Hansel and Gretel
03/07/2008 - 05/07/2008
29/06/2008 - 29/06/2008
Production Details
Opera takes to the road with a production for all ages
Theatres up and down the country will be home to a bewitching production as The NBR New Zealand Opera takes to the road with its National Tour of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.
Kicking off in Kerikeri on Sunday 29 June, the all New Zealand cast and crew will travel more than 3,800 kilometres over 50 days, visiting 15 cities throughout the country: Kerikeri, North Shore, Manukau, Wanganui, Wellington, Blenheim, Christchurch, Timaru, Invercargill, Wanaka, Greymouth, Hastings, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Tauranga.
General Director of The NBR New Zealand Opera, Aidan Lang, says that on the surface Hansel and Gretel is just a popular fairytale, but it’s an opera with real depth, working on different levels. "This is fairytale theatre," he says, "but with a real kick to it. It’s enchanting, but it’s also thought-provoking. It’s an opera that draws the audience in. Theatrically, musically and visually, it’s rich and absorbing and will provide adults and children alike with a memorable experience."
He adds that Hansel and Gretel is the perfect introductory opera for those who haven’t experienced the thrill of the artform before. "The opera is sung in English; it’s adapted from a story we all know; there are several well known songs and orchestral passages scattered throughout; the story line moves at a fast pace and it’s not a long opera, at 1 hour 45 minutes plus interval."
Taking Hansel and Gretel north, south, east and west, is a professional ensemble of talented young faces alongside experienced, seasoned performers. Making his long-awaited opera directing debut is acclaimed theatre director and actor Michael Hurst. Joining him is John Verryt, renowned for his dynamic, stylish design. Returning from overseas to play Hansel and Gretel are two of New Zealand’s rising stars, mezzo-soprano Anna Pierard and soprano Ana James. Leading mezzo-soprano Helen Medlyn, who is highly regarded both in New Zealand and abroad, performs the roles of the Witch and the Mother. Graduate Emerging Artist James Harrison returns following an excellent portrayal of Valentin in 2006’s Faust to play the Father, and two of The NBR New Zealand Opera’s current PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists, Barbara Graham and Barbara Paterson, share the role of the Sandman/the Dew Fairy.
Sharing the conducting are Tecwyn Evans, who has worked with many of the well known British opera companies and festivals over the past decade, and The NBR New Zealand Opera’s Michael Vinten. And in a new collaboration, core and associate players from the Christchurch Symphony
join Hansel and Gretel for the South Island leg, while the North Island centres feature associate players from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
The National Tour of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel
KERIKERI NORTH SHORE
The Centre at Kerikeri Bruce Mason Centre
Sunday 29 June, 6.00pm Thu 3 July, 7.30pm and Sat 5 July, 7.30pm
Tickets from $40; children 12 and under: $25 Tickets from $48; children 12 and under: $25
Bookings: www.centakeri.com 0800 200 411 Bookings: www.ticketmaster.co.nz 0800 111 999
MANUKAU WANGANUI
TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre Royal Wanganui Opera House
Monday 7 July, 7.30pm Wednesday 9 July, 7.30pm
Tickets from $48; children 12 and under: $25 Tickets from $40; children 12 and under: $25
Bookings: www.ticketdirect.co.nz 0800 484 253 Bookings: www.ticketdirect.co.nz 0800 484 253
WELLINGTON BLENHEIM
The Opera House Marlborough Civic Theatre
Sat 12 July, 7.30pm and Mon 14 July, 6.00pm Thursday 17 July, 7.30pm
Tickets from $49.50; children 12 and under: $25 Tickets from $51; children 12 and under: $25
Bookings: www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 842 538 Bookings: www.ticketdirect.co.nz 0800 484 253
CHRISTCHURCH TIMARU
Isaac Theatre Royal Theatre Royal
Sat 19 July, 7.30pm and Mon 21 July, 6.00pm Wednesday 23 July, 7.30pm
Tickets from $50; children 12 and under: $25 Tickets from $40; children 12 and under: $25
Bookings: www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 842 538 Bookings: Newmans Pianos, 03 688 5597
INVERCARGILL WANAKA
Civic Theatre Lake Wanaka Centre
Friday 25 July, 7.30pm Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 July, 7.30pm
Tickets from $41; children 12 and under: $25 Tickets from $40; children 12 and under: $25
Bookings: www.ticketdirect.co.nz 0800 484 253 Bookings: www.ticketdirect.co.nz 0800 484 253
GREYMOUTH HASTINGS
Regent Theatre Hawke’s Bay Opera House
Friday 1 August, 7.30pm Wednesday 6 August, 7.30pm
Tickets from $40; children 12 and under: $25 Tickets from $40; children 12 and under: $25
Bookings: www.regentgreymouth.co.nz Bookings: www.ticketdirect.co.nz 0800 484 253
03 768 0920
NEW PLYMOUTH ROTORUA
TSB Theatre, TSB Showplace Civic Theatre, Rotorua Convention Centre
