What a Great Way to End the Year :,)

I must say that this was one of the best performances that we have been to all semester! I loved how the play was simple and entertaining with a few twists and turns to the traditional Grimm Brother’s fairy tale, but still kept to the same plot. I feel fortunate to have done the presentation to prepare us for the opera because i felt like that helped me better comprehend what was going on. For example, the inclusion of Sandman was not found in the traditional fairy tale yet it fit so nicely in the opera version. Sandman, a mythical character from European folklore, sprinkles sand onto Hansel and Gretel’s eyes so that they fall asleep (right before they say their Evening Prayer). It is said that by sprinking magic sand on sleepers he brings good dreams upon them. Towards the end of the opera when the gingerbread children were turn back into humans, I thought they were the 14 angels that Hansel and Gretel were mutually dreaming of earlier in the opera. The twist continues with the inclusion of the Dew Fairy who wakes up the children in the midst of the sleep by sprinkling dew on them. Despite these twists and turns, the opera started and ended the same way as the traditional fairy tale. The children ultimately find the Witch’s house and throw her into the oven. It was truly very nice to actually go to an opera and experience something I would not have experienced on my own. Thank you to Professor Perl and Ben for a wonderful semester.