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“Susie, little Susie, say what is the news?”So begins the greatest musical story ever written for children, Hänsel & Gretel, by Engelbert Humperdinck. Like the ageless lounge singer who uses the composer’s name, Hänsel & Gretel is still going strong. And little wonder. Drawn from the Grimms’ gritty fairy tale, its story has everything to charm and interest both kids and adults: children who overcome deprivation, poverty and mortal danger, narrowly escape being eaten, and use their courage and wits to defeat the evil Witch despite her supernatural powers. The terrors of the deep, dark night forest. Family dynamics, struggling adults, unruly kids, and questionable parenting decisions. Angels. Broomsticks. Delightful costumes and sets: a candy and gingerbread house and a Witch-sized oven. Plenty of action to keep a kid’s attention.
For adults, it also offers food for thought: What sort of parents are they, anyway? Why is the Witch so evil? Why is the Father drunk, and why doesn’t the Mother know the woods are dangerous? Or if she does, then what does that say…? And of course, there’s the music. Hänsel & Gretel ranges magically from authentic and simple folk songs and devout hymns to lush harmonies and complex romantic textures straight from Richard Wagner, that appeal to the most sophisticated tastes. It’s full and rich, yet marvelously concise: our performance lasts barely an hour.
It came about when Humperdinck’s sister, an author, composer and folklore collector, wrote plays and poems to be performed by her children at Christmas. In 1890, he set a few of her poems to music. Greatly encouraged, the Humperdinck siblings expanded it to the opera we know today. It was an instant hit, with initial productions conducted by none other than musical giants Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. It has been translated into some 11 languages, and heard all over the world.
Berks Opera Company, in collaboration with Albright College, will produce a fully staged production of Hänsel & Gretel, with orchestra, at the Miller Center for the Arts. Free performances for children from local schools will be held during the day on Friday, November 22. Further performances open to the public will be held on November 22, at 7 pm and Saturday November 23, at 2 pm. The two performances open to the public will still be free of charge for children accompanied by an adult and for college students with ID.
The production and venue lobby will feature artworks created around the opera’s theme by kids at the Olivets Boys and Girls Club this summer, as well as gingerbread and other sweets to delight the palate. For more information, go to berksopera.org. For tickets, go directly to https://millercenter.racc.edu/events, email [email protected], or call 610-607-6270.
If you are interested in having children from your school attend during the day on November 22, contact [email protected] or call 484-752-2462.
Francine Black, Conductor
Joel Gori, Director
Tamara Black, Artistic Director and Producer
Berks Opera thanks our 2024 partners:
Arthur Judson Foundation
Berks Arts/PCA
Compass Dental
Feeney Historic Mansion
Reading Musical Foundation
Sweet Street Desserts
United Way of Berks County
and support from our loyal patrons -- Thank you!
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
4 N 2nd St, Reading, PA, United States, Pennsylvania 19601
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