Hansel and Gretel, the beloved fairy tale from everyone’s childhood, is being brought to life this weekend by the Knoxville Opera.
The opera, written by Engelbert Humperdinck in 1893, will come to the Tennessee Theatre this coming weekend. Candy will be provided for children in the audience who are welcome to take photos with the cast after the final curtain.
Chrystal Williams, a mezzo-soprano, will be playing the mischievous Hansel. She faces a challenging role in playing a boy child but relates to Hansel’s courageous nature.
“To me it’s freeing because I’m a firm believer in that you’re only as old as you allow yourself to be,” Williams said. “It’s a challenge to make sure you’re really honest and genuine, because children are honest.”
Even though Hansel’s character is brave, without Gretel, he would not have fared well against the witch. Soprano Lindsay Russell will be playing the other half of the enchanting duo.
Russell believes the differences in the two characters make them successful together.
“You need two people to watch each other’s back. There’s strength in both of them. Gretel is in her happy place when she’s at home and Hansel is more in his safe place when he’s out in nature,” Russell said. “The roles switch when they leave the home so that Hansel becomes more of the guardian.”
The opera takes a deeper look into the characters as individuals and provides more to the story than most will remember from their youth. Russel explains that the duality of the characters really makes them unique and fun to portray.
“Gretel is wanting to be a grown up, wanting to always do the right thing,” Russel explained.
Williams said Hansel’s personality acts as Gretel’s foil as “free spirited, a true child. He’s brave and strong, he’s fearless.”
The production hopes that not only will the classic characters draw spectators in, but that the music will also enchant the audience.
“I think Humperdinck’s writing is in a league of its own,” Williams said. “To have this music with this children’s story, I think it’s an incredible mix.”
However, the opera is certainly not only for children. With Humperdinck’s incredible style, the familiar fairy tale is transformed into an elaborate opera.
“It’s not easy; you really have to be a good musician,” Williams said. “It’s really sophisticated music. Definitely a rewarding experience.”
When asked why UT students should come enjoy the production, Russell said in addition to being more affordable than a night at the movies, students will leave the opera humming.
“It transcends, it takes you someplace else,” Williams said. “When you get on that stage, it’s not you anymore. It’s something greater than you.”
Hansel and Gretel will premiere at the Tennessee Theatre tonight, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m with a second performance on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be found at http://www.knoxvilleopera.com/hansel-gretel/.
