Iselin Youngster Sings in Light Opera Company

Operantics, a Middlesex County-based light opera company, will stage “Feather,Flirting and Far Away Places”, at the Sayreville Main Street Theatre on Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16 at 8 pm.

This is the group’s fifth production and are, for the first time, including a chorus of ten children from Middlesex County. Nine-year-old resident Andrew Fedors is one of the performers. Andrew, who studies piano at the Westerhoff School with Operantics co-founder and director Janette Goleme, said, “I really like to act, and my favorite part of this is that I get to carry a saber and march in the street children’s chorus from Carmen.”

His mother, Maurica Fedors, added, “I am happy Andrew is getting this opportunity. It has brought the joy back to singing for him, and now I hear him singing around the house all the time.”

Other children performing from the immediate area are Serena Ng from Edison, and Sena, Kai, and Jun Gesteland, from Metuchen. Ten-year-old Serena, who also studies piano (and sometimes voice) loves the theatre.

“I like the story of Hansel and Gretel and really love to sing," she said.

Sena, Kai, and Jun Gesteland were thrilled with performing: “We really like performing and enjoy wearing costumes in the Gingerbread chorus of Hansel and Gretel.”

“I like performing because it makes people happy," Kai added. Their co-producer father, Lester Gesteland, said, “We have a lot of new additions to this program. The most exciting ones are the two children’s choruses. Having kids on the stage has opened up a whole new dimension to the shoe and added new meaning to the “antics” in Operantics.

“It’s been very exciting to see where the past two years have taken us, and how we have grown throughout our five different programs. In addition to our cast of professional classically trained singers, we have added a brilliant dancer, Molly Balseiro, along with the children’s chorus. We also have two narrators and a comedic tour guide," said Amy Suznovich, who serves as co-director and founder of the group with Goleme. 

Featuredexcerpts are from Candide, West Side Story, Follies, Oklahoma, The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, Pearl Fishers, and several other excerpts from Hansel and Gretel and Carmen, besides the children’s choruses.

Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors/students, and $12 for children.These performances are a benefit for  theSayreville Main Street Theatre Company, 3018 Bordentown Avenue in Parlin. To reserve tickets visit www.SMCTC.org or call 732-553-1153.