California Opera Presents ‘Hansel and Gretel’
Nov 26 2006 - 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Tower Theater, 815 East Olive, Fresno
Cost: $10-$25 student, senior, and family discounts
Event details: No, the famous British pop singer from the 1960s — real name Arnold Dorsey — did not compose this opera. The Engelbert Humperdinck who wrote the 19th century classic fairy tale opera “Hansel and Gretelâ€? was born in Germany in 1854. In the 1890s, his sister, Adelheid Wette, had written a libretto based on the Grimm fairy tale, and asked her brother to set it to music as a Christmas entertainment for her children, as a Singspiel consisting of a play with 16 songs and piano accompaniment. The traditional story of Hansel and Gretel finds two children in the woods, whose bravery and ingenuity overcome the forces of and free them from an ogre. There are several themes and morals throughout the story, and the music is among the most beloved and cherished of all time. With its highly original synthesis of Wagnerian techniques and traditional German folk songs, Hansel and Gretel became an instant, overwhelming success for audiences of all ages, performed for you in English.
Event Web site: http://www.towertheatrefresno.com