Hansel and Gretel opens Wednesday, January 25

View Hansel and Gretel images here

CHICAGO (1/25/2023) – Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the return of Humperdinck's deliciously dark fairytale Hansel and Gretel, January 25 to February 5, 2023. This ever-fresh, whimsical masterpiece is packed with musical gems—and still-relevant moral lessons—that make it a wonderful introduction to opera for all audiences.

Conducting the Lyric Opera Orchestra is Sir Andrew Davis, who returns for his first operatic production since he retired as Lyric’s Music Director in 2021. At this evening's opening-night performance (January 25), Davis will be named Lyric’s Music Director Emeritus in honor of his more than two decades of service leading the company’s musical forces. During his 36-year career at Lyric—including 21 years as Music Director—he has conducted 700 opera performances of 61 operas by 21 different composers, plus special concerts. Tonight's Hansel and Gretel will mark his 701st opera performance at Lyric, his 62nd opera with Lyric, and Humperdinck is the 22nd composer he has conducted at Lyric.

This widely celebrated production by Richard Jones is directed by Eric Einhorn, and its sweetly grotesque set design takes audiences on a strange and twisted world of discovery. The cast is led by Samantha Hankey in her Lyric debut as Hansel, Heidi Stober as Gretel, and Jill Grove as The Witch.

Hansel and Gretel runs for six performances only, through February 5. Audiences are invited to experience this operatic classic on a musical and theatrical scale only Lyric Opera of Chicago can offer.

View Hansel and Gretel images here

A high-resolution video trailer will be available soon on Lyric's YouTube channel.

Read the Hansel and Gretel digital program book and listen to a pre-opera talk.

Performance dates for Hansel and Gretel are January 25, 27, 29 matinee, February 1 matinee, 3, and 5 matinee, 2023. All performances take place at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago.

Hansel and Gretel is sung in German, with easy-to-follow English translations projected above the stage.

Running time is 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission.

For tickets and information, call 312.827.5600 or go to lyricopera.org/hanselandgretel.

Lyric’s presentation of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel is generously made possible by ITW.

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About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is where the world sings — and where Chicago comes alive.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric stands at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic purpose, harnessing the full power of opera — voice, orchestra, stagecraft, and story — to illuminate the questions, emotions, and experiences that define us as human beings. Nearly 75 seasons of world-class performances have made Lyric one of the greatest opera companies in the world. What drives us now is what has always driven us: the belief that this art form, at its best, can move people in ways nothing else can.

Lyric is also Chicago’s partner — in its neighborhoods, its schools, and its communities — through education, engagement, and a relentless commitment to making opera accessible, relevant, and irresistible to everyone. At the heart of that commitment is The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, which trains the artists who will carry this art form into its future. Every night when the curtain rises, Lyric reminds this city — and the world — why live performance still matters.

Lyric Opera of Chicago doesn’t just present opera, it redefines what opera can be. It’s where Chicago comes to be moved, inspired, and connected.

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