Chloe and the Magical Christmas Forest (“Fa-la-la”)
Commissioned and produced by TADA! Youth Theater in New York City, Chloe and the Magical Christmas Forest is a musical fable. Presents appear in a magical forest only on Christmas Eve and the villagers learn a valuable lesson about the importance of giving to others. In this scene, the villagers prepare to hunt for the presents (it is followed by a reprise of Fa-la-la after the final curtain).
A type of hybrid opera/musical that is entirely sung, Chloe and the Magical Christmas Forest may be performed by any combination of adults and/or children. At its premiere, it was performed entirely by young people ages 5-18, with a conductor and chamber accompaniment of flute, violin, cello and percussion.
Fa-la-la may be performed independently by treble chorus and piano.