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Hansel and Gretel (January 1) |
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What's the Story? In this opera, by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck, the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale is staged to music. Sent into the forest by their mother to pick strawberries, Hansel (Alice Coote) and Gretel (Christine Schaefer) lose their way and spend a terrifying night in the woods. The next morning the brother and sister wake in front of an enchanting house made of cake and candy. However, the house belongs to an evil witch who captures the siblings. She plans to fatten the children up and eat them. But clever thinking enables Hansel and Gretel to kill the witch and free themselves and other captured children. The January 1, 2008, matinee performance of this New York City Metropolitan Opera production will be transmitted live, in high-definition, into more than 700 movie theaters around the world. For schedules and tickets, visit http://www.metopera.org/HDLive. The same performance will air at a later date on public television stations around the United States. Did You Know? Hansel and Gretel is only one of over 200 fairytales published by the Brothers Grimm. Others include Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood. In Humperdinck's opera, women usually sing the roles of both Hansel and Gretel. |
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Photos: NICK HEAVICAN—METROPOLITAN OPERA, ANNE DENIAU/METROPOLITAN OPERA
