Who: Irvine residents Lindsey Turteltaub, Nora Mally and Ben Drury, Mandy Zemcik, Michelle Fuchs and Brian Veith.

What: Opera Pacific Opera Camp production of "The Princess and the Pea;" Greg A. Fortner, director; Henri Venanzi, conductor; Steven Innskeep, choreographer.

When: Friday and Saturday, Aug. 8 and 9, at 7 p.m., with 3 p.m. matinee Sunday, Aug. 10.

Where: Claire Trevor Theatre, West Peltason Drive and Mesa Road, on the UC Irvine campus.

Cost: $25 general, $15 children 18 and under, in advance; $30 all seats at the door.

Information: (800) 34-OPERA.

Opera Camp members work onstage, backstage for ‘Princess and the Pea’

Mike Schwartz/Irvine World News Lindsey Turteltaub, Nora Mally and Mandy Zemcik (from left) work as stage managers during Opera Pacific’s summer camp for high school students.

They just enjoy their operas.

Majorly.

That’s the catchword among the six Irvine students involved in “The Princess and the Pea,” an adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, the culmination of the three-week-long Opera Camp put on by Opera Pacific, which will be shown to the public Aug. 8-10 at the UC Irvine Claire Trevor Theatre.

“ I love opera majorly,” said Lindsey Turteltaub, who came up with the catchword three years ago, when she and Opera Camp bowed together; they have been inseparable ever since. “I can’t sing operatically, but I do love watching opera and have, ever since I was 3.”

Hence, Lindsey, who has worked as part of the technical staff from the start, returns this year as co-assistant stage manager with Mandy Zemcik, who’s back for her second Opera Camp.

“ I know I’m having fun — majorly,” said Mandy. “I really like the adults and the kids. Normally, you find a few who aren’t focused and so they disrupt things for everyone else. But in this case, everyone wants to be here and so everyone is focused.”

Lindsey handles stage-right duties and all the props while Mandy is in charge of stage left and costumes.

“ And I call cues given to me by (stage manager) Jennifer Cook — who’s a goddess,” Lindsey said. “Opera Camp reaches out to kids.”

“ Majorly,” shouted Nora Mally, returning for her third Opera Camp as assistant director and completing a sort of Irvine tech triumvirate. “It gives youth an avenue into professional opera.”

“ That’s cool, I like that,” Lindsey said.

“ And a way to express themselves through operatic means,” said Nora, who added that, as assistant director, she gets “to observe the styles that different directors use in directing children.”

“ The camp is a really cool way for people to get exposed to opera,” Lindsey said.

“ And you’re not treated as children (but) given responsibilities as an adult so you know what a professional opera performer has to do,” said Michelle Fuchs, in her first Opera Camp after listening to Lindsey and Mandy talk it up to her.

“ I like working with all the directors of the camp,” said Brian Veith, also in his first Opera Camp, after being urged on by his voice teacher, Mary Amorosia, to audition. “I’m getting a feel as to what it’s like working with professional opera people.”

“ The people running the camp are involved with opera professionally, either with Opera Pacific or some other company, so they’re able to give us a clear indication as to what we should do as professionals,” Michelle said.

“ I like how your fellow teachers respect you on an adult level if you respect them. It makes me feel like a professional,” said Ben Drury, who is in his second Opera Camp.

“ And 25 percent of Opera Camp is the show itself, but 75 percent is learning about the era, the costumes and the culture of the opera, which I really like. I learn more than how to sing my role.”

The Irvine students run the gamut of Opera Camp experience from Lindsey (all four years) to Michelle and Brian (their first each).

Lindsey, Nora and Ben are all 15 and go to the Orange County High School of the Arts. Mandy, 16, Michelle, 16, and Brian, 17, attend Irvine High School.

“ At first, I was a little wary of the opera,” admitted Michelle, who plays Second Princess Prospect. “But since I’ve actually listened to ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ and other (Gilbert and Sullivan), I’m enjoying it more and more.

“ And I have fun playing this real snooty, aristocratic girl who wants to be a princess but isn’t very smart — none of the Princess Prospects are — and misinterprets the question, ‘Where does the King keep his Royal Army?’ I say, ‘In his Royal Sleevey.’”

“ I play the Royal Messenger,” said Brian, who is working concurrently on another show, “The Music Man,” for Musical Theatre Village. “He likes to hear the sound of his own voice, is full of himself.”

“ And likes to flirt with the girls,” Lindsey interrupted.

“ Not a lot,” Brian said.

“ Some,” Nora offered.

“ I’m Vendor Three,” said Ben, like Brian also working two shows simultaneously (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for Liberty Performing Arts in Los Alamitos). “I sell bread. People crowd around me singing about bread, jam and tea. I’m pretty popular.”

Of the three performers, only Ben participated in another Opera Camp — last year’s “The Empress and the Nightingale.”

“ I loved it — majorly."