North Cambridge Family Opera Company’s American premier of “The Weaver’s Wedding” will be performed the last weekend of this month and the first weekend in
April.

The Weaver’s Wedding or Chincha Chancha Cooroo is adapted from a Bengali folk tale translated by William Radice from a book written by Upendrakishore Raychaudhuri. The music is by Bernard Hughes, the libretto by William Radice, and musical direction by David Bass. Mr. Radice (pronounced ra dee chay I am told), who is currently under consideration for Poet Laureate of Britain, is most well known in the U.S. for his translations of Rabindranath Tagore. Cambridge’s Deborah Mason is the choreographer.

Act one opens with the storyteller spinning his tale to five children. Within the picture frame, the story begins to unfold. Rajah the weaver is so busy with his loom and crops and cow that he loses his cool. Enter the Jackal... The clever Jackal advises the confused weaver, but, Rajah being one mango short of the full chutney, things still go wrong. Feeling sorry and somewhat responsible for the weaver’s plight he promises to see him wed to a princess. The weaver is helped by the villagers and all of the animals to insure the plan’s success.

Set designer Peter Watson has created scenery in the style of an Indian miniature painting within a painted frame. You will be treated to scenes in a small village as well as outside and within the palace.

This is the tenth anniversary season for the North Cambridge Family Opera Company. Past productions include Space Opera, The Coronation of Esther and its sequel Springtime for Haman, The Puzzle Jigs, Antiphony, and Kids Court. According to David Bass, this year’s show has the most complex score they have used to date. The challenging nature of Bernard Hughes’s music has led to some cast shrinkage, but rehearsals are on schedule, everyone in the company is working hard and spirits are high. Great music and singing with professional lighting and sound assure that this will be among the best shows to be seen in town this year. With tickets priced at $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children, this is about the best entertainment value around. If you live in Cambridge, chances are pretty good that you will have friends and neighbors in the cast, too.

Performances will be held at the Andrew Peabody School at 70 Rindge Avenue in Cambridge. For more information click on the Company name at the beginning of this article.

To assure full disclosure I must inform you that I and my family are all involved in this production. And that it is a lot of fun.