Scheherazade promises kids one night of magic.

The set for the Rimsky-Korsakov ballet “Shekherezada” (Scheherazade), according to a pre-1917 sketch by L. Bakst (Wikimedia Commons)

By PEGGY ANN BLISS

Special to The STAR

Scheherazade.

If you can spell it you’ve won half the battle.

But there’s another lesson in this famous ballet by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, one the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra (PRSO), under the baton of Karlo Flores, will serve up on a special plate complete with dancing and narration for families with children. This exotic adventure will be held Saturday at a special time, special price and special invitation to kids under three (usually barred from concerts).

Not that there’ s anything babyish about this lavish presentation, which attendees of all ages will enjoy (if they can take a few misplaced howls of delight).

Once upon a time, there was an Arabian princess named (you know) who offered herself in marriage to a cruel sultan named Shahryar to save the kingdom. The sultan, who was so angry at women (because his first wife had cheated on him) that he set out to punish the whole sex. Every day, he forced one young woman of his kingdom to marry him, and after one day had each one killed. After he had gone through about 300 wives, and there were no more eligible women left, this brave (and very smart) young lady, daughter of his close adviser, married Shahryar over her father’s protestations. When they went to bed the first night, she began telling him a story, but stopped. She waited until the morning to finish the story but immediately started another one. She repeated this ruse for 1001 nights, always leaving him with a cliffhanger ending before he fell asleep.

Each night, she wove story after story -- about Ali Baba and the 40 thieves, about Sinbad the sailor and about Aladdin and his magic lantern, each night remembering to keep Shahryar too intrigued to kill her. Also woven into her stories were lessons of love, mercy and justice.

Meanwhile, the sultan got the message and the couple even had children together.

Scheherazade had saved the kingdom!

While this story may sound brutal, children will take away what they need, gently aided by veteran actress Provi Sein and a small corps of dancers from Puerto Rico’s first company, Ballet de San Juan.

Magic at the podium

Karlo Flores is the creator of this magic.

With a master’s degree in conducting from Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., he

is the academic coordinator and conductor for the 100x35 music program for children and youth, which operates under the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music in Miramar. This innovative effort is patterned on Venezuela’s El Sistema, created to teach values through shared musical experiences.

The program, which produced musicians like Gustavo Dudamel, director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, has spawned more than 60 versions throughout the world, including El Reforma USA.

Flores, who has a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the conservatory, dedicated himself for 15 years to that key orchestra instrument before becoming seduced by conducting. From the podium, he has developed several programs to attract children and youth to the many positive aspects of music.

His concert, despite the hard-to-spell title, should delight listeners of all ages, yet still get them home before junior’s bedtime.

The show begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the Pablo Casals Symphony Hall at Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in Santurce. Special prices are in effect to attract the whole family.

Conductor Karlo Flores (cmpr.edu)