By Randi Bjornstad
Pretty much everybody has grown up with the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel and their triumph over the nasty old witch who wanted to cook them for dinner before they turn the tables on her, but not everyone might know the opera of the same name.
It’s being done by Eugene Opera on May 31 and June 2 at the Wildish Theater in downtown Springfield, with the characters acted and voiced by some performers familiar to Eugene audiences and others new to the Eugene Opera stage.
The opera, based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, was written in 1892 by Engelbert Humperdinck (the 19th-century composer, not the 20th-century singer-heartthrob). The libretto was written by the original Humperdinck’s sister, Adelheid Wette.
The Eugene Opera’s rendition features Ivy Zhou as Gretel and Sarah Beaty as Hansel, with Emily Pulley (Gertrude/Witch), Emily Way (Sandman/Dew Fairy), and Bill Hulings (Peter/Papa).
The Eugene Opera musicians are Lisa Bieber (violin), Adam Fishburn (viola), Anne Ridlington (cello), Kevin Brown (bass), Jill Pauls (flute), Carol Robe (clarinet), David Kruse (horn), and Andrew Pham (piano).
Eugene Opera’s artistic director Andrew Bisantz conducts, with stage direction by Patrick Hansen, orchestration by Kathleen Kelly, and English translation by Constance Bache. The production team includes Ginette Grenier (costume design), Liz Uhazy (set design), Emily Bolivar (lighting design), Gina Love (costume director), and Alessa Bakkum (production manager/props), and Michael Macemon (supertitles). Rachel Nin is stage manager.
Eugene Opera’s Hansel and Gretel
When: 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 31, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 2
Where: Wildish Community Theater, 630 Main St., Springfield
Tickets: $25 (Section C, obstructed view); $45 (Section B); $60 (Section A); $75 (Rows A and K); $15 for students (Sections A, B, and C only), available at the door or in advance at wildishtheater.com/
