Janae Burris Narrates Peter and the Wolf at Colorado Musical Festival Family Concert

Ever since actress and comedian Janae Burris first heard Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf when she was in second grade, she'd wanted to serve as the story's narrator. And now, thanks to the Colorado Music Festival, she's able to make that childhood dream a reality.

"I remember a teacher having us put our heads down, shut off the lights and listen to a recording of Peter and the Wolf," Burris recalls. "While my eyes were closed, I vividly remember being able to see whole scenes in my head. The instruments narrate the story quite well, and then they have the voice of an actor underscoring the fairy tale. I immediately fell in love with it and wanted to play the narrator."

Written in 1936 by Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf was designed as a musical symphony to introduce children to individual instruments in the orchestra. The story revolves around Peter, a young boy who lives with his grandfather in the woods, and his battle with a ferocious gray wolf.

Peter and the Wolf will be presented as part of the CMF's annual family concert on Sunday, July 2, at Chautauqua Auditorium. The show, conducted by Kalena Bovell, also includes an upbeat suite from Georges Bizet's "Carmen," featuring local soprano Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson; Eric Whitacre's musical setting of the children's classic "Goodnight Moon"; and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's festive overture celebrating his African culture, "Danse Nègre."
When Burris heard that CMF was programming Peter and the Wolf for its 2023 season, she knew she had to audition.

"I got offered an opportunity to audition by a casting director I know, Grady Soapes, who encouraged me to self-submit," Burris says. "When I got the audition notice, I thought, 'Oh, my God, I want this so badly. Please let me get this part!' I was begging them to give me the role, and so it literally felt like a dream come true when I found out I was going to be playing the narrator."

Burris has been preparing for the role by listening to recordings of other artists, including David Bowie and Richard Baker. "I've been obsessively listening to how these great artists perform the narrator," she says. "I'm excited to make this role my own. I plan on just being very visual with my body. I move a lot when I'm on stage. I just plan on letting the whole thing come through my body. I'm not sure if I'll be standing or sitting, but I know I'll be moving a lot."

All of the characters' voices and physical characteristics are provided by the narrator, who also tells the story. Burris believes that her background in theater and comedy has been good preparation for Peter and the Wolf.

"I studied avant-garde theater in college, but once I got to Colorado, I really jumped into standup comedy," Burris says. "I had gotten really deep into the standup scene when I first moved here, and then, during the pandemic, I got to do a one-woman show at the Aurora Fox called Queens Girl in the World, and that really got me back into the groove of theater. I played like thirteen characters, and so that work really prepared me for this role, in which I have to play Peter, the Grandfather, Bird, Cat, Duck, Wolf and the hunters."

It's important for her performance to support the work of the orchestra, she notes: "We only have one rehearsal all together before the show, and I want to make sure I get the rhythm and timing right. I want to be careful not to step on any of the music, because that's like stepping on another actor's lines, so I have been working on it independently a lot."

Burris plans to bring her young son to the concert. "I'm looking forward to seeing his face — and the faces of the other kids in attendance — as it happens," Burris says. "I think that the music can sound kind of ominous, especially the Wolf and the Grandfather, so I want to see kids get a little nervous about that. I want the kids to root for certain characters, be scared of other characters and have so much fun on this journey with me.

"The Colorado Music Festival is a six-week festival, so I hope people get a chance to come out for more than one show," she adds. "Peter and the Wolf is perfect for the littles and makes for a really fun family time."

Peter and the Wolf, 10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 2, Chautauqua Park, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. Find tickets, times and more information at coloradomusicfestival.org.