Apenootje (orig)   / Erdnüsschen

Music theatre / opera for kids 6-8 about a ZOO in distress, all kinds of monkey business - and how the animals save the day!

Libretto                            Thijs Maas and Roxanne Hellevoort,  based on 

                                                an idea by Katinka Reinders       

Deutsch                             Barbara Buri    

English                                Xandra Knebel

Commission                    Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

Premiere                           Febuary 12, 2016, De Doelen in Rotterdam 

German premiere        May 10, 2019, Neuss (Düsseldorf) with 

                                                 Sinfonietta  VivazzA

Eva has her own zoo and spoils her animals quite a bit. She massages their feet, rubs their backs, even peels the peanuts for them. The animals are very lazy and sleep most of the day, how boring! There are no visitors and the mayor of the city sends Eva a letter, notifying her of its closure tomorrow. Eva tries to think of new ways to make money, make a commercial, rent her animals to a Circus. But they're too lazy… 

At night a demolition team appears at the Zoo.  All animals are protesting but to no avail, they are arrested by the police.

Will they be able to escape and help Eva to keep her zoo?

Cast and crew at the Dutch premiere

Singer/actress            Christine de Boer

Members of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra  

Musical director       Monique Krüs

Director                        Bart Oomen

Cast and crew at the German premiere:

Singer/actress            Julia Langeder

Members of  Sinfonietta VivazzA

Musical director       Pamela Coats

Director                        Guta Rau

This production was 

made possible with 

support of the FPK