"The Backstage Pass! is a family-friendly introduction to the world of opera and this production of The Scorpion's Sting. Filled with insights, information, and activities — the Backstage Pass! is a wonderful way to enhance your performance experience.

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While lost in the Egyptian desert, a group of archaeology students try to help their professor. He has been stung by a scorpion. They stumble upon the Lost Temple of Isis, the ancient Egyptian goddess of healing. The students attempt to find a cure by reading the hieroglyphs. This mythic story unfolds before them…

At a banquet in his honor, King Osiris is tricked by his jealous brother, Set, who wants to be the king. Set brings out an ornate chest and says that whoever fits inside the chest will win it. The prize thrills the banquet guests, but it’s a trick. Set built the chest to only fit Osiris. Closing the lid on the king, Set has the chest thrown in the Nile River. He imprisons Queen Isis as a slave in a weaving house in the middle of the desert.

With the help of her sister Nephthys and a magic sistrum, Isis journeys through the desert to a small seaside town led by seven scorpions. An arrogant rich woman turns Isis away, but a poor fisherman gives her shelter. As revenge, the scorpions sting the rich woman’s baby. Isis is angry at the scorpions and casts a spell to heal the child — a spell that cures the victims of the scorpions’ sting.

Back in the temple, the students now understand the story of Isis. Can this ancient spell heal their professor, too?

Lyric’s presentation of Scorpions’ Sting is generously made possible by the Mazza Foundation and CIBC with major support from the Nancy W. Knowles Student and Family Performances Fund.

Presented in collaboration with the Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts.

Photos: Michael Brosilow