OPERA

Hansel and Gretel

Carlos E. Bárcenas and Cristina Russo in Victorian Opera's production of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel.

Photo: Hilary Walker

Victorian Opera

3.5 stars

Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne

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June 7-12

The Brothers Grimm fairytale of a brother and sister, lured into danger by sugar and kidnapped by a cannibalistic witch makes for delectable musical fare. But as not to scare the children senseless, the opera is nowhere near so bleak as the original. Performances of Engelbert Humperdinck's (not the English pop singer – though he did borrow his name from the 19th century German composer) Hansel and Gretel are popular in the northern hemisphere around the Christmas holidays. So popular in fact, it's the number one most-performed opera in Germany and the 12th most-performed opera worldwide.

But its duration of more than two and a half hours isn't very kid-friendly, so Victorian Opera's re-mounting of its 2014 production runs to just 50 minutes. The well-known tale is that of some naughty siblings who stumble upon a gingerbread house complete with a hungry old hag who wants to gobble them up, whom they shove in the oven and make it home bite-free.

This entire cast is wonderful. It's the sort of show where beauty of voice is not that important, but there are some standouts. Stephen Marsh (Father) has an impressive, booming baritone; he is capable of much bigger houses and meatier roles in the future. Michelle McCarthy (Dew Fairy), in an enormous Glinda the Good Witch type frock, possesses a sweet soprano that is just as pretty as she looked.

Though it's good exposure for children to hear an opera in its original language, the German text is undoubtedly a barrier. For the younger audience, the most enjoyable part is the physical comedy, which Shakira Dugan (Hansel) and Tomas Dalton (Witch) deliver with delightful aplomb.

This abridged account of Humperdinck's enchanting score, headed by conductor Simon Bruckard and played by the excellent 14-piece orchestra, was both balanced and charming.

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