Hansel & Gretel

2015

By Engelbert Humperdinck

Hansel and Gretel is based on the classic tale by the Brother’s Grimm and has too often been treated as a “children’s opera.” The music is anything but. Engelbert Humperdinck was a student of Richard Wagner and although Hansel and Gretel contains many recognizable tunes, chief among them “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep,” these simple melodies are propelled by a lush orchestration evocative of Wagner’s powerful romanticism presented in a very accessible form. It is an ideal first opera for any age, and the music will thrill and move even the veteran opera goer. We have relocated our production from the Bavarian Alps to the Mount Baker wilderness, based on paintings for the production by noted artist, Susan Bennerstrom.

Cast Members

Ksenia Popova

Gretel

Sylvia Szadovszki

Hansel

Corinna Quilliam

Mother

John Boehr

Father

Yvette Litchfield

Sandman/Dew Fairy

Sarah Mattox

Witch