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Hansel and Gretel By Engelbert Humperdinck. Conducted by Chris Dowdeswell. Directed by Janice Honeyman. Choregraphy by Adele Blank. Design by Michael Mitchell. Lighting by Kobus Rossouw. Assistant Director: David Fick. Children's Chorus Chorus Master: Daniel Mestre. Weber Gedenk Primêr Koor Choir Mistress: Ilse Botha. Cape Philharmonic Orchestra Leader: Alla Shubinsky. Stage Manager: Timothy Harding. Assistant Stage Manager: Liza Shaw. Repetiteurs: Ean Smit, Lisa Engelbrecht. Rehearsal Pianist: Galina Vakhrusheva. Production Manager: Tania Williams. Props Co-Ordinator: Rochelle de Villiers. Wardrobe Co-ordinator: Ann Holmes. Assistant Wardrobe Misteress: Shamiela Ederies. Wigs: Elizabeth Solomons. Synopsis In the humble hut of a broom-maker and his wife, their children, Hansel and Gretel, dance and play in an attempt to forget their hunger. The mother is irritated by the children's liveliness and lays about her with a stick, accidentally knocking over their only pot of milk. As this was the only food in the house, she angrily sends the children into the forest to look for berries. After the departure of the children, their father arrives in an unusually good mood, carrying a basket of food. Hearing that his children are in the woods upsets him enormously and he heatedly reminds his wife of the witch who lives there and tells her that the witch has been cacthing children, baking and then eating them! Deeply distressed, he rushes out of the hut to search for the children. Hansel and Gretel are amusing themselves in the wood. Gretel has picked a basket full of berries and playfully throws them, one by one, into her brother's mouth. Suddenly, Gretel sees that not only is her basket now empty but it has become dark as well. The children realise that they are lost. As night falls, the Sandman sppears and lulls them to sleep. Before falling asleep, however, they sing their evening prayers. Angels appear in a dream pantomime to protect the sleeping children. The next morning, Gretel is awakened by a dew fairy. The children then spy the witch's house, which is made of all sorts of sweets. They break off pieces of the house and eat them. Suddenly, the witch appears and catches Hansel. She draws the children into the house and, using her magic spells, plans to make them into gingerbread. But Gretel tricks the witch and the children push her into the oven. The witch is dead and all the children under her spell are transformed back to their original form. Hansel and Gretel's parents appear and, overjoyed that they are safe, embrace them fondly. Cast Violina Anguelov (Hansel), Angela Kerrison (Gretel), Andrea Catzel (The Witch), Michelle Saldahna (Gretrud, the Mother), Abel Moeng (Peter, the Father), Teresa de Wit (The Sandman), Marion Roberts (The Dew Fairy), Russel Cummings (The Puppeteer). Monique Adams, Dylan Arnolds, Gayno Bergstedt, Alkadia Brown, Zenobia Daniels, Samantha Davids, Robin Dreyer, Romeo Engelbrecht, Laetitia Francis, Kelly-Ann Hendricks, Natalie Isaacs, Leslik Koopman, Nathan Layman, Erica Linders, Herschell Linders, Delicia Lindoor, Cynthia Madikane, Patricia Matthyse, Samantha Mentoor, Natasha Mgolombane, Glenda Pietersen, Mary-Ann Pietersen, Leandro Schippers, Josephine Smith, Yolandi Tamboer, Lee-Renzo van Huffel, Kaylee van Kerwel, Royden Williams, Ilze Zilindile (Gingerbread Children). Children appear by permission of Weber Gedenk Primêr, Jamestown, Principal Mr BC Williams. Press CAPE TOWN OPERA WEBSITE – 27 February 2003 Hansel and Gretel, the second opera in the summer festival at Spier, is anything but run of the mill. In Janice Honeyman`s vividly bright production food images and food containers form the basis of Michael Mitchell`s set design which is lit by Kobus Rossouw. The cheerful yellow and reds and wire and plastic objects, which we all know from street corners, here give the scene strong local flavour and credibility. Familiar food labels present both the 'lower' food in the parental home and the richer foods which Hansel and Gretel would like to be able to eat. It all hangs together in a neat 'blikkies