Hansel and Gretel

by Engelbert Humperdinck

At the San Diego Civic Theatre

Whimsical sets, larger than life puppets, and great singers bring the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Hansel and Gretel to life on the opera stage. This colorful production of Engelbert Humperdinck's beloved opera is performed in English with English text projected above the stage, so children of all ages can enjoy the story. This uplifting take on the classic tale is filled with drama and wonder, and will charm the whole family.

Hansel and Gretel tells the story of two children who become lost in a dark and mysterious forest. In the middle of nowhere, they come across a gingerbread house festooned with candy and sweets, a confectionery castle of delectable delights, which holds a dark secret that threatens their very lives. Using their wit, and each other, the two children outsmart an evil witch and make their escape from the forest. With its beautiful, folk-music inspired themes, including the famous "Evening Prayer," this opera will delight and charm audiences of all ages.

The approximate run time is 2 hours, including one 20 minute intermission. Sung in English with projected English translations.

PRE-OPERA LECTURE: The pre-opera lecture begins at 6:40pm before the new start time of 7:30pm for evening performances. The Sunday matinee pre-opera lecture begins at 1:10pm before the 2:00pm curtain.

MAIN STAGE POST-OPERA TALK-BACKS: Stay after the performance for a Talk-Back. Once the curtain falls, there will be a 10-minute break, then join us back in the theatre in the Dress Circle where you can ask questions of the stars, cast, and find out what really happens onstage and backstage!

Hansel and Gretel

by Engelbert Humperdinck

At the San Diego Civic Theatre

Meet The Cast

Blythe Gaissert

Hansel

Sara Gartland

Gretel

Malcolm MacKenzie

Father

Marcy Stonikas

Mother

Devon Guthrie

Dew Fairy/Sandman

Joel Sorensen

Witch

Ari Pelto

Conductor

Brenna Corner

Director

Hansel and Gretel

Once upon a time in a land not too far away there was a beautiful town. The town was full of happy children. On the outskirts of town, not too far away, there was a dark forest called Ilsenstein. It was rumored in hushed tones to be the home of a dangerous witch who would turn children into gingerbread, and it was said that already 14 children had been lost to the Gingerbread witch, but only some people believed that.

On the far side of town there lived a very poor broom-maker, his wife and their children, a boy named Hansel and a girl called Gretel. One day Hansel and Gretel were left at home, as their mother had gone to town to find food for her starving family. Hansel and Gretel tried very hard to work but they were so hungry. Gretel warned him to stop complaining and she showed him a jug of milk for dinner! Hansel was thrilled by the thought of this tasty treat for dinner and the children danced and celebrated.

Then their mother walked in and, finding them playing around, she was livid. She demanded why they had not completed their chores. In her anger she bumped the table that held the pitcher, and it smashed, spilling all the milk. Their mother was so upset she sent the children out into the woods to pick strawberries for dinner.

Just after Hansel and Gretel had gone into the forest, their Father, the broom-maker, arrived home with an enormous feast for his family, including: eggs, ham, beans, onions, and coffee! He asked his wife where his children were, and their mother told him she had demanded they go to the Ilsenstein Forest to pick strawberries. Their father got very upset, and asked if she had heard of the Gingerbread Witch of Ilsenstein that lived in the forest and was rumored to eat children. Their mother, realizing the danger she had put her children in, ran off into the woods to search for the children with their father trailing behind her.

In the forest of Ilsenstein, Hansel collected berries and Gretel collected flowers and made a lovely flower crown as a present. The animals watched them, including a cuckoo bird who appeared in the tree. The children decided to pretend to be cuckoos. The cuckoo, of course, is an animal which is known for eating the eggs out of other birds’ nests. So they gobbled up all of the strawberries pretending they were eggs. Suddenly they realized that night had fallen and it was too dark to see. They were lost in the magical forest with creatures approaching them. These magical “will-o-wisps”, which were known for leading lost travelers astray, were very scary. As they approached the children, the Sandman appeared, a creature known for keeping children safe when they slept and bringing them good dreams. The Sandman sprinkled sleep dust in their eyes. The children then dozed off to sleep dreaming of fourteen angels surrounding and protecting them.

