF RELATABLE CHARACTERS IN THE OPERA.

WELL, I RELATE A LOT.

YOU WILL SEE, KNOW, HE HAS SOMETHING, THEN IT WAS AND I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING REALLY BIG AND BRING AWARENESS TO SOMETHING.

>> YES.

TELL US HOW YOU DEVELOPED YOUR CHARACTER OF PENNEY.

>> I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH BUT AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE NEWER DIVERGENT COMMUNITY, BUT TIKTOK, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IS EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE WITHIN THE YOUTH SYSTEM, AND I FOUND OUT SO MANY THINGS ABOUT MYSELF THROUGH IT.

>> AND THIS THEME, NOT ONLY AUTISTIC THEME BUT SEASON ARE CERTAINLY CHARACTER.

A CHARACTER IS DESCRIBED AS TRANSFORMING BEFORE OUR EYES BEGINNING TO BELIEVE IN HERSELF.

WILL WE SEE THIS TRANSITION SLOWLY.

I WORKED HARD.

BUT AGAIN, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY DEDICATED TO JUST THE CERTAIN COMMUNITY.

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US CAN BE PUT IN A POSITION THAT IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE.

THEN WE HAVE TO FIND THE STRENGTH TO BECOME COMFORTABLE, TO FIND YOUR VOICE, AND TO STAN UP FOR YOURSELF.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOMEN CONSTANT SLY TO DEAL WITH THAT.

MINORITY AND IMMIGRANT AND HIGHLY RELATEDDABLE.

YES.

WE WILL BE BRIDGING SHORTLY AND ASK HIM THE SAME QUESTION.

>> MAKE THE CHARACTERS WORK.

>> NO.

NO.

>> EVERY ONE WORK ON THEIR OWN THING BY THEMSELVES AND THEN THE FIRST DAY WE ARE TOGETHER.

THAT IS WHEN WE FIND OUT IT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE SO IT IS REALLY ANOTHER RAGGING AND HUGE LEAP OF FAITH ON THE PARTNERS THEN HIRING US AND US EXPECTING EVERYONE ELSE TO LEARN THEIR MUSIC AND EXPECTING MYSELF TO AND HAVE LEARNED THE MUSIC.

IS A HUGE LEAP OF FAITH THAT EVERYONE HAS TO TAKE UPON EACH OTHER.

>> WONDERFUL.

>> EMILY, WAYNE TO BACK IN, THAT IS HOW OPERA WORKS WITH OPERA GRAND RAPIDS, RIGHT YOU?

ARE DEALING WITH PROFESSIONALS.

THAT IS RIGHT.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW.

ON THE ONE HAND WE HAVE A LOT OF LOCAL ARTst WHEN WE DO GRAND OPERA THEY REASON THE COURSE AND WE WORK WITH THEM AHEAD OF TIME.

BUT REALLY SHALL OUR PLAYERS ARE SUS, MAIN, I MEAN, THEY, WE HAVE A LEAP OF FAITH.

YOU SHOW UP AND PRODUCTION STARTS.

YOU GOT TWO WEEKS TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS, AND DEVELOP SOUND TONIGHT, AND YOU KNOW, THAT IS NOT A LOT OF TIME.

SO THEN, IT IS OPERA, IT IS ONE OF THE FAVORITE QUOTES ABOUT OPERA IS THAT OPP WERE IS GREAT NUMBER OF VERY DIFFICULT THINGS FAIL TO GO WRONG AND IF THAT IS NOT THE -- OPERA IS EVERYTHING.

IT IS SYMPHONY.

IT IS A CHORUS.

IT IS SOLOIST.

IT IS USUALLY, IT IS VALET.

IT IS EVERYTHING ALL IN ONE.

SO BY NATURE, VERY CHAOTIC AT TIMES AND THEN YOU ADD THE COMPLEXITY OF REALLY ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO PULL IT TOGETHER, THEN CLAUDIA IS RIGHT.

IT REQUIRES A TON OF FAITH IN EACH OTHER'S SKILL AND PREPARATION.

BUT THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT EXCITING, TOO.

VERY NICE.

>> CLAUDIA, WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE AUDIENCE FROM YOUR WORK AS PENNEY?

>> I THINK WHEN YOU WATCH THIS, OBVIOUSLY, THE SUBJECT LINE IS AUTISM BUT REALLY JUST WATCH IT OPEN HEARTEDLY.

GO THROUGH THE JOURNEY WITH US.

IT IS EXTREMELY RELATABLE.

>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOU.

OK. BUSY MAN, BRIAN MAJOR AS GARY, GLAD THAT YOU ARE HERE.

YOU IN TRANSIT AS WELL AS THE TALENTED OPERA STAR SHOULD BE.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ROLE AND TELL US ABOUT GARY?

>> THANK YOU SOME OF.

YES.

I ABLE TRANSIT.

I AM ON MY WAY HOME.

I AM THE ONLY ONE IN THE ROOM SO YOU CAN SEE MY BEAUTIFUL FACE.

>> THE ROLE OF GARY IS, I BELIEVE, RELATABLE TO MANY PEOPLE DURING THIS PANDEMIC.

