Hansel and Gretel

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King

Show – Hansel and Gretel

Playwright/s/Composer/s – Composer Engelbert Humerdinck, libretto by Adelheid Wette, the translator (from German) was sadly omitted from the program.

Production Company/Theatre space – Calgary Opera / Jubilee Auditorium.

Length – 2 Acts (2 ½ hours including one intermission.)

Genre – Fairytale opera

Premise – A brother and sister, hungry and lost in the woods, come across a house made of gingerbread owned by a nefarious witch who gets her comeuppance.

Why this play? Why now? – Wrapped in Grimm’s fairy tale; stories of hungry and kidnapped children are still pertinent.

Curiosities – Do would-be-separatists and our Premier remain sitting during the national anthem? I don’t know if it’s intentional or if I overlay adult political meaning onto the design, (the last opera having an American man in a blue suite, white shirt and red tie standing in front of the USA flag behaving badly) or if it’s intentional. This seemingly innocent story had the monstrous witch in MAGA red snatching children away from their parents. The gingerbread cookies the children were turned into, weren’t the usual brown round bodies, but white pointy hats, which when, we first see them in the woods look liked Klan hoods…

Notable Moment – The three woodland animals who are distorted hybrids of familiar creatures.

Notable writing – The music, written in 1893 by a brother and sister team, is a stable in the opera world’s repertoire having been translated into 20 languages and produced thousands of times.

Notable performances – On top of being a brilliant singer, Xenia Puskarz Thomas imbues Hansel with wonderful boyish animation. His sister, equally as strong a singer, Simone Osborne, is delightful as the younger Gretel, and the two carry the show. Claire Brnett-Jones is the beleaguered mother and child eating kidnapper. As the singer of the oversized witch, she is obscured by the overlaying puppet, but her presence is felt with her powerful voice.

Notable design/Production –Originally conceived for the Vancouver Opera with set, costumes, and puppets designed by The Old Trout Puppet Workshop and provided by Kentucky Opera. We see shadow plays, angels, fireflies, woodland creatures, a disembodied face (which resembles a cubist painting), a hunchbacked scarlet monster/witch, and a fantastical Seussian gingerbread house. Hallmark Old Trout branded magic.

Notable direction – Brenna Corner deftly gives us an enticing story fit for children and adults alike, (no small feat). Conductor Jonathan Brandani conducts the Calgary Phil to his usual standard of excellence. The third star here is Catherine Glaser-Climie, Cantaré Children’s Choir Director who provide the powerfully poignant pinnacle of the show.

One reason to see this show – A success all round.