Nurturing new opera lovers goal of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ Fledgling company to perform tale at Camden venue

CAMDEN – The Engelbert Humperdinck who wrote the opera “Hansel and Gretel” is not the same guy who had the 1960s hits “Release Me” and “There Goes My Everything.” His real name was Arnold George Dorsey and he took his stage name from the 19th century German composer.

There’s been a bit of confusion about which Humperdinck is which, according to Karen Eisenhauer, artistic director of the Maine Grand Opera Company. Ordinarily it wouldn’t come up, but Eisenhauer’s fledgling group is staging “Hansel and Gretel” this month at the Camden Opera House.

Humperdinck the composer was born in 1854 and studied under Richard Wagner in Italy. Humperdinck the singer was born in 1936 in India and raised in England, and used the composer’s unusual name to gain attention from the record industry.

Humperdinck the composer based his opera on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. He wrote the music, while his sister Adelheid Wette wrote the libretto. Wagner’s influence is said to be evident in the harmonies of the score, and the combination of reality and whimsy in the opera has captured the imagination of children since it premiered in 1893.

That is one of the reasons Eisenhauer chose this production to close the company’s first season.

“The whole purpose of the Maine Grand Opera Company is to invite an audience in to discover this art form and to make it enjoyable and exciting for everyone, so it will be sung in English,” she said. “It’s not just an art form for the elite.”

While the principal roles will be filled by professional opera singers based in New York City, the children’s choir from St. John Baptist Episcopal Church in Thomaston and dancers from the Maine Youth Ballet and the Thomas School of Dance in Bangor also will perform. Cherry Duke will sing the role of Hansel. Phoebe Yadon will portray Gretel. Richard Cassell and Lenna Darbin will play the children’s parents.

People not familiar with this opera are surprised to hear the role of Hansel is sung by a woman, according to Eisenhauer. Many male parts in opera, known as “rouser roles,” were written to be sung by mezzo-sopranos.

Jennifer Stanton Smith of Bar Harbor will play the Dew Fairy. The character awakens Hansel and Gretel as Act II begins. It is a small role with just one aria, but Stanton Smith is excited about introducing opera to youngsters. The singer said last week that she did not discover opera until she was 14 years old and taking singing lessons.

“It’s a great opera because it’s geared toward children and adults,” she said. “This particular story they know, but this way of presenting it, most kids have never seen before. … Kids are very open to getting new experiences. They’ll love the combination of music, theater and spectacle. I’m betting that kids will really enjoy it and, maybe, we’ll get some opera lovers out of it.”

The four performances of “Hansel and Gretel” will mark the premiere of the Maine Grand Opera Orchestra, conducted by music director Janna Hymes-Bianchi. Thirty-one musicians who regularly play with the Bangor and Portland symphony orchestras will play from the floor in front of the stage and in the boxes on either side of the stage because the opera house does not have an orchestra pit.

Eisenhauer did not move to Camden two years ago with the intention of starting an opera company. She opened a voice studio and was charmed by the Camden Opera House. She said it reminded her of the “jewel boxes of Europe” she performed in during her professional career as an opera singer.

“Opera is a very, very expensive enterprise,” she said. “You need singers, an orchestra, set, costumes. A lot of people shy away from it because of that, but our first show, ‘The Magic Flute,’ was a sell-out. We think this one will be too.”

“Hansel and Gretel” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 17 and 24 and at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19 and 26. For ticket information, call 230-1200 or go on line to www.camden.villagesoup.com/clicktix. Checks and cash only will be accepted at the box office.