Houston Grand Opera’s (HGO) Opera to Go! presents the world premiere of Monkey & Francine in the City of Tigers, with music by rising composer Kamala Sankaram and libretto by David Johnston, February 2 and 3, 9:30 and 11 a.m. both days, at Heinen Theater, 3517 Austin St., Houston. Performances are free. The 45-minute family opera is inspired by Indian and Chinese mythology and includes music influenced by Bollywood. A hilarious fable, Monkey & Francine in the City of Tigers demonstrates the power of teamwork as a monkey prince and his brainy sister outwit a hungry crocodile and escape from the City of Tigers. The opera is a co-commission of HGO’s HGOco arm with American Lyric Theater, which presented a partially staged performance in New York City earlier in January. Seen and Heard International noted, “the libretto was sophisticated and fresh, while the music was witty and eclectic. You tapped your toes and found yourself singing along.”

“Though we envisioned this opera for children, the whole family will love it,” says Carleen Graham, director of HGOco. “Kamala and David have created a new classic for 21st-century families.”

In addition to the free public performances, an Opera to Go! tour of the opera is scheduled from January 29 through May 18, 2018. Dates are still available. Opera to Go! presents fully staged, high-energy operas in schools, libraries, and community centers in the Greater Houston area. Performances, sung in English, are approximately 45 minutes long and are designed for today's young audiences. They are recommended for grades two through eight but often appeal to adults as well. Teachers receive a study guide in advance to help students gain context about the operas. For questions and information about booking an Opera to Go! performance, please call 713-546-0231 or email OperaToGo@hgo.org For financial assistance, schools or nonprofits should contact Anina Moore at the Texas Commission on the Arts at 512-936-6573. Visit www.arts.texas.gov for more information.

Praised as “strikingly original” (New York Times), composer Kamala Sankaram has received commissions from Beth Morrison Projects, HERE Arts Center, Opera on Tap, and Anthony Braxton’s Tri-Centric Orchestra, among others. She is the recipient of a Jonathan Larson Award from the American Theater Wing and has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, MAP Fund, Opera America, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Meet the Composer, the Augustine Foundation, the Anna Sosenko Trust, and the Asian Women’s Giving Circle. Residencies and fellowships include the MacDowell Colony, the Watermill Center, the Citizens, HERE Arts Center, CAP21, Con Edison/Exploring the Metropolis, the Hermitage, and American Lyric Theater. As a performer, Sankaram has been hailed as “an impassioned soprano with blazing high notes” (Wall Street Journal).