Lyric Unlimited, the branch of the Lyric Opera of Chicago will present “Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt,”  as its opera for young people.

The work, which was created by composer John Musto and librettist/director Eric Einhorn especially for children between ages seven and 12 and their families, is an operatic adventure which explores the crossroads of science and creativity from a child’s perspective.

The opera, which had its world premiere with On Site Opera, will star soprano Boya Wei as Rhoda, baritone Nicholas Ward as Charles R. Knight, tenor Aaron Short as Dr. Henry Osborn, and mezzo-soprano Leah Dexter as the Cavewoman/Tyrannosaurus Rex. The instrumentalists will include Leslie Grimm (clarinet and bass clarinet), Eliza Bangert (flute), and Beilin Han (piano and music supervisor). “Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt” will be presented as a co-production with On-Site Opera and the Pittsburgh Opera.

The work will be staged at the Francis W. Parker School and will also be shown for student groups in and around Chicago as part of Lyric Unlimited’s Opera in the Neighborhoods program.

Performances of “Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt” are slated for Nov. 10 and 11, 2018.