Minnesota Orchestra presents fully staged production of
Hansel and Gretel, Nov. 27-29
Sarah Hicks leads family-friendly Thanksgiving weekend
performances November 27-29
Cast includes Christina Baldwin, Jennifer Baldwin
Peden, Vera Mariner, Jeff Madison, Lola Watson and Vicki
Fingalson, plus performers from the Minnesota Boychoir and In
the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre
(October 28, 2009) -- The Minnesota Orchestra explores its
inner child with three Thanksgiving weekend performances of the
classic young people’s opera Hansel and Gretel by
Engelbert Humperdinck, fully staged with colorful sets and
costumes, as well as awe-inspiring puppetry by In the Heart of
the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. Twin Cities-based sisters
Christina Baldwin and Jennifer Baldwin Peden lead a cast
brimming with area talent, starring as siblings who lose their
way in the woods and discover a house of gingerbread—and the
witch who lives inside it. The concerts are performed under the
baton of Sarah Hicks, the Orchestra’s principal conductor of
pops and presentations, and are directed by Robert Neu.
The program is performed three times at Orchestra Hall: on
Friday, November 27, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, November 28, at 8
p.m., and Sunday, November 29, at 2 p.m., with tickets priced at
$15 to $70 for adults and $12 for students. For tickets, call
Minnesota Orchestra Ticket Services at (612) 371-5656 or visit
the Orchestra’s website, minnesotaorchestra.org.
Hansel and Gretel: A fairy-tale opera for all
ages
Since its premiere in 1893, Humperdinck’s opera Hansel
and Gretel has enchanted audiences with its folk-like
melodies, rich orchestration and elements of fantasy, becoming a
holiday classic loved by both children and adults worldwide.
Humperdinck began work on Hansel and Gretel when his sister
asked him to produce a play for her children to perform. He
continued developing the story and music, ultimately producing a
full-length opera. The 1893 premiere was conducted by Richard
Strauss, who hailed the work as “a masterpiece of the highest
quality.” In 1923, when the BBC broadcast a live performance of
the work from Covent Garden, it became the first opera broadcast
in its entirety.
With its many fantasy elements, staging Hansel and
Gretel presents some unusual challenges.
To bring the storybook world to life, the Orchestra has enlisted
the talents of In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre
(HOBT) and an array of local designers and technicians. Joseph
Stanley’s double-sided sets revolve, allowing the action to move
seamlessly from the ordinary world of the children’s house to
the enchanted forest and gingerbread house. Heightening the
atmosphere will be an interplay of light and shadow, the work of
lighting designer Marcus Dilliard; and fanciful costumes by
Kathy Kohl. Some of the opera’s most magical moments will be
realized by HOBT, including the dream sequence where angels
descend to watch over the sleeping children. Although the opera
will be sung in English, supertitles will be projected over the
performance to ensure that everyone can follow the story.
“We’re thrilled to bring this wonderful work back to the
Orchestra Hall stage, and we’re proud that everyone involved is
a local artist, which demonstrates the depth of our local
culture,” says Robert Neu, the Orchestra’s vice president and
general manager.
The lead roles in the production will be taken by Christina
Baldwin as Hansel, Jennifer Baldwin Peden as Gretel and Vera
Mariner as the scene-stealing Witch. All three have performed
frequently with the Minnesota Orchestra in past seasons, most
recently as street chorus members in Bernstein’s Mass in
January 2009. The Baldwin sisters earned special acclaim in
summer 2009 when they premiered Sister Stories, four
one-act operas commissioned for them by Nautilus Music-Theater.
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Fully-Staged Production
HANSEL AND GRETEL
A Fairy Tale Thanksgiving
with the Minnesota Orchestra
Friday, November 27, 2009, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Saturday, November 28, 2009, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Sunday, November 29, 2009, 2 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Christina Baldwin, mezzo (Hansel)
Jennifer Baldwin Peden, soprano (Gretel)
Vera Mariner, soprano (Witch)
Jeff Madison, baritone (Father)
Lola Watson, soprano (Mother)
Vicki Fingalson, soprano (Sleep Fairy/Dew Fairy)
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre
Minnesota Boychoir
Robert Neu, stage director
HUMPERDINCK Hansel and Gretel [Sung in English with
supertitles]
Tickets: $15-$70 (Adults); $12 (Youth and Students)
_____________________________________________________________
Individual tickets are available for purchase through
Minnesota Orchestra Ticket Services at 11th and Marquette in
Minneapolis, online at minnesotaorchestra.org or by calling
(612) 371-5656 or (800) 292-4141. For groups of 10 or more, call
(612) 371-5662 or (800) 292-4141, ext. 662. Prices listed do not
include a $5.75 per order processing fee for web, phone, fax or
mail orders. The $5.75 processing fee is waived for all
purchases made in person at the Orchestra Hall Box Office.
Ticket prices include a $3.50 facility fee. No refunds. Some
fees and restrictions may apply to ticket exchanges. All sales
are final. All programs, artists, dates
and times subject to change.
Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the
Minnesota Orchestra’s 2009-10 season.
The Star Tribune is the Minnesota Orchestra’s media
partner for the 2009-10 season.
This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided
by the Minnesota State Arts Board through an
appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and a
grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
_____________________________________________________________
PRESS CONTACTS:
Gwen Pappas, Director of Public Relations
(612) 371-5628 • gpappas@mnorch.org
Sandi Brown, Public Relations Coordinator
(612) 371-5641 • sbrown@mnorch.org