WE HAD SO MUCH STRIP US FROM.

TAKEN AWAY AND GARY, GARY, IT IS A CLASSICAL PIANIST.

A CONCERT PIANIST THAT WAS THE LIVELIHOOD AND ALL OF THE STUDENT, HIS NERVES AND THE COMMUNICATION TO THE BRAIN TO HIS RIGHT HAND JUST STOPPED WORKING AND SO, AND SO THE HAND DOESN'T FUNCTION THE WAY IT SHOULD BE AS A PIANIST.

YOU KNOW, THAT IS THESE IS WHAT CREATES THE ART FORM AND SO, SO HE IS CHALLENGED WITH WORKING WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT MUSIC AND THEY DONE HAVE THE HEART AND ANOTHER DOES HE HAVE THE HEART AS A TEAMER TO SHARE THAT PASSION WITH HIM.

>> SAME QUESTION TO YOU.

YOUR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, WHAT WAS YOUR RESEARCH.

>> YOU KNOW, MY RESEARCH WAS MY LIFE.

LITERALLY A YEAR AGO TO DATE, MARCH 16th, WAS ONE WHEN HAD TO LEAVE FROM BRAZIL, I WAS PERFORMING THERE AND THEY SUSPENDED THAT TIME MY PERFORMANCE, AND HAVING THINGS SLOWLY BUT SURELY MANY THINGS TAKEN AWAY, ONE AT A TIME, I THINK, I THINK IT WAS MORE PERSONAL AND HOW I AM DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC, YES, AS OF LATE.

I HAVE BEEN TEACHING.

AND AT MANY TIMES THE STUDENTS WHO ARE THERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE THERE.

AND THERE IS NO TRUE COMMITMENT, IN A CANNOT BLAME THAT ON THEM.

THEY HAVE TO FIND IT AMONG THEIR OWN, BUT I, I LITERALLY WENT TO MY LIFE, WHAT I WAS EXPERIENCING DURING THIS COVID-19 ERA AND SHOW I CAN BRING THAT ENERGY ACROSS.

>> AND WHAT IS YOUR CONVERSATION, THE CONVERSATION YOU HOPE WE THE AUDIENCE HAS AFTER WE WATCH THE PERFORMANCESES?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?

THIS CONCEPT IS SO RELATABLE AND SOME PEOPLE ARE VERY SCARED TO TALK ABOUT IT.

WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW INFORMATION PEOPLE WELL AUTISM AND WE TEND TO LOOK AWAY AND TURN THE OTHER CHEEK BUT WE ALL NOTICED THAT DURING THIS PANDEMIC ART, MUSIC, IT IS WHAT ACTUALLY HAS GOTTEN US THROUGH IT AND HAS BEEN OUR SAVING GRACE AND I THINK ONCE THEY SEE THIS PRODUCTION THEY WILL SEE THE SAVING GRACE OF PENNEY, WHAT BRINGS THE LIGHT OUT OF HER AND, YES, HOW SHE IS FORCED TO MAKE DECISIONS, TOUGH DECISIONS, BUT WE ALL LIVED THAT THIS PAST YEAR.

>> WOW.

DOUGLAS, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOU, THIS COMPOSING OF PENNEY, NO DOUBT ARE PROUD OF YOUR SINGERS FOR LOOK OF A BETTER TERM.

SO HOW DO YOU FEEL?

HERE WE ARE IN 2021 MOVING ON IN THIS NEW NORMAL, THE SHOW GUESS ON.

TELL US MORE.

>> THE SHOW DOES GO ON.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IS INTERESTING TIME AND I THINK WE HAVE A CHOICE, VERY MUCH LIKE PENNEY HAS A CHOICE.

SHE HAD CHOICE WHETHER TO GIVE IN TO HER DESPAIR AT THE LOSS OF UNCLE RAY MACHINE AND HER SITUATION OR SHE HAD A CHOICE TO EMBRACE THE MUSIC AND GO AND SING AND GO BE HERE SELF AND BE THIS NEW PERSON THAT SHE DIDN'T THINK SHE COULD BE BEFORE NECESSARILY AND I THINK, WE'RE ALL FACEDDED WITH THAT.

YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGES COME THROUGHOUT LIFE.

COVID IS NOT THE ONLY CHALLENGE.

I FIND THE CHALLENGE VEIN SIX CHILDREN, SO THAT JUST MULTIPLIES EXPONENTIALLY THE CHALLENGES THAT COME WHAN WE DO WITH THOSE CHALLENGES, I HEARD A NAN I FOLLOW RECENTLY.

HE WAS THE FIGHTER PILOT.

YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T CHOOSE THE WEATHER ARE BE PROBLEMS I WOULD HAVE.

BUT I COULD CHOOSE HOW I RY RESPONDED TO THEM.

AND A CALMNESS AND A RETURNING TO THE FUNDAMENTALS WAS ALWAYS WHAT I TRIED TO DO AND SO THE FUNDAMENTS FOR EVERYON ARE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BUT, I THINK THAT FUNDAMENTAL THAT WE ALL HAVE IS THERE IS GOING TO BE CHALLENGE.

AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RISE ABOVE IT AND TO MAYBE EVEN FIND NEW THINGS THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE FOUND WITHOUT THE CHALLENGE.

ALL RIGHT.

SOMETIMES THE CHALLENGES CAN BRING US TO NEW PLACES THAT WE NEVER COULD HAVE REACHED WITHOUT THE CHALLENGE.

SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL FIND WAY AND PERHAPS END PENNY CAN BE A WAY TO HELP OTHERS FIND THAT NEW PLACE.

>> CLAUDE CHAP PA PLAYING PENNEY.

WHAT DO YOU LEAD US WITH?

I LEAVE WITH YOU, WELL, A BIG THANK YOU TO DO THIS FOR ALL AND BEING A PART OF THIS PATH AND THANK FOR YOU.

KEEP YOUR VOICE STEADY.

WHAT DO YOU LEAVE US WITH.

WELL, DOUG STATED BEAUTIFULLY.

EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE.

FIND NEW THINGS THAT MAKE YOU AND THAT YOU CAN GIVE TO THE UNIVERSE AND JUST GIVE BEAUTIFUL POSITIVE ENERGY TO EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE.

>> WONNER .

THANK YOU FOR YOU PLAYING GARY.

WE HAVE GOT A COUPLE TWO OR THREE MINUTE FOR YOU, EMILY, TOIVE GO US SOME OF THE BIG PICTURE.

THERE IS A PANEL DISCUSSION I UNDERSTANDS THAT IS INVOLVED.

THERE IS.

EXCUSE ME.

WHEN WE AS COMPANY SET OUT TO PRODUCE PENNEY.

THE FIRST THING WE WANTED TO DO WAS TO CAST AN AUTISTIC OPERA SINGER BECAUSE WE RECK MY THAT REPRESENTATION NOT ONLY MATTER BUT IT IS CRUCIAL FOR ANY PROCESS THAT RELIES ON PARTICULAR POPPIC PARTICULAR TOPIC.

A PARTICULAR PERSON OR DIFFERENCE BUT WHAT WE DISCOVERED WAS THAT FEW ARTISTS WERE WILLING TO DISCLOSE THEIR AUTISM AND WE WANTED TO CHANGE THAT.

AND NOW, WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT CLAUDIA WAS, YOU KNOW, SO WILLING TO RESEARCH AND PLAY THIS ROLE WELL THE SENSITIVITY IT DEMANDS AND SHE DID A REMARKABLE JOB AND BUT, BUT IT WAS -- WAY WANTED TO CREATE CONVERSATION.

OUR COMPANY VIEWED THIS VERY MUCH AS OUR RESPONSEK TO START A CONVERSATION ABOUT AUTISM IN THE ARTS PARTICULARLY HOW, HOW OUR ARTISTS WHO HAVE AUTISM OR JUST THE GENERAL AUTISTIC AUDIENCE AND SO IN THE PRODUCTION YOU WILL SEE A SENSITIVITY WARNING ABOUT LIGHT AND SOUND BEFORE PRODUCTION BEGINS VIRTUALLY THEN YOU WILL SEE THE PANEL DISCUSSION WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL WITH AUTISM, DOUG THE COME POSITIONERS ON THE PANEL ALONG WITH THE DOCTOR AND PAM LEG GREAT THE AUTISM SUPPORT OF KENT COUNTY SO WE PUT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER, WHO GIVE US THE BIG PICTURE WHAT IT IS LIKE RIGHT NOW IN THE ARTISTIC EN SCOON FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM AND IT IS A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION SO TUNE IN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHOW TO SEE THIS.

>> WONDERFUL.

WELL, WE KNOW AS OF THIS CONVERSATION, THE SHOW HAS BEEN GOING ON, A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO SPREAD THE WORDS SO TELL ME, WALK ME THROUGH HOW I CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THIS EMILY.

>> 1:00 GO TO OPERA GR!

ORG, TICKETS ARE $40.

YOU WILL BE E-MAILED A LINK AND A PASSWORD AND ONCE YOU PUT YOUR PASSWORD INTO THE LINK, YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO DO THE PRODUCTION, THEN, THEN THE SHOW, THE PANEL DISCUSSION GOES ALONG WITH THAT AUTOMATICALLY AND SO YOU WILL GET SEE BOTH.

1:00.

>> GREAT.

ALL RIGHT THIS NEW NORMAL, WELL, THE SHOW IS GOING ON.

THE SHOW GOES ON AND CONTINUES SUCCESS TO ALL OF YOU AND WE'LL GO OUT WITH CERTAINLY MORE CLIPS FROM THE SHOW, SO IN OUR NEW NORMAL, COME ON BACK TO GRAND RAPIDS, AND WELL GET A YOU IN THE STUDIO.

ONE MORE TIME, BEST WAY TO FIND OUT THOSE TICKETS.

>> OPERA GR!

ORG.

>> GREAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL OF YOU PENNEY.

PART OF OUR OPERA GRAND RAPIDS.

THANK YOU.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> IF YOUR ORGANIZATION WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR COMMUNITY CONNECTION SEGMENT OR YOU HAVE AN EVENT THAT YOU LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE COMMUNITY CALENDAR.