Pittsburgh Opera's 'Hansel & Gretel' a sweet twist to old fairy tale
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Stephanie Lauricella, left, as Hansel and Suzanne Vinnik as Gretel happen upon the witch's cottage and try a bite of a gingerbread house in Pittsburgh Opera's "Hansel & Gretel."
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As up-and-down days go, Hansel and Gretel take the cake.
And the gingerbread cottage.
In Engelbert Humperdinck's operatic telling of the famous fairy tale, the siblings dance and sing, then get a massive scolding from mom (not the evil step-mom of the Brothers Grimm tale). Soon they are traipsing through the woods before getting freaked out and lost at night. Finally, they hit the ultimate sugar high before being zapped by a hungry witch.
In short, the opera is only a metaphor or two away from being the actual life of children today -- someone always spoiling the fun.
- Where: CAPA Theater, Ninth Street and Fort Duquesne Boulevard, Downtown.
- When: 8 tonight, 7 p.m. Tuesday, 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Feb. 5
- Tickets: $40-$50; 412-456-6666 or www.pittsburghopera.org .
The Pittsburgh Opera did nothing of the sort in its new production at CAPA Theater. Stage director Ted Huffman and set designer Patrick Rizzotti sent Hansel and Gretel down the rabbit hole with a set of chairs and cabinets in various bizarre configurations. They are dumped in a pile in Act I to suggest the family's ramshackle hovel, hung from above in Act II to mimic the forest, and arranged in the finale as the walls of the Witch's tasty cottage.
It was a nontraditional setting to be sure, but it didn't hinder the story for me. Even the last scene, (spoiler alert) where a table of sumptuous cakes and a miniature gingerbread house take the place of the candy house, worked for me. I hope it showed the many kids in the audience that you don't need literal representation to capture meaning. Or something like that.
The production answered the first question people have about Humperdinck's "Hansel und Gretel" -- is it for children or adults? It is meant for both, and this production follows suit. With none of the darkness of Grimm, fast-paced action and vibrantly tonal music, it sits well with children. But the intriguing setting also gave something for adults, as does the music that effortlessly flows from folk song to near-Wagnerian projection.
I saw a preview concert Thursday evening, an opportunity a classical critic almost never has. That means it was essentially a dress rehearsal, so I won't critique it other than to point out some positives. The production is primarily cast with the Pittsburgh Opera's artists-in-training, with its orchestra in the pit, conducted by Glenn Lewis.
Sung by two women, Hansel (Stephanie Lauricella) and Gretel (Suzanne Vinnik) may have more duets/tandem singing than any other two roles in opera. These two resident artists meshed brilliantly. Ms. Vinnik has the fatter role, not just in the greedy eyes of the Witch, and her soprano voice soared potently at times, revealing a hint of a darker tone. Alexandra Loutsion played the Mother as well as the Witch with less craziness than is typical, but also less campiness in the trendy approach of casting a man -- tenor or countertenor -- as the latter. The father, Kyle Oliver, was solid, and Katy Shackleton Williams handled her own dual part as aging Sandman and perky Dew Fairy with a silvery tone.
Probably the most shocking element of the production is that it's the first of this popular work by the Pittsburgh Opera since 1987. With the run on tickets for this production, I would recommend the company not wait so long to bring it back.
First Published January 28, 2012 12:00 am
