The Velveteen Rabbit HOPS AGAIN

Once upon a time, every one of us had a doll or stuffed animal that we wished would come to life like Toy Story. Margery Williams's 1922 picture book The Velveteen Rabbit tells just such a story. In it, a plush bunny wishes for nothing more than to become real.

In 2004, composer Mary Carol Warwick and librettist Kate Pogue adapted the book into a new opera—HGO’s 29th world premiere— that would appeal to children’s imaginations. Now, two decades later, the company is reviving The Velveteen Rabbit as part of its traveling Opera to Go! program for students and families, bringing the tale’s lovely music and hopeful message to students and families across the Houston area.

“The Velveteen Rabbit is a tender, magical story that has touched hearts for generations,” said HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor. “With its beautiful score, this sweet opera teaches enduring lessons of belonging, and what it means to have a place in someone’s heart.”

The opera shares the touching story of a sweet stuffed rabbit that is loved by his owner but starts to feel neglected when shinier, newer toys steal the young child’s affection. After the bunny sees the boy through an illness, he’s left behind as contaminated. But because the boy loves him, a fairy makes him real. At the end of the story, he and the boy hug, and then the Velveteen Rabbit hops off into the forest.

When Opera Cues reached Warwick and Pogue to chat about HGO reviving the opera, they expressed delight that two decades on, their creation will find new life on various stages throughout the community. For both, our conversation brought back a flood of cherished memories.

Warwick and Pogue were both students of the legendary American composer Carlisle Floyd, co-founder of HGO’s Butler Studio and a professor at the University of Houston. Floyd was unusual for an opera composer in that he wrote both the music and the texts for his works. From their mentor, Warwick and Pogue learned the value of a solid libretto in creating a successful opera. The creative duo enjoyed a fruitful relationship with HGO over many years. Warwick was a part of ten company-commissioned world premieres, while Pogue was part of six. Three of those works, in addition to The Velveteen Rabbit, were also joint projects between Warwick and Pogue: TEXAS! (1993), Cinderella in Spain (1998), and The Emperor’s New Clothes (2001).

It was Warwick, an animal lover and wildlife rehabilitator, who suggested an operatic adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit. But she credits Pogue’s writing style with helping her understand how a child’s mind works, especially since Pogue had kids of her own and had even authored a few Little Golden Books. “Kate knew what would be appealing, what kids would like,” said Warwick. “And then that gave me a chance to write some fun music.”

Warwick describes her score for The Velveteen Rabbit as “tuneful” and “lush,” with moments of pure entertainment fleshing out the opera to keep children engaged. For example, the pair added new characters including an action figure and a racecar that taunt the rabbit with all the things they can do. Their chorus of “vroom-vroom-vroom” is meant to appeal to kids who might make these kinds of sounds when playing with their Matchbox cars.

Warwick and Pogue have fond memories of taking the show on the road in a Chevy station wagon to schools across Houston. They had to pull out every trick possible to win over children—some of the most brutally honest, toughest critics around. During performances, they carefully observed how their opera was received by young audiences.

“The minute children started to lose attention, we thought, This is the moment that we need to fix because we’re losing the kids here,” said Pogue. “When you have that degree of participation in the planning, the writing, the rehearsing, and the performance of the work—it gradually becomes stronger.”

The pair refined their opera as they went along, gaining fans in students and educators alike. Pogue recalled a memory of a teacher who approached her and Warwick after viewing The Velveteen Rabbit and said, “You have really transformed the children’s idea of what opera is.”

Warwick explained that the enduring appeal of this opera lies in the story’s hopeful message. “It’s transformative,” she said. “The world can change while things that seem impossible can come true. Kids have a great imagination, and it really relates to their dreams and hopes for a better world.”

Both creators are excited that HGO is bringing The Velveteen Rabbit back, sharing its timeless lessons of humanity with the Houston community. “Kindness is so appropriate for today and for the world that kids are growing up in,” said Warwick. “That’s what this is all about, a rabbit longs to be human, and he finally achieves that.”

HGO’s Opera to Go! program will tour The Velveteen Rabbit from March through June, 2026. Grades Pre-K-5. Bring the opera to your school or community space! Contact Community@HGO.org or visit HGO.org/Community.