When Opera Omaha opens its new orchestration and production of Englebert Humperdinck’s grand opera, Hansel and Gretel, on November 11, 12, and 13 at the Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, Gustavus Assistant Professor of Theatre/Dance Henry MacCarthy will be directing the performances.
This classic opera is based on the 19th-century German fairy tale. With a new libretto by former Opera Omaha Executive Director, Jane Hill, the spunky children of a poor broom-maker still get lost in the woods, where they encounter a magical cottage of sweets and its elderly occupant, but this version is much less “grim” than the original Brothers Grimm version. The witch is more comic than evil and the clever brother and sister soon turn danger into delights. (View video at: Hansel & Gretel)
In addition to the five public performances directed by MacCarthy, Opera Omaha presented ten student performances leading up to opening night with over 8000 metro area school children in atttendance. “Opera Omaha’s mission is grounded in the importance of education and engagement for the area’s youths,” wrote Brad A. Watkins, Communications Director at Opera Omaha. He continued, “Due to generous funding from key organizations in the metro, including Peter Kiewit Foundation, ConAgra Foods, and Lincoln Financial Group, we are able to offer these student performances free of charge. It is our hope to forge opera’s rich storytelling power into an array of activities for our community.”
Opera Omaha and Director Henry MacCarthy join forces to present Englebert Humperdinck’s, Hansel and Gretel, on November 11, 12, and 13 at the Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska. Tickets are available by calling 402.346.4398, or at operaomaha.org or ticketomaha.com.
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