Making pigs of themselves

As a hip-hop rendition of "Big Bad Wolf" thumped in the community room at Providence Elementary School, 80 eager second-graders crowded the stage in anticipation of show time.

Friends and family jockeyed for position, angling cameras and camcorders to capture their children performing "The Three Piggy Opera."

The story was familiar, the classic tale of a hungry wolf, whose appetite puts him on the trail of three little pigs, who are forced on the run in fear of being eaten. But Providence's portrayal sparkled with youthful authenticity, as four second-grade classes commanded every aspect of the production, from the narrators, the actors, the singers, right down to set and prop designers.

"The kids had a lot to say about how they wanted it to look," second-grade teacher Kris Heinsberg said.

When the curtain was pulled back, a cluster of papier-mâché clouds floated over homemade trees.

"Oink, oink, diggidy dear, the three-piggy opera you're now going to hear," the ensemble chorus exclaimed.

Characters took turns at the microphone delivering their lines from memory and performing playful tunes.

"Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" Rakkell Villagomez, 7, and Camila Franco, 8, sang in duet, rendering an accidental harmony that seemed fitting given the wagging fingers of chorus members in the background.

Rakkell, who has sung before at church and holiday events, said she was not nervous at all about being on stage.

"I felt excited and happy that every one was here," she said.

And memorizing her lines was a breeze, she added.

"It's easy to do," she said. "Just say the words over and over and you'll remember them."

Patrick Lance, 8, who played the big bad wolf, punctuated the performance with a jazzy, zealous growl that likely won him the role.

"The mean growl just came naturally," he said.

Behind the scenes, Corey Collar, 8, relished her role as controller of the special effects.

"I like switching the lights on and off for the wolf song, and opening and shutting the curtains," she said.

The staging was the culmination of a performance arts curriculum, which furnishes students with skills such as storytelling abilities, improvisation and creating costumes and props, Heinsberg said.

"For kids who are really shy it gives them a good outlet," she said. It gives them a self-confidence that they will take with them. It gives them a chance to find their voice."