Maggie and Kate Bradley

Kate and Maggie Bradley, 14-year-old daughters of Frank and Mary Bradley, have been part of the Opera Wilmington family for several years. They have attended our Opera Camp! each summer to learn about all aspects of staging an opera, from A (acting) to X (X-fade) — sorry, apparently there is no “Y” or “Z” in theatrical terms.

Read, in their own words, what drew them to Opera Wilmington in the first place and what keeps them waiting in the wings for our next production!

What was your first experience with opera?
Kate: Participating in Opera Camp in 2017 (Carmen)
Maggie: Seeing the performance of Carmen.

What experiences have you enjoyed most at Opera Camp?
Kate: I loved the whole thing, from getting to perform with a real opera company to working on costumes and sets.
Maggie: I liked being in the operas and love performing. It was also cool to work on the sets.

What productions have you been in?
Kate: Carmen, La Bohème, Die Fledermaus
Maggie: La Bohème, Die Fledermaus

What have you enjoyed most about being on stage and performing in an opera? What has been surprising?
Kate: I loved performing with other people and learning stage directions – the whole thing was so much fun. Biggest surprise was in making props – how plastic cutlery could become a beautiful chandelier [this was for Die Fledermaus – ed.].
Maggie: I love being on stage and singing with a group – I just love performing. Surprising – How much goes into the costume design and how great they all looked.

Has your experience inspired you to stay involved with musical performance, or music in general?
Kate: Yes, I love music and will continue to be involved somehow.
Maggie: Definitely. I hope to get back to some kind of performing after the pandemic. Opera Camp also inspired me to keep singing and playing music in my free time.

What else do you do musically?
Kate: I play the cello and am a member of the Wilmington Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Maggie: I love to sing, play guitar, ukulele and piano and write songs.