The Central Methodist University fine arts department will present two showings of Hansel & Gretel this February, as the three-act opera will be performed at 7 p.m. on February 13 and 15 at the Little Theatre.
Under the direction of Dr. Johnathan Ray, associate professor of music, the opera will be performed in English. In Engelbert Humperdinck's operatic retelling of the classic Grimm Brothers fairytale, Hansel and Gretel find themselves lost in the haunted Ilsenstein forest, where they encounter sandmen, dew fairies, and gingerbread children. Throughout the fun, family-friendly story, audiences find out if they will be able to defeat the evil Witch, rescue the imprisoned children, and find their way back safely to their mother and father.
Playing the titular roles for the two performances will be CMU students Madisyn Conway as Hansel and Lauren Shields at Gretel. Also joining the cast are Mariah Nichols as the Witch, Paul Reinert as Father, Arielle Prince as Mother, Elizabeth Berry and Emily Millstead as Sandmen, and Rachel Fisher as Dew Fairy. Colleen Allen, Harmony Andrews, Daniel Ard, Taylor Baker, Gram Coalier, Emeline DeLapp, Danny Eckhoff, Owen Flores, Tyler Hershey, Samantha Maddux, and Cecelia Rancatore will also perform as the chorus of angels and children.
The production will be accompanied by Professor Zachary Kierstead on piano, while Terri Rohlfing is in charge of costume design and Professor Lonna Wilke manages set and lighting design.
“Our students have worked so hard preparing these vocally challenging and musically demanding roles, and I am so proud of every one of them. The costumes and set are out of this world; it’s truly like opening a storybook,” said Ray in anticipation of the show. “If you’re a newcomer to opera, this is the perfect first show to see. It’s a familiar story with a plot that is very easy to follow, and it’s sung in English.”
Ray enthusiastically invites the public to enjoy the show, which will be free to the community. The whole performance will last under two hours, with an intermission between the second and third acts.
Later this semester, the opera troupe will also be performing a comedic one-act – Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury – at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 in Linn Memorial United Methodist Church.