University of Kentucky Opera Theatre is delighted to present Hansel and Gretel, our fall opera production, for a student matinee at the Lexington Opera House (401 W Short St, Lexington, KY 40507) on Friday, October 3, 2025 at 10:00am.

Hansel and Gretel is sung in English with supertitles above the stage. The production runs about 2 hours and 5 minutes including a 20 minute intermission.  The opera is suitable for grades 2 through 12.

Journey into the heart of a timeless tale with Engelbert Humperdinck's enchanting opera, Hansel and Gretel. This masterful operatic retelling of the Brothers Grimm classic brings a tender twist to the familiar story: Driven by abject poverty, Hansel and Gretel venture into the forest not abandoned, but sent by their mother in search of berries to nourish their struggling family. Lost and alone as night falls, they are visited by the gentle spirits of the Sandman, Dew Fairy, and protective woodland angels, set to some of the most exquisitely beautiful music found in the operatic repertoire. The dawn reveals the infamous gingerbread house, where the brave children must then confront the evil witch, fighting for their lives and their unbreakable bond.

The word opera is Italian for “work”. It is an art form that includes acting, singing, dancing, a live orchestra and stunning visual elements in sets and costumes. The strongest focus of opera is the music, with powerful orchestration and performers singing beautiful arias (solos). The first opera was Dafne, written by Jacopo Peri in 1597. The first opera house opened in Venice, Italy in 1637. Later on, opera was the basis for musical theatre, with early productions in the 1800’s being called operettas (little operas). Opera has even featured in Bugs Bunny cartoons: “What’s Opera Doc?”  and “Rabbit of Seville”.

• Do Arrive Early – You don’t want to miss any of the show! Make sure you arrive early to allow time to use the restroom and make it to your seat before the show starts.
• Do Silence Electronic Devices – It’s disrespectful to the performers and distracting to other audience members if your phone rings or the screen lights up. Please put any electronic devices on silent and put them away during the show. No photos please!
• Do Stay Quiet – There are no microphones used in opera so it’s important to remain quiet during songs so you and others can hear the performers.
• Do Applaud! – Unlike some performances where audiences wait to applaud until the end of the show, operas encourage audiences to applaud after solos. If you really enjoy a song, applaud afterwards to let the performers know how much you liked it!

• Aria: A solo for a singer. Usually these are the most well-known songs in the piece.
• Chorus: A group of singers who represent the background characters of the story.
• Libretto: The written text for an opera. This includes songs, spoken dialogue and stage directions.
• Overture: The opening song, played only by the orchestra before the curtain goes up. This song presents the musical themes that will be heard throughout and sets the mood of the piece.
• Supertitles: A projected screen above the stage that shows the words being sung in English. These are included for operas that are sung in other languages so that you know what is being said, however there are also supertitles for operas sung in English.