Going strong

Opera in the Neighborhoods introduces young people to the art form — and, this season, to the history of women’s rights.

“We are delighted to offer students an opportunity to experience opera through the Opera in the Neighborhoods program,” says Jill LeCesne Potter, Senior Director of Learning Programs for Lyric Unlimited. Through Opera in the Neighborhoods, Lyric brings the wonder of opera to young audiences outside the opera house, presenting live performances of youth-focused operas at venues across the Chicago area. By bringing opera directly to students, Opera in the Neighborhoods ensures that audiences across a wide range of communities can enjoy and be inspired by live performances. Lyric Unlimited also offers many resources for teachers to bring the arts into the classroom and integrate production themes into their curriculum. All student performances are presented free of charge, reflecting Lyric’s commitment to community engagement.

This season, Opera in the Neighborhoods returns with a tour of Katie: The Strongest of the Strong, a bold new opera for young audiences inspired by the life and legacy of circus strongwoman Katie Sandwina. Through the tour, Lyric Unlimited will introduce thousands of students in grades 3–6 to the magic of opera and the important history of women’s rights through an inspiring true story of resilience, justice, and community. Composed by Faye Chiao with a libretto by Anton Dudley, Katie: The Strongest of the Strong brings the true story of a powerful figure in women’s history to the stage. Katie Sandwina — a legendary circus strongwoman — earned the title of “the strongest woman in the world.” She lived a life that defied the expectations for women of her time, not only performing as a strongwoman, but also being a wife, mother, and activist. Sandwina brought her incredible strength — and her voice — to the fight for women’s rights, helping to lead the women’s suffrage movement in the early 1900s.

A celebration of women’s courage, strength, and confidence, Katie: The Strongest of the Strong includes an all-female cast. The Opera in the Neighborhoods tour features soprano Lauren Ingebrigtsen — who also works with Lyric Unlimited as a teaching artist — taking on the role of “the strongest of the strong” as Sandwina. Ingebrigtsen, who this season worked with a class at St. Frances of Rome to create and perform an original opera as part of Lyric Unlimited’s Elementary Opera Residency, brought lessons learned from teaching children in the classroom to her work performing for them on stage.

“You have to be attuned to and interacting with your audience, who may be unpredictable at times,” she says. “Kids — and truthfully, any audience — will bring the vibe that you bring to them. If you are excited, they will be too. If you take something seriously, they will too,” she explains. “This show has some heartfelt moments and a really timely message for young people, so even though it is a children’s opera, the whole cast really treated it with the sincerity with which you’d treat something like verismo.”

The fall stretch of the Opera in the Neighborhoods tour took place in October and November, bringing Katie: The Strongest of the Strong across Chicago and the suburbs for nine student performances and one public performance. One was particularly special, as Ingebrigtsen’s Elementary Opera Residency students from St. Frances of Rome were in attendance. After working to explore, understand, and create opera together, the class was able to attend a live opera performance, with their teaching artist in the leading role.

“I felt like I was Maria Callas! I have never had an audience cheer like that in all my life,” Ingebrigtsen reflects on the experience. “The students were getting up, dancing, crying, laughing, clapping, and cheering any chance they got. Kids want to be a part of the opera and we get to give them that chance.” This full-circle moment was a highlight for the Lyric Unlimited team who helped to make it happen, as well.

“It is always a meaningful opportunity for students to experience working with a teaching artist to bring an opera of their own creation to life. But for these students, watching their teaching artist in the role of Katie Sandwina was unforgettable,” Potter says. “Seeing so many awestruck faces in the theater and hearing their cheers of ‘Bravo!’ for Lauren is something truly special.”

The Opera in the Neighborhoods tour of Katie: The Strongest of the Strong continues this spring with several school and public performances, including two at Kennedy-King College on Saturday, May 2, 2026. You can also experience abridged performances of Katie: The Strongest of the Strong at Explore Your Lyric on Sunday, April 26.