OperaCues_familyday-2026

YOUR GUIDE TO HANSEL AND GRETEL

Hello, my scrumptious little morsels!

Welcome to the Wortham Theater Center. What a delish I mean, delightful-looking crowd you all make. Thank you for joining us for Houston Grand Opera’s Family Day performance of Engelbert Humperdinck’s classic opera, Hansel and Gretel

We have a magnificent show planned for you. I must say, this production’s creators have truly outdone themselves decking out my humble little abode. It’s quite welcoming. And simply perfect for roast—er, hosting young guests.

Our Family Day cast is incredible. You’re going to love Alissa Goretsky and Erin Wagner as Gretel and Hansel, Elizabeth Hanje and Geonho Lee as Mother and Father, and Megan Mikailovna Samarin as Sandman. But I must say, I do think you will especially adore one Demetrious Sampson, Jr. as your favorite Witch—moi. I am just thrilled to be here.

Not to brag, but singing isn’t my only talent. I’m also a legendary baker. What makes my cakes so tasty? I cannot tell you, because then I’d have to…oh, never you mind. Settle in now, children. Enjoy the show!

Signed,

Opera Cues is published by Houston Grand Opera Association; all rights reserved. Opera Cues is produced under the direction of Chief Marketing and Experience Officer Jennifer Davenport and Director of Communications Catherine Matusow, by Houston Grand Opera’s Audiences Department.

Editor Catherine Matusow

Designers

Chelsea Crouse

Rita Jia

Contributors

Joe Cadagin

Ashlyn Killian

Advertising Matt Ross/Ventures Marketing 713-417-6857

For information on all Houston Grand Opera productions and events, or for a complimentary season brochure, please email the Customer Care Center at customercare@HGO.org or telephone 713-228-6737.

Houston Grand Opera is a member of OPERA America, Inc., and the Theater District Association, Inc. APR 24 - MAY 10 TICKETS STARTING AT $25

OPERA FA Q s

New to opera? Curious how it all works?

We’ve got you covered!

So…what is opera, anyway?

Storytelling through music! Singers and an orchestra join forces to tell a story entirely through song.

Fun fact: the word “opera” is Italian for “work.”

Where did it come from?

Opera began in Florence, Italy, over 400 years ago, when artists wanted to bring ancient Greek myths to life through music and theater.

Who is it for?

At first, opera was only for royalty. But soon, public opera houses opened across Italy— and today, opera belongs to everyone!

What kinds of stories do operas tell?

All kinds!

In the past, there were serious ones (opera seria) and funny ones (opera buffa). Now, anything goes—love stories, comedies, thrillers, fairy tales, and beyond.

HGO has premiered 76 new operas (and counting)!

Does someone always die at the end?

Nope! Sure, sometimes things get dramatic—this is opera—but plenty of stories end in laughter, adventure, or happily-ever-after.

Do all singers wear horns and blonde braids?

Only sometimes! That look comes from German operas like Wagner’s The Valkyrie, based on Norse mythology.

But today’s productions feature everything from street clothes to space suits.

What if I can't make out the words in the songs?

It might be easier than you think! While operas are performed in many languages, today's Family Day production is in English. As the artists sing, you can also read the text (called “supertitles”) on a screen above the stage.

But even without words, the music and voices tell the story.

Bottom line

Opera is music, theater, and emotion—all rolled into one incredible experience.

Hansel and Gretel

W F O I R N D D

Anvi, 11, 5th grade

Albanese Gummies

“Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez & Em Beihold

I use my voice to inspire, connect, and express passion through music.

Concetta, 17, 12th grade

Heath Bar

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major

Don't let your past define your future.

Arabelle, 12, 6th grade

Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers

“For Forever” from Dear Evan Hansen

Be brave, be weird, be wonderful!

Edison, 14, 9th grade

Sour Patch Kids

“Do I Wanna Know?” by Arctic Monkeys

“Don’t dream it, be it.” —The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Meet the Hansel and Gretel

Children’s Chorus!

Emmett, 8, 3rd grade

Snickers

“Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters

Be becauseprepared, it’s not good to be late!

Ayla, 9, 4th grade Gum

“Better When I’m Dancin’” from The Peanuts Movie

I show up in the world strong, confident, and creative.

Emma, 12, 7th grade

Twix

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana

Better an “oops” than a “what if.”

By Ashlyn Killian, Communications Coordinator

Isadora, 10, 5th grade

Nerds Gummy Clusters, Twix

“Traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

Felicity, 13, 7th grade

Nerds Gummy Clusters

“Curses” by The Crane Wives

I am not afraid, I was born to do this.

Kaiya, 11, 6th grade Skittles

“Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” — Japanese Proverb

Katherine, 14, 9th grade

Green Apple

Laffy Taffy

“Ruler of My Heart” by BL8M

Every story has a value.

Lora, 10, 5th grade

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

“Defying Gravity” from Wicked Practice makes perfect.

Macie, 13, 8th grade

Reese’s Pieces

“Sugar Sweet” by Benson Boone

You never know unless you try.

Max, 11, 5th grade

Hi-Chew

“The Water Is Wide” (traditional; James Taylor version)

A sharp mind leads to success.

Lucas, 10, 5th grade

Jolly Rancher Hard Candy

“Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo from Harriet

Jump high, dream big, and let the music begin.

Mary, 11, 5th grade

Twix

“Let It Snow” Be positive!

Luciana, 12, 7th grade

Anything sour

“Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan

Kindness is much more than just words.

Maximus, 13, 8th grade

Danish candy

“Waving Through a Window” from Dear Evan Hansen

Work smarter not harder.

Shreya, 12, 7th grade

Oreo Milka Chocolate Bar

“Supernova” by æspa

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”

Theodore, 12, 7th grade

Skittles (sour and regular)

“Best Day of My Life” by

American Authors

The world is my classroom with so much to learn and many people to meet.

