Documentary backdrop image for YAPs (2025)

Documentary backdrop image for YAPs (2025)

202581 minGdocumentary

YAPs

202581 minGdocumentary

Five young opera singers across America risk everything to enter competitive apprenticeship programs amid widespread theater closures.

Genres

Director

Miriam Gordon-Stewart

Synopsis

Five young opera singers across America risk everything to enter competitive apprenticeship programs amid widespread theater closures.

People

Miriam Gordon-Stewartdirector

Matteo Adamscast

Marissa Howardcast

Chuanyuan Liucast

Synopsis

Chuanyuan Liu, Ria Ipa, and three other young opera singers navigate a challenging year in the competitive world of American theater. As live performance spaces close, they strive to secure spots in prestigious apprenticeship programs. Directed by Miriam Gordon-Stewart, YAPs follows their ambitions and struggles, raising questions about the future of opera and what success means for the next generation of artists.

Deep Dive

Why Watch

Meet aspiring opera singers risking it all for their dreams.
Follow Chuanyuan Liu and Ria Ipa's journey in the opera world.
Find out what success means for the next generation of artists.

Did You Know

The film features 5 young opera singers from across America.
Director Miriam Gordon-Stewart released this documentary in 2025.
The documentary has a runtime of 81 minutes.

Perfect For

Opera enthusiastsYoung artistsTheater lovers

Read full Deep Dive →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who directed the documentary YAPs?

Miriam Gordon-Stewart directed the documentary YAPs.

How long is the documentary YAPs?

The documentary YAPs has a duration of 81 minutes.

What is the main focus of the documentary YAPs?

YAPs follows the lives of 5 young opera singers in America as they pursue their careers in a challenging environment.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

20 Feet from Stardom (2013)

20 Feet from Stardom

2013•1h29m•★7.2TMDB

Backup singers like Darlene Love and Lisa Fischer share their experiences supporting major artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder.

20 Feet from Stardom

Theatre Company Attempts Aquatic Opera - Opera On Water - Art Documentary (2021)

Theatre Company Attempts Aquatic Opera - Opera On Water - Art Documentary

A theatre company in Italy attempts to stage an innovative opera performed entirely on water, showcasing the challenges and creativity involved in this unique production.

Theatre Company Attempts Aquatic Opera - Opera On Water - Art Documentary

Young Marvels: Under Pressure (Extraordinary People) (2019)

Young Marvels: Under Pressure (Extraordinary People)

Young talent in the arts faces immense pressure and sacrifice as they strive for success, supported and challenged by their families along the way.

Young Marvels: Under Pressure (Extraordinary People)

Young Marvels (2021)

Young Marvels

Outstanding young talent in the arts faces immense pressure and support from their families as they strive to achieve their dreams before adulthood.

Young Marvels (2021)

Young Marvels

Young talent in the arts faces both remarkable achievements and significant challenges, highlighting the pressures and sacrifices of their supportive families.

The Road To Nutcracker, a Tough Competition (2024)

The Road To Nutcracker, a Tough Competition

A four-month audition process leads young dancers to compete for roles in the Nutcracker production by the New York City Ballet.

The Road To Nutcracker, a Tough Competition

The K-pop Dream Factory (2024)

The K-pop Dream Factory

In Seoul's K-pop dance schools, aspiring idols like Heesu Chung and Sui endure rigorous training and immense pressure, with only 1% achieving stardom.

The K-pop Dream Factory

Explore YAPs

Cast & Crew Deep Dive FAQ

Browse more like this

20 Feet from Stardom (2013)

20 Feet from Stardom

2013•1h29m•★7.2TMDB

Backup singers like Darlene Love and Lisa Fischer share their experiences supporting major artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder.

20 Feet from Stardom

No digital watch option in your country

Theatre Company Attempts Aquatic Opera - Opera On Water - Art Documentary (2021)

Theatre Company Attempts Aquatic Opera - Opera On Water - Art Documentary

A theatre company in Italy attempts to stage an innovative opera performed entirely on water, showcasing the challenges and creativity involved in this unique production.

Theatre Company Attempts Aquatic Opera - Opera On Water - Art Documentary

No digital watch option in your country

Young Marvels: Under Pressure (Extraordinary People) (2019)

Young Marvels: Under Pressure (Extraordinary People)

Young talent in the arts faces immense pressure and sacrifice as they strive for success, supported and challenged by their families along the way.

Young Marvels: Under Pressure (Extraordinary People)

No digital watch option in your country

Young Marvels (2021)

Young Marvels

Outstanding young talent in the arts faces immense pressure and support from their families as they strive to achieve their dreams before adulthood.

No digital watch option in your country

Young Marvels (2021)

Young Marvels

Young talent in the arts faces both remarkable achievements and significant challenges, highlighting the pressures and sacrifices of their supportive families.

No digital watch option in your country

This is Opera (2015)

This is Opera

2015•50m•★9.0TMDB

Opera is explored through its origins, cultural significance, and contemporary trends, aiming to engage both enthusiasts and newcomers to the art form.

First Position (2011)

First Position

2011•1h30m•★7.2TMDB

Six young dancers train intensively for the Youth America Grand Prix, a competition that offers a chance to join elite ballet companies or schools.

Young At Heart (2008)

Young At Heart

2008•1h47m•★7.3TMDB

The Young at Heart Chorus, comprised of senior singers, has performed for royal audiences and toured across Europe while preparing for a concert in Massachusetts.

Giving Voice (2020)

Giving Voice

2020•1h30m•★6.4TMDB

Thousands of high school students compete annually in the August Wilson Monologue Competition for a chance to perform on Broadway.

Big Voice (2016)

Big Voice

2016•1h22m•★8.5TMDB

Eighty-two minutes capture the challenges faced by high school choir teacher Josephine Lee and her students at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.

Great Performances (1971)

Great Performances

1971•1346h•★6.3TMDB

Performers from various genres, including classical music, opera, and dance, showcase their talents on stages across the United States and beyond.

Great Performances

In the Shadow of the Stars (1991)

In the Shadow of the Stars

1991•1h33m•★6.4TMDB

Chorus members of the San Francisco Opera are highlighted for their dedication and struggles while performing in operas like Wagner's The Flying Dutchman and Verdi's Macbeth.

In the Shadow of the Stars

Sing! (2001)

Sing!

2001•36m•★10.0TMDB

A 36-minute documentary follows the Los Angeles Children's Chorus, which gained national recognition despite significant cuts to arts funding.

Opera Fanatic: Stefan & the Divas (2000)

Opera Fanatic: Stefan & the Divas

2000•1h36m•★9.0TMDB

Stefan Zucker, the world's highest tenor, travels from apartment to apartment, visiting the opera divas of his childhood in Rome and Milan.

Opera Fanatic: Stefan & the Divas

When I Rise (2010)

When I Rise

2010•1h14m•★10.0TMDB

A national news story erupts when Barbara Smith Conrad, a music student at the University of Texas, is expelled from an opera production in the 1960s.

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →