Hansel and Gretel

I really enjoyed this final performance.  Opera is close to my heart and I really appreciated that our entire Macaulay class was able to see its beauty.

The theatre itself is so beautiful.  The chandeliers were incandescently gleaming.  They shimmered as prisms, showcasing all the colors of the rainbow.  The seats were also very comfortable.

The musicians were lovely.  The music was so beautiful, it felt like a wave rocking you back and forth.  Admittedly, I closed my eyes to listen just to the music now and then.  It also brought back memories of the time when I was able to participate in an opera.

My favorite character had to be the cross-dressed witch.  I could not stop laughing!

I had issues with the set design.  The set designer chose to use a painted plate as a backdrop.  When Hansel and Gretel were going on and on about the gingerbread house, was there one for the audience to observe?  No!  A plate was there instead!  I understand the theme of eating that encircles the opera; still, I believe the setting could have been better and more creative.

A few days after this opera, I had a music history final half of which was on opera.  Not only was Hansel and Gretel great entertainment but it was a wonderful refresher for this final!  I sincerely appreciated that.

This opera inspired a few of my fellow Macaulay peers and I to see more operas.  We plan on seeing Verdi’s La Traviata.  I also would love to see Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Mozart’s masterpieces like Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro, among others.  Maybe I’ll even get passed my prejudice and see some of Wagner’s music dramas.  We’ll see…