November 18 and 20, 2022
At the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts
Friday, November 18, 2022
6:15 PM Pre-Opera Party
6:30 PM Nuts and Bolts Lecture
7:30 PM Performance
Join us for a Post-show talkback immediately following the performance.
Sunday, November 20, 2022
1:15 PM Pre-Opera Party
1:30 PM Nuts and Bolts Lecture
2:30 PM Performance
Join us for a Post-show talkback immediately following the performance.
Hansel and Gretel
This operatic fairy tale is NOT just for kids! Sure, your kids will love it, but an added bonus is YOU will too. Humperdinck’s love of folk melodies shines in this lush, beautiful, and complex score. Combine the music with our cast, creative team, new sets and costumes, and … voilà, a delightful experience for all ages.
Composer – ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK
Librettist – ADELHEID WETTE, based on the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale.
Director – E. LOREN MEEKER
Conductor – DANIELA CANDILLARI, The Jerry W. Zachary and Henry Bernstein Maestro Chair
Choreographer/Co-Director – FELICITY STIVERSON
THE LOUISIANA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Sung in an English translation by Cori Ellison, with projected English captions.
Running Time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes (one intermission)
CAST:
Hansel – EMILY FONS
Gretel – MEECHOT MARRERO
Witch – CHAUNCEY PACKER
Gertrude – DEBORAH NANSTEEL
Peter – SEUNGHYEON BAEK
Sandman – ASHLEY MILANESE
Dew Fairy – NICOLE HEINEN
Think Hansel and Gretel is only for kids?
Think again!
In this short video by Dramaturg Cori Ellison, who also created the singing translation we’ll be using for our performances, you’ll learn about Humperdinck’s influences, use of leitmotif, orchestration, and connection to another famous German composer, Richard Strauss. As Sir Simon Rattle was once quoted as saying, “who needs Wagner when you have Humperdinck?”
The role of The Witch is generously sponsored by Arthur A. Crais, Jr.
The fun starts before the opera begins …
Meet us in the lobby. The bar opens and the music begins at 6:15 PM on Friday and at 1:15 PM on Sunday.
… and continues after the final bow
Following the performance, join fellow audience members and artists from the production in a discussion reflecting on the performance. Hear from artists and members of the creative team about their own experiences, both preparing this particular opera production and more generally. Post-show talkbacks begin immediately following each performance and will be held in the theater, on the orchestra level, unless otherwise noted.
New Orleans Opera Box Office:
Phone: (504) 529-3000
Email: boxoffice@neworleansopera.org
Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 4:30 PM