Opera Night on the Prado

North End Against Drugs received a grant from the Boston Foundation’s My Summer In The City’s funding initiative.  NEAD worked with NEAMPAC and ROC Teen Saturday to put several events during the summer for North End Families, Teens and Seniors.  On July 15th, ROC put on one of their famous Movie Nights in the Gassy.  Old time favorite E.T. – was shown.  Over 100 people attended and Pizza Regina donated pizza.  NEAD through the Boston Foundation Grant provided drinks, snacks and slush for the crowd.

Wanting to do something different from our typical programs, NEAD collaborated with The North End Music and Perfroming Arts Center to put on three special Free Family Fun Nights.  NEMPAC Director Becca Griffin and PMI Coordinator Sheri Snow immediately went to work and came up with three fabulous events.  Last week they did a musical themed Arts and Crafts night along with an insrument petting zoo.  You could make your own Gold Record, play the drums or piano or make a shaker instrument amongst many other things.  Over 35 families attended.

Last night we had Opera Night in the North End on the Paul Revere Mall Thanks to the Boston Foundation and My Summer In The City.  We had over 150 attendees including Children, Teenagers, Parents Grandparents.  BNN was there for a second week and did some nice interviews and also taped the whole evening which ran from 6pm to about 10pm.  It was unbelieveable.  NEMPAC’s Children’s Theater Troupe performed to open up the event.  There were theater games, costume stations and more.  Next was an awesome performance from Opera del West featuring special scences from Mozart’s “the Magic Flute”.  They were incredible.  Lastly there was Tag -team opera with four local Boston Opera singers and Q & A with the artists.

This was a first for NEMPAC, NEAD and the North End and it was absolutely beautiful!  A real team effort between NEAD, NEMPAC and the Boston Foundation!  I want to add that Becca Griffin and Sherri Snow of NEMPAC did a fabulous job organizing this event for us!