dorp' concoction. In the forest there is further imagery of the kitchen utensils like knives and forks, strainers and colanders and the cruelty they represent in fairytale or in our society. But the lighting and atmosphere in the wood needed to be more menacing to mark the contrast between the kitchen and the nasty place where the witch lived. One of the best points in this production is making Hansel and Gretel two teenagers - I have always had a problem with two women [not always so young either!] portraying the roles of two young children. Violina Anguelov [Hansel] is well versed in singing male parts as she has done an excellent Cherubino in the Marriage of Figaro. Angela Kerrison is a fresh Gretel with particularly good vocal tops. She and Anguelov vocally combined well and succeeded in moving with the free and easy manner of young people. As the parents Abel Moeng was in fine voice as the caring father and Michelle [Saldahna] made a formidable scolding mother [with a liking for alcohol]. It made you glad not to have her as a mum. On opening night Russel Cummings played the mime dance role of the puppeteer. He did a sterling job of being a 'Pied Piper' swinging morally from left to right, sometimes he was in direct contrast with the angels who protect Hansel and Gretel in the forest with the aid of umbrellas. The only glaring weakness was the children`s chorus which needs much more oomph. Dowdeswell did his level best with them, but it still failed. Engelbert Humperdinck`s music is very lyrical but also has Wagnerian shades to it and the Cape Philharmonic under Dowdeswell gave a fine performance on a splendidly calm and windless night. I deliberately kept the best performance to the last. What a marvellous wicked witch Andrea Catzel turned out to be! I must confess I certainly expected as much with her experience in cabaret and fine sense of timing. This was pantomime in its most refined form. All that delightful hocus-pocus and the deliberate asides made for enjoyable comedy with the threat of evil ever near. Catzel is a soprano and managed extremely well to balance the lower level of her voice for this mezzo role. Her facial expressions were a treat. So if you would like to experience the most scrumptious wicked witch in town see this opera on March 1, 8 and 9 at Spier. You will certain not for regret it! DIE BURGER – 28 February 2003 Vindingrykheid is sinoniem met Janice Honeyman. Dié opgewekte regisseur se naam was nie verniet so prominent toe die benoemings vir die Fleur du Cap-teaterpryse in Januarie aangekondig is nie. (Die pryse word komende Vrydag in Kaapstad toegeken.) Ook met opera het sy haar slag al gewys. Vir die Mozart-herdenkings in 1991 was haar Cosí fan tutte 'n visuele treffer wat steeds graag onthou word. Vir 'n verrassing sorg sy ook hierdie keer, saam met Michael Mitchell se verbeeldingryke ontwerp en Kobus Rossouw se beligting. Sonder om te veel geheime te verklap, kan gesê word dat die steun van 'n supermark-ketting en ander borge nie misgekyk kan word nie. Besonder konvensionele realistiese dekor moet nie verwag word nie. Besparing is in dié maer jare die groot faktor. Met min middele het Mitchell interessante en kleurryke voorwerpe aanmekaargetimmer en is die Europese opera 'n ent nader aan Afrika gebring. Dit duur 'n ruk om daaraan gewoond te raak, en in almal se smaak val dit seker nie, maar dit werk. Ook sonder bome is dit 'n besonderse sprokieswoud. Minder geslaagd is die gebruikmaking van 'n dansende poppespeler (Russel Cummings). Hy het sy taak goed verrig, maar soms gesteur met sy teenwoordigheid tussen die sangers (sy "poppe") en sy luide voetstappe. Geen tyd word verspil nie. Dit is goed, want die opvoerings begin eers om 20:30, en die huis is ver. Reeds tydens die lieflike orkesvoorspel begin die aksie. Toneelveranderings geskied vinnig, met toerusting wat tussen die musiek deur oor die oop verhoog gestoot word. Soms raak dit net ietwat raserig. Met die musikale aspek kan geen ernstige fout gevind word nie. Ná 'n effens onsuiwer koperblaser-noot of twee in die openingsakkoorde het die Kaapse Filharmoniese Orkes sy meevoerende en belangrike