(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Montclair State University's Cali Opera Program is set to present their chamber opera version of  Humperdinck's holiday classic Hansel & Gretel (sung in English) on Saturday, December 7, 2024 @ 3:00pm & 6:00pm, staring Litha Ashforth, Hailey Ji (Gretels) and Inhye Choi, Mia Grizzuti (Hansels). This fairy tale opera follows brother and sister–, Hansel and Gretel, as they are sent away to gather strawberries after frustrating their exhausted mother.

While on their quest, the children get lost in the haunted woods where the renowned evil Witch of Ilsenstein dwells. After encountering some other magical characters, the children come upon a beautiful and delicious gingerbread house, where a kind old woman lives. They are invited inside to enjoy sweets and treats, only to be captured by the evil Witch! She puts a spell on the children, making them eat until they are plump so that she can cook them to perfection. The children manage to overcome the Witch, and their parents find them, all celebrating their freedom.

The cast includes Camryn Dewar, Arianna Joseph (Gertrudes), Deiniol McGovern, Clinton Garrison (Peters), Hojung Choi, Jeffrey Castellano (Witches), Hanbyeol Min, Annabelle Kempf (Sandmans), Emma Mason, and Chloe Stavis (Dew Fairies).

This family friendly opera in under an hour will be directed by Karen Driscoll and conducted by William Hobbs. Costume design is by Deborah Caney with James Conrad Smith providing scenic design.

Tickets are $20 (senior tickets are $15). Tickets for the performance on Saturday, December 7 at 3:00pm are available here  and 6:00pm are available here. The Alexander Kasser Theater is located at 1 Normal Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey.

The Opera Program at The John J. Cali School is led by Karen Driscoll, Head of Artistic Operations/Opera, and resides within the College of Performing Arts (CART) at Montclair State University.

They believe that opera is the one of the most inclusive and collaborative artforms in existence, bringing music, art, dance, history, and stage craft together holistically to create the highest expression of musical performance. Cali Opera emphasizes the importance of exposing its students to early music repertoire through and including the development of the 21st Century style in order to embrace the evolution of historical origins to modern styles and trends of opera today.

They offer a variety of performance opportunities spanning from a fully staged large scale opera production with orchestra, a small-scale chamber opera to a robust opera workshop scenes program.  They invite participation by all musical degree candidates (Performance, Music Ed., Music Therapy, Music Theater) and all academic levels.

With close proximity to NYC, Cali Opera also draws upon some of the best and most distinguished artists the industry has to offer. Their students also enjoy the tremendous experience of training through master classes, and guest artists in the unique John J. Cali School of Music Immersive Residency Program.