Sarasota Youth Opera to Stage Rachel J. Peters' 'Rootabaga Country'

Sarasota Youth Opera will present Rachel J. Peters' one-act opera "Rootabaga Country" on Nov. 7 and 8, 2026.

The production stars tenor Dylan Schang and baritone Riley Findley. Jessé Martins conducts, and Martha Collins directs. Twelve-year-old Abril Sanchez-Rodriguez also stars in the leading role.

"This is my first main role, and it is amazing to be in the center of the story," Sanchez-Rodriguez said. "I love everything about this magical opera. I hope the audience will feel what I feel and be uplifted by the beautiful music."

The Youth Opera Program at Sarasota Opera has operated since 1984. It has become a national model for opera education, offering instruction from noted professionals in the opera industry and participation in main stage opera productions, concerts, and summer programs.

The November 2026 staging of "Rootabaga Country" will give young singers like Sanchez-Rodriguez the kind of main-stage leading role the program has built its reputation on over four decades.