About Opera Daisy
The story of “Daisy” is based on the life of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of The Girl Scouts of the United States of America. The opera showcases Ms. Low’s life through the complexities of composition and score, the charming costumes and sets, the clever staging, the beauty of the voices, and the dramatic talents of the performers. They all serve to educate and expose students to joy of opera at no cost to the audience.
History & Production
Written by Julia Smith, this opera was commissioned in part by the Young Patronesses of the Opera in the early 1970’s. The premiere performances took place in the Miami-Dade County Auditorium, on November 3-4, 1973, under the direction of Dr. Warren Broome and was produced by Roberta Rymer Balfe. It was performed throughout the United States many times over the next decade.
In April of 2010, the Young Patronesses of the Opera brought it back to the stage thanks to Julie Todaro, YPO’s 2009-10 President. What a thrill it was to perform “Daisy” again at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium, where it premiered almost 40 years earlier for an audience of over 6,000 middle school children and Girl Scouts. It was produced and co-directed by Ms. Todaro and co-directed by Dr. Warren Broome (the original director). It was dedicated to Julie’s mother (Louise P. Todaro) who was involved in the original production as a past president of YPO and current President the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida in 1973. The 2010 production was again a smashing success as the original performance, and we hope to showcase it again!
Praise & Success
The Miami Herald’s music critic in the 70’s, James Roos, stated that Daisy was “a vivid, colorful, spirited show, part opera, part Broadway musical, all pleasure.”
It also received high acclaims from the the Girl Scouts of America Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida who participated in the production.
AWARD: Opera Volunteers International (OVI) recognized YPO with a special award for their production of the Opera “Daisy” at their 2010 Convention.