Local Soprano sings Mother in Longwood Opera's Hansel & Gretel

Needham’s Longwood Opera ushers in its 31st season by presenting Hansel and Gretel, an opera fun for the whole family.

Adapted from the classic tale by the Brothers Grimm and set to the music of Engelbert Humperdinck, the production is directed by J. Scott Brumit with music direction by Jeffrey Brody and costumes by Charlotte Brumit. The Charles River Ballet Academy will perform dance sequences, and kids from the local community will take the roles of the Gingerbread Children. The opera will be fully staged and performed in English.

The plot unfolds around Hansel and Gretel, the young children of a broom maker and his wife. The children are sent into the woods alone to gather berries and come upon a house made of cake and candy. They are coaxed inside by a ditzy witch, held prisoner and soon plot a clever escape.

Soprano Karen Amlaw, Westborough resident and owner/director of Karen Amlaw Music in Westborough, will play the role of Getrud (the mother). Ms. Amlaw has sung with Longwood Opera on their Summer Concert Series since 2012. This past spring she was selected as the first alternate in Connecticut Opera's National Opera Idol Competition. She is currently under the tutelage of former Metropolitan Opera conductor Maestro Steven Crawford.

Hansel and Gretel will be performed on Friday evening, November 3 at 7:30 pm, and on the afternoons of Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 5 at 2:30 pm. All shows are at Christ Episcopal Church, 1132 Highland Ave., Needham. Christ Church, located across from the Needham Public Library, is handicap accessible and has plenty of free parking.

Tickets are $23, $18 seniors, $15 students and $13 children (10 & under) and may be purchased by credit card, cash or check. Tickets are also available in advance through the website at www.longwoodopera.org or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope with check or credit card payment to Longwood Opera, 42 Hawthorn Avenue, Needham, MA 02492.

About Longwood Opera

Longwood Opera, Inc., was founded in 1986 to fill a void in New England’s performing arts network. After students graduate from the universities and conservatories in the Boston area, they have the skills necessary to make a career as opera singers, but they lack the opportunity and venue to use their talents. Longwood Opera gives talented, Boston-based singers a chance to polish their performing skills so that they become successful artists. So far over 500 singers have performed as members of the company. In 1995, we adopted the slogan “Opera For All!” This expresses our goal to make opera accessible to everyone, especially to those who might otherwise not have access to this wonderful art form.

Longwood Opera has been selected for the 2017 Best of Needham Award in the Opera Company category.