Penn State School of Music to Host Two Family-Friendly Performances in November

Children and families will have two opportunities to experience live music and theater at Penn State this month through a free opera and an interactive concert inspired by Pennsylvania folklore. The university's School of Music will present "Dragon's Breath" at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Recital Hall in the Music Building on the University Park campus. Admission is free, and families can join lobby activities starting at 12:45 p.m. The second performance, "Critters, Creatures, and Tall Tales: A Hero's Journey," is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, also in the Recital Hall. Tickets are $16.50 for adults and $9 for students and are available through Penn State's Arts Ticket Center. "Dragon's Breath" is a roughly 50-minute opera composed by Evan Mack with libretto by Joshua McGuire. Directed by Professor Dawn Pierce, the production follows 11-year-old Alan as he learns to manage his anger, represented by an imaginary dragon. The opera combines music, humor and stor