aandeel treffend uitgevoer sonder om die soliste dood te speel. In die titelrolle het die gevestigde Violina Anguelov en die jong Angela Kerrison uitgeblink. Laasgenoemde is met suiwer hoë, maar geensins skril, sang en jeugdige voorkoms 'n oortuigende skoolmeisie. Anguelov is 'n geloofwaardige ondeunde Hansie. Haar lewendige spel en goed geskoolde ryk stem maak haar altyd 'n aanwins. As die besemverkoper-pa is Abel Moeng, vroeër Motswadi, terug uit Amerika. Al nege jaar gelede het hy as Kaapse operastudent met 'n bogemiddelde baritonstem en imposante verhoogpersoonlikheid aandag getrek. Hy was weer in goeie kondisie. Al is Michelle Saldanha jonk, het sy as die ma oortuig. Ook Marion Roberts as die dou-fee en nog meer so Teresa de Wit as Klaasvakie het met sang en voorkoms tot die sukses bygedra. As mees ervare sanger was Andrea Catzel 'n kostelike heks. Keer op keer het sy al in die tagtigerjare as steunpilaar van wyle Kruik geskitter. Sy is van oorsee terug as afrigter vir die Kaapstadse Opera. Die stem het iets van sy glans verloor, wat vir dié rol geen probleem is nie. Met 'n humoristiese aanslag het sy tereg die meeste byval gekry. 'n Pluimpie ook vir die kinders van Weber Gedenk Primêr op Jamestown by Stellenbosch. Hulle het Klaasvakie enduit weerstaan. Humperdinck se 110 jaar oue Duitse opera het niks van sy bekoring verloor nie. Dit word hier in sprankelende Engels gesing. Die uitspraak is meestal duidelik, maar boskrifte word verskaf vir wie dit nodig het. Van grootouers tot kleuters behoort Spier nou te besoek vir 'n werk vol onthoubare deuntjies. CAPE TIMES – 5 March 2003 Those who characterise Humperdinck's acknowledged masterpiece as a "children's opera" are half right, or half wrong, depending on perspective. The half right part is that the libretto is unashamedly aimed at children and the young at heart and even a good deal of the music relies on parody and simulated folk song to achieve easy familiarity. Yet even the world-weary find pleasure in its unaffected innocnence, which breaches the decades of life with wide appeal. The half wrong part is that the superb score, in its distinctive and memorable harmony and subtle orchestration, can hold its own against even the creations of a Wagner or a Mendellssohn. The work has justifiably retained a secure position in the international operatic repetoire ever since its first staging in Wiemar in 1893. In the title roles, Kerrison and Anguelov both excel. First and most important, they are credible. There is, frankly, nothing more embarrassing that watching an ageing soprano trying to be girlish, or (what is worse) a thigh-slapping mezzo trying for boyish. The casting is spot on, with Kerrison a most engagin young girl (she will excuse me for pointing out that she is not all that much older than the character portrayed). And Anguelov probably the most convincing travesty boy I have seen. That's the acting side, of course. They also fit together beautifully vocally, with Kerrison's neatly focused soprano easily over Anguelov's slightly darker but highly mobile mezzo tones. They are both highly musical and thoroughly professional, which ensures constantly good balance, splendid ensemble and a unified stylistic approach. Of the other singers, Catzel carried the day in a role which gave full scope to her sense of fun. I was able to watch the reactions of two pre-teen boys sitting just in fornt of me: open eyes, bolt upright, for all the world like the little boys in the ad who "skrik for niks". Then they rejoiced in the evil witch's downfall and delighted in the rescue of the children. Honeyman's production is beautifully conceived as children's theatre, with more contemporary elements of children's fantasy neatly embedded in an authentic Grimm's tale matrix. Costuming is inventive and colourful and the use of a "narrating" dancer (Cummings) is a most effective attention-holder for children in the longer musical entractes. Orchestral playing was not uniformly good. Worse, however, was Dowdeswell's somewhat wooden approach to this most evocative of scores. Picture Gallery
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