Friday 8 August, 7.30pm Monday 11 August, 7.30pm
Tickets from $48; children 12 and under: $25 Tickets from $40; children 12 and under: $25
Bookings: www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 842 538 Bookings: www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 842 538
TAURANGA
Baycourt Theatre
Wednesday 13 August, 6.00pm
Tickets from $50; children 12 and under: $25
Bookings: www.ticketdirect.co.nz 0800 484 253
CREATIVE TEAM
Production Designer: John Verryt
Lighting Designer: David Eversfield
Assistant Director/Tour Education Officer: Jacqueline Coats
CAST
Gretel: Ana James
Hansel : Anna Pierard
Witch/Mother: Helen Medlyn
Father: James Harrison«
Sandman/Dew Fairy: Barbara Graham* or Barbara Paterson*
Accompanied by an ensemble of players from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the Christchurch Symphony
* PWC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist
«Graduate Emerging Artist
Brunnhilde on a broomstick with provocative pantomime flavour
Review by William Dart 02nd Jul 2008
NBR NZ Opera is on the road. Michael Hurst’s hi-energy production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel premiered to a full house in Kerikeri on Sunday night and is ready to take on the country.
Hurst injects a touch of grand guignol panto into this classic fairytale opera and his cast of five play it to the hilt. Anna Pierard and Ana James make a terrific twosome as Hansel and Gretel, hoofing around stage, dreaming of food, glorious food. Humperdinck’s musical demands are effortlessly met by the women who respond like seasoned troupers to Hurst’s endlessly inventive stage play. [More]
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
Engaging, charming, chilling at times and full of life and old fashioned glee
Review by Penny Dodd 01st Jul 2008
A cast of five, a pared down orchestra and a set of bold, effective components make for the perfect touring package for NBR NZ Opera and the audiences fortunate enough to see this fresh production of a well loved classic.
The opera itself is a delightful combination of accessible story suitable for all ages, with a rich and tuneful score. Musically the piece sits between Wagner and Richard Strauss, with hints of the former in some of the linking passages, and with touches of German folk music.
Director Michael Hurst acquits himself very well with this, his first opera. He works with the grain of the music to present a clear telling of the story with occasional peeks at the dark side of the Grimms tale. John Verryt’s design is enchanting – magical mechanicals, bright colours, clean lines and a marvellous. storybook pencil sketch style dark wood that follows the road of the raked stage into the depths of the trees, all curved over to embrace you or swallow you up.
Which brings me to my personal bête noire – the raked stage. While serving the piece well visually, and the performers did cope with it extremely well, I can’t help wishing that there was somewhere flat so the singers could sometimes sing this demanding music with solid support from the ground up.
The performances are engaging, charming, chilling at times and full of life and old fashioned glee. Ana James as Gretel and Anna Pierard as Hansel immerse themselves in their characters with a childlike physicality; their voices making a particularly gorgeous blend in the duet work.
Helen Medlyn convinces totally as the worn out mother and her alter ego, the child-devouring witch. She rides her broomstick with gusto and a disturbing dark sensuality. Her costumes are a ’50s shocker – Donna Reed with a beehive as mother, and the same frock in blood red, and black lace with lethal nightmare talons, and vertical fright hair as the witch.
As the father, James Harrison is a convincing drunk, with a clear vocal delivery. At times The Centre at Keri Keri’s acoustics proved a little problematic, with the pit sound appearing to be more present than the voices from the stage.
Conducting with firm yet sensitive control, Tecwyn Evans allows tender, unhurried moments to contrast with the busy antics of the children and the frantic, bombastic witch music. The orchestra seemed to lack surprisingly little in the skilful reduction of large pit orchestra to fifteen by Michael Vinten. Full honours to the top strings and woodwinds for whizzing around in a more than usually exposed manner. Perhaps we did miss the richness of full sections, brass and horns in particular, but a full complement cannot be expected and I would far rather have this compromise than an electronic one.
Highlights were many, from the parade of colourful staging inventions: the lollipop house, the furnace, the pillowing clouds and cherubim moon, and the exquisite Dew Fairy, to the really wonderful score and its marvellous rendition by company and orchestra.
Touring NZ until August 13th.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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