Hansel & Gretel at The Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center

Ah, the opera. To many ‘a night at the opera’ has such a romantic, sophisticated sound to it. The images of tragic tales, or romantic dramas being sung on stage by the extraordinary capacity of opera singers, carried by the majestical accompaniment of a grand orchestra and their conductor; these are the things that really make the statement “I’m going to the opera” seem incredibly lucky. At least that is how I felt when the wonderful people at The Metropolitan Opera House offered me two complimentary tickets to see the performance of Hansel and Gretel going on now through January 2, 2010.

The Metropolitan Opera’s rendition of Hansel and Gretel has a lot of elements that differ from the original fairy tale. It is comedic and a bit frightening, but also intriguing and quite beautiful in so many ways, from the performance to the stage set up, to the various scenes…my absolute favorite being a dream sequence which was really breathtaking.

Soprano Miah Persson who plays Gretel and Mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager who plans Hansel, both give an awesome performance. The Witch, played by English tenor Philip Langridge is powerful, funny, and scary. He did an amazing job at really bringing all of that to his scenes. I have heard of Mr. Langridge’s performance before, it had received much praise, but really being able to see it was a treat for me.

And to find the words that give justice to how beautifully the Metropolitan Orchestra played is actually a bit challenging. I don’t know how, except to say that I closed my eyes between scenes and enjoyed it to the fullest while Conductor Fabio Luisi slowly set the tone for the visually stunning settings before us.

The Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center was designed by Wallace K. Harrison and opened there in 1966 (the original was located on Broadway and 39th St and opened 1833). It is one of the most beautiful, architectural masterpieces any one can enter. You are taken back in time as you walk down the rounding staircases, or sip champaign standing next to the velvet covered walls of the foyer. Or as you sit in the performance hall underneath the crystal chandelier and gold leaf ceiling.  The Chagall paintings, also seen from outside, command attention and add to the overall artistic magic of the place. I swear it’s like going back in time. Very rarely, if ever, do they make masterpieces like these anymore.

The Grand Tier Restaurant is located on the upper level of the Opera House. It is open to opera ticket holders only. Dining and bar are open two hours prior to show and during intermission. Reservations and intermission pre-orders highly recommended. They currently have a Hansel and Gretel pre-fix menu, including a children’s menu. My husband and I didn’t enjoy this part of the experience, but promised ourselves we would next time. It is so lovely.

I also think taking children to the opera is a wonderful experience for them, though I wouldn’t recommend taking younger children. Hansel and Gretel runs 2 hours and 15 minutes, and other operas can be even longer than that. It might be difficult for some children to stay still that long. If you are late, or exit the performance hall during the performance you are not allow to enter the hall until intermission. There are live feeds shown on t.v. screens in the hall, but not the same thing, obviously. Also, though Hansel and Gretel is an English performance, you should feel comfortable in attending a foreign language one as well. Digital translators are placed in front of all seats. Aida, coming in March is in Italian and it is by far one of my favorite operas. I highly reccommend it as well.

We really enjoyed our evening at the opera. Hansel and Gretel was a fun performance, definitely family-friendly, and a wonderful holiday activity. Go with the family, or on a date night as we did, either way, I promise you will love this adventure. Visit The Metropolitan Opera’s official website for ticket information and listings of other events and performances.

Thank you to The Metropolitan Opera for making this NYC Adventure possible.

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