Opera Singers Learn to Play Doctor

On April 7, 2010, volunteer doctors and nurses at Harborview Medical Center showed a team of actors and singers from Seattle Opera how to enact the "Resuscitation scene" in the upcoming world premiere opera, Amelia. It was an amazing night, an emotional experience ranging from tears to laughter.

First, Harborview staff performed a simulated Code Blue for a 12 year-old boy who suffered internal injuries after a great fall (the scene that happens in the opera). Following a discussion, performers and hospital staff broke into teams to practice CPR on dummies; things lightened up with the lesson that the best rhythm for CPR is the same beat as the BeeGees’ “Stayin’ Alive” (so singers and supers all performed CPR on their dummies while disco dancing). Finally the opera performers, closely monitored by hospital staff, practiced the resuscitation again, by then laughing and joking as friends.

To watch more videos or learn more about Seattle Opera's production of Amelia, visit the Seattle Opera website.