Familiezondag: Rightaboutnow Inc. en De Nationale Opera - Lennox (8+)

RIGHTABOUTNOW INC. and De Nationale Opera are adapting the exciting children's book Lennox en de gouden sikkel by Zindzi Zevenbergen, Hedy Tjin and Brian Elstak into a dynamic hip-hop opera. A musical story about courage, friendship and the discovery that your world grows bigger when you know more.

Lennox knows that his father suffers from a mysterious illness, but he is not told exactly what is going on. When his father forgets to take his lucky charm with him to a hospital appointment one day, Lennox decides to follow him together with his best friend.

Multi-instrumentalist and producer Bnnyhunna (Benjamin Ankomah) is writing his first opera with Lennox. He received the Buma Music in Media Award in 2023 for his music at the intersection of jazz, gospel, afro and hip-hop. For the composition of Lennox, Bnnyhunna is collaborating with Neo Muyuanga, the composer of Hoe ANANSI de stories of the world bevrijdde. Maarten van Hinte (Toneelschrijfprijs 2023) is adapting the book into an opera libretto and Marjorie Boston is directing.

During the creative process, text and music were further developed during work sessions in the studio with the artistic team, musicians and cast. The process is inspired by working methods from hip-hop (the cypher) and jazz, but also by the Camerata fiorentina, the group of artists and thinkers who were at the cradle of the very first operas at the end of the 16th century.

Award-winning children's book Lennox en de gouden sikkel

For the original book, author Zindzi Zevenbergen received the Zilveren Griffel in 2022; illustrators Hedy Tjin and Brian Elstak won the Zilveren Penseel. Their lively illustrations are a major source of inspiration for the look and feel of this performance. The book was created in collaboration with IXL Sickle Cell Awareness, an organization dedicated to raising more awareness for sickle cell disease.