The next morning, as was her custom, the Dew Fairy arrived, sprinkling morning dew. With the rising of the sun she woke the sleeping Hansel and Gretel. The children awoke and realized they had both had the same amazing dream of fourteen angels protecting them throughout the night. Then they looked around the forest and saw a giant house made of gingerbread and began to eat it.

The children thought they heard a voice from the house, but dismissed it as the wind. But then, out of the house came an old scary woman. She grabbed Hansel, and introduced herself as Rosina Sugartooth, a kind humanitarian. The children were not convinced and turned to leave. At that moment the old woman became a witch and summoned her magical powers to cast a spell on the children that would only allow them to move if she commanded it. With the help of her gingerbread cookies, the witch put Hansel in a cage in her house. She then released Gretel from the spell and ordered her to prepare, for soon they would be feasting on her brother. Gretel ran inside.

The witch and her cookies inspected the fire and the witch made a plan; she would bake Gretel first by pushing her into the fire and magically transforming her into a gingerbread cookie, and then Hansel afterwards. When Gretel returned the witch asked Gretel to check inside the fire to see if the cookies were done. Hansel quietly warned his sister, so Gretel pretended to not understand what the witch wanted. The witch, exasperated, got close to the fire and demonstrated what she wanted. As she did so, Gretel released Hansel from the cage. They snuck up behind the witch and pushed her into the fire! The children were elated. They danced around and decided to treat themselves to yet more of the gingerbread house.

Suddenly the fire exploded. As the smoke cleared from the explosion, Hansel and Gretel realized the gingerbread cookies were children from town who had been magically transformed. The children were still under the witch’s spell and unable to move, but with the death of the witch they were children again. Hansel and Gretel helped free the children using the witch’s magic spell.

Far off in the woods, Hansel and Gretel’s parents appeared and, having found their children, gave them both big hugs. The children gathered around and their father and reminded everyone of the miracle they had just witnessed, and how love can always banish evil.

Hansel y Gretel

Había una vez en una tierra no tan lejana un hermoso pueblo. El pueblo estaba lleno de niños felices. En las afueras de la ciudad, no muy lejos, había un oscuro bosque llamado Ilsenstein. Se rumoreaba en voz baja que era la morada de una bruja malvada que transformaba a los niños en pan de jengibre, y se decía que alrededor de catorce niños ya habían sido llevados por la bruja Pan-de-Jengibre, pero sólo alguna gente creía eso. En la parte más lejana del pueblo vivía un pobre escobero, su esposa y sus hijos, un niño llamado Hansel y una niña llamada Gretel. Un día Hansel y Gretel fueron dejados en la casa, ya que su madre había ido al pueblo a buscar comida para su familia hambrienta. Hansel y Gretel se esforzaban mucho en trabajar pero estaban tan hambrientos. Gretel le advirtió que ya no se quejara más ¡y le mostró una jarra de leche para la cena! Hansel estaba encantado por la idea de este sabroso lujo para la cena y los niños danzaron y celebraron.

En ese momento entró la madre, y encontrándolos jugando y correteando, se enfureció. Demandó saber por qué no habían completado las tareas del hogar. En su enojo tropezó con la mesa donde estaba la jarra, y ésta se rompió derramando toda la leche. La madre estaba tan enojada que mandó a los niños al bosque a recoger fresas para la cena.

Justo después que Hansel y Gretel habían ido al bosque, el padre, el escobero, llegó a la casa trayendo un enorme festín para su familia, incluyendo: ¡huevos, jamón, frijoles, cebollas y café! Le preguntó a su esposa dónde estaban sus hijos, y la madre le contó que les había ordenado que fueran al bosque de Ilsenstein a recoger fresas. El padre se molestó mucho y le preguntó si nunca había oído acerca de la bruja Pan-de-Jengibre de Ilsenstein que vivía en el bosque y que se rumoreaba que comía niños. La madre, viendo el peligro en que había puesto a sus hijos, corrió al bosque a buscar a los niños con el padre por detrás.

