January 2011—For Immediate Release
BRINGING OPERA TO ANNAPOLIS SCHOOL CHILDREN: Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel Coming to Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.
WHAT: Kicking off a two day production for Maryland school children. The first day is a two closed performances for school groups, and the second day will be open to the public. Annapolis Opera’s Children’s Opera will present an abridged version of Peabody Institute’s Hansel & Gretel at Maryland Hall. The music features popular opera tunes by Engelbert Humperdinck. The opera is performed in English, and is approximately 45 minutes long.
WHEN: Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. – Public Performance
WHERE: Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.
QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION: Cast members, Annapolis Opera and Peabody Institute staff will be available to interview after the performance.
VISUAL OPPORTUNITIES: - Press photos may be taken during performance; no flash please. Press can come at 10:00 a.m. to set up if desired.
BACKGROUND: Children’s Opera is a subsidiary program of Annapolis Opera to educate elementary and middle school-aged children about music and opera. Each year the program produces a different children’s opera and performs them in Maryland Hall.
The artists that perform for Children’s Opera come from the Peabody Institute, which is in keeping with our mission to promote mid-Atlantic region young artists.
TICKETS: Box Office 410.280.5640. $10 or www.annapolisopera.org
STORY: Hänsel und Gretel is an opera by nineteenth-century composer Engelbert Humperdinck, who described it as a Märchenoper (fairy tale opera). The libretto was written by Adelheid Wette (Humperdinck's sister), based on the Grimm Brothers’ Hansel and Gretel. It is much admired for its folk music-inspired themes, one of the most famous being the Abendsegen ("Evening Benediction") from Act 2. Humperdinck composed Hansel and Gretel in Frankfurt in 1891 and 1892. The opera was first performed in Weimar on December 23, 1893, and was conducted by Richard Strauss.
Contact: Jennifer Fletcher, General Manager, 410-267-8135
