Hansel and Gretel

To celebrate its hugely successful first year, The Opera School Melbourne is staging its final production of the year that will fit beautifully with other Melbourne Christmas traditions. Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel is the perfect end of year treat for children aged from 1 to 101 – and their parents, with six performances over two weekends from Sunday 29 November. This 19th century fairytale opera is based on the famous fairytale of the boy Hansel and his sister Gretel, whose family has struck tough economic times – a very contemporary theme for Melbourne audiences of 2009. So Hansel and Gretel take to the woods, in the hope of improving their lot, but become lost and hungry … and a safe haven is at hand, in the form of a spectacular gingerbread house inhabited by an old woman … or is it? There are many dangers lurking in the woods for our intrepid pair, and they will need all their resourcefulness and strength to cope. Being a fairytale, of course they do triumph and there is a happy-ever-after end – but not until the audience has been treated to some of the most beautiful music ever written. It’s not always easy to find top quality affordable fare to give the whole family an end of year treat, but The Opera School Melbourne’s Hansel and Gretel is one Christmas tradition you can’t afford to miss! So give your child and yourselves a special treat by seeing the young stars of The Opera School Melbourne delight you with their superb voices and the power to make you fall in love with opera. At only 70 minutes long, and directed by Opera Australia freelance director Cameron Menzies, with musical direction by Andrea Katz, this promises to be a terrific way to introduce new comers to opera and remind committed opera goers just how fresh and charming opera can be. It’s been a busy and productive inaugural year for The Opera School Melbourne, whose singers are all post-graduate students heading for careers in the professional opera world. The School’s intensive one year program equips them with the specialist performance skills they need to achieve their destinies as professional opera singers. Two of The School’s students have had remarkable results in prestigious opera competitions in 2009 – soprano Stacey Alleaume won the Australian Youth Aria in May and was a semi-finalist in the nationwide Australian Singing Competition. Expatriate Kiwi and now Melbourne based bass-baritone Hadleigh Adams was the runner-up in the Australian Singing Competition, and has a fee-free post-graduate place waiting for him at London’s elite Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As it prepares to enter its second year of operation, The Opera School Melbourne is kicking goals in the opera world - come and see it in action! Tickets are $20 with a family ticket of $60 for 2 adults and up to 4 children. Bookings: events@theoperaschool.com.au or 0458 668 424. HANSEL AND GRETEL DATES Sunday 29 November at 11am and 1 pm - St Ignatius Community Hall – rear of 326 Church St Richmond Saturday 5 December at 2pm and 4 pm – Assembly Hall, Scots Church, 156 Collins St Melbourne Sunday 6 December at 2pm and 4 pm – Assembly Hall, Scots Church, 156 Collins St Melbourne HANSEL AND GRETEL CAST Hansel – Alison Lemoh Gretel – Stacey Alleaume or Amy Spruce Sandman – Many Lyn Brook Witch – Timothy Jacques Father – Hadleigh Adams or Kristian Gregory Mother – Kari Lyon