En el bosque de Ilsenstein, Hansel recogió bayas y Gretel recogió flores e hizo una primorosa corona de flores como regalo. Los animales los miraban, incluido un pájaro cucú que apareció en un árbol. Los niños decidieron jugar a que eran pájaros cucú. El cucú es por supuesto un animal que es conocido por comerse los huevos de los nidos de otros pájaros. Así que se comieron todas las fresas haciendo de cuenta que eran huevos. De pronto se dieron cuenta de que había caído la noche y de que estaba muy oscuro para ver. Estaban perdidos en el bosque mágico con criaturas que se acercaban. Estos mágicos “fuegos fatuos”, los cuales se conocían por guiar por el mal camino a los que se pierden, eran espantosos. Mientras se acercaban a los niños, apareció el duende de los sueños, una criatura que es conocida por mantener a los niños sanos y salvos cuando duermen y que les concede dulces sueños. El duende esparció polvo de sueños en sus ojos. Los niños cabecearon y se durmieron soñando que catorce ángeles los rodeaban y protegían.

A la mañana siguiente, como era su costumbre, llegó el hada de la mañana esparciendo rocío. Al salir el sol, despertó a los durmientes Hansel y Gretel. Al despertarse, los niños se dieron cuenta de que ambos habían tenido el mismo increíble sueño acerca de catorce ángeles que los protegían a lo largo de la noche. Luego miraron a sus alrededores en el bosque y vieron una enorme casa hecha de pan de jengibre y comenzaron a comerla.

Los niños pensaron haber oído una voz proveniente de la casa, pero no hicieron caso, creyendo que era el viento. Pero de repente, desde la casa apareció una mujer vieja y aterradora. Agarró a Hansel y se presentó como Rosina Diente-Dulce, una amable mujer humanitaria. Los niños no estaban convencidos y se voltearon para irse. En ese momento, la vieja se convirtió en bruja e invocó sus poderes mágicos para poner un hechizo de parálisis sobre los niños que sólo les permitiría moverse si ella lo comandaba. Con la ayuda de sus galletas de jengibre la bruja puso a Hansel en la jaula de su casa. Luego liberó a Gretel del hechizo y le ordenó que se preparara porque pronto estarían dándose un banquete con su hermano. Gretel corrió dentro de la casa.

La bruja y sus galletas pasaron a inspeccionar el fuego y la bruja armó su plan. Hornearía primero a Gretel, empujándola al fuego y transformándola mágicamente en una galleta de jengibre, y luego a Hansel. Cuando regresó Gretel, la bruja le pidió que se fijara dentro del horno para ver si las galletas estaban listas. Hansel calladamente alertó a su hermana, y Gretel fingió no entender lo que quería la bruja. Exasperada, la bruja se acercó al fuego y se lo demostró. Mientras lo hacía, Gretel liberó a Hansel de la jaula. Se acercaron sigilosamente detrás de la bruja ¡y la empujaron al fuego! Los niños se regocijaron. Bailaron y decidieron darse el gusto de comer aun más de la casa de jengibre.

De repente, el fuego explotó. Al despejarse el humo de la explosión, Hansel y Gretel se percataron de que las galletas de jengibre eran niños de un pueblo que habían sido mágicamente transformados. Los niños todavía estaban bajo el maleficio de la bruja y no podían moverse, pero con la muerte de la bruja volvieron a transformarse en niños. Hansel y Gretel ayudaron a liberar a los niños usando el hechizo mágico de la bruja.

A lo lejos en el bosque, aparecieron la madre y el padre de Hansel y Gretel y, habiendo encontrado a sus hijos, abrazaron fuertemente a los dos. Todos los niños se acercaron y el padre les recordó del milagro que acababan de presenciar, y cómo el amor siempre puede ahuyentar el mal.

Translation to Spanish: Ana C. Martinez and Claudio Luchina