Matilda, 11, 6th grade

Nerds

“Jump” by BLACKPINK

Work hard and try your best.

Raasti, 13, 7th grade

Hershey’s Cookies ’n’ Creme or Airheads

“Can’t Catch Me Now” by Olivia Rodrigo

Stay positive, work hard, and dream big.

Sonya, 11, 6th grade

Milky Way

Too many! Currently: “Better When I’m Dancin’” by Meghan Trainor

Music, a book, and a bichon frise is my recipe for happiness.

Victoria, 13, 8th grade

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

No favorite song, I love a lot of music.

You can’t predict the future, but you can always create it.

Meet the Characters

Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel live with their mother and father on the edge of a dark forest. It’s been ages since they’ve had anything good to eat, and Hansel’s rumbling tummy always seems to land him in hot water. Though he tries his best to act brave, it’s usually his clever sister Gretel who has to get him out of a tight spot. When she isn’t vanquishing witches, she loves to sing, dance, and make flower chains.

Gertrude

Hansel and Gretel’s mother scolds the children for avoiding their chores. In her anger, she accidentally knocks over a jug of milk. She sends the siblings into the forest to gather strawberries for the family’s supper, unaware of the dangers that lurk there…

Peter

Hansel and Gretel’s father is a broommaker who works hard to feed his hungry family. In times of trouble, he always reminds them: “When in need or dark despair, God will always hear our prayer.”

Witch

Also known as Rosina Lickspittle, the Witch lives in a tasty house made of cake. While she might seem like a sweet old lady, make no mistake: she’s got an appetite for children. Riding around on her broomstick, she collects kids to turn into gingerbread cookies.

Sandman

When the children get lost in the spooky woods, they’re frightened by the echoes and shadows of the forest. But the Sandman comes to sprinkle magic sand in Hansel and Gretel’s eyes that helps send them off to dreamland.

Gingerbread Children

After Hansel and Gretel slay the wicked Witch, the gingerbread kids turn back into boys and girls. They prance about in celebration, just as Hansel and Gretel’s parents arrive—overjoyed to be reunited with their precious children!

Familiar Fairytale Figures

For his production of Hansel and Gretel, British director Antony McDonald has added some characters to the original opera. For instance, when Hansel and Gretel are lost in the woods, you might see some strange figures flitting through the trees: a hunter deer, a woodcutter fox, and a forest spirit McDonald calls a Will-o’-the-Wisp. Terrified by the scary things they imagine in the shadows, the siblings are protected by a group of fairytale characters the audience will recognize from other storybooks or cartoons. Rumpelstiltskin lays Hansel and Gretel down in a bed of straw, Rapunzel cuts off her long golden braid for their pillow, and Little Red Riding Hood tucks them in with her crimson cloak. What other characters do you recognize?

Help Hansel and Gretel through

the Forest!

Find the path to the Witch's house in the center, and then lead them to their parents on the other side.

FAMILY DAY: HANSEL AND GRETEL

PRODUCTION FUNDERS

GRAND GUARANTOR

GUARANTORS

Marianne and Joe Geagea

GRAND UNDERWRITERS

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Clancy UNDERWRITERS

Renee Margolin

Samuels Family Foundation

Helen Wils and Leonard A. Goldstein

February 14

Adapted from Hansel and Gretel

AN OPERA IN THREE ACTS

MUSIC BY Engelbert Humperdinck

LIBRETTO BY Adelheid Wette

ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY Sir David Pountney

Produced in Association with The Royal Ballet and Opera and San Francisco Opera

Sung in English with projected English text

Brown Theater, Wortham Theater Center

The performance lasts approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes, including one intermission.

Content advisory: This production uses pyrotechnics, strobe lighting, and flashes.

The activities of Houston Grand Opera are supported in part by funds provided by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

QUICK START GUIDE

What a Difference!

The German fairytale “Hansel and Gretel” was written down over 200 years ago by a pair of brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. But there are lots of different retellings of this classic story, including the Hansel and Gretel opera you’re about to see. Here are some examples of differences between original director Antony McDonald’s production of the opera and other versions you might have read or seen.

1.

There’s no wicked stepmother. In the opera, Hansel and Gretel’s mother loves them very much and would never abandon them. She sends them into the forest to gather strawberries, but they get lost since they don’t leave a trail of pebbles in this version.

2.

A new character was added for the opera: the Sandman. When the children are alone and afraid in the forest, this funny little man sprinkles magic sand in their eyes to make them sleepy.

3.

In the opera, the Witch’s house is made of cake—not candy, like you might have seen in some illustrations. It's designed to look like a giant chocolate cake with a cherry on top. But the knife stuck through the roof hints that everything isn’t as sweet as it seems…

4.

The Witch doesn’t burn to a crisp in an oven in McDonald’s staging of the opera. Instead, she’s pushed into a giant vat of melted chocolate—just like Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

5.

In the Brothers Grimm version, the Witch gobbles children right up! But in the opera, she transforms kids into gingerbread cookies first. After they slay the Witch, Hansel and Gretel turn them back into boys and girls.

A Genuine German Folksong

Engelbert Humperdinck, the funny-named composer who wrote the music for Hansel and Gretel, used real German children’s folksongs in the opera—including “Goosey goosey gander.” Hansel and Gretel sing this tune at the very beginning of the opera, but they keep interrupting each other! (Do you have a brother or sister who annoys you like that sometimes?) If you’re learning to sing or play an instrument, try performing the melody for your family when you get home.

CAST & CREATIVE

CAST (in order of vocal appearance)

Gretel Alissa Goretsky †

Nancy Haywood/ Susan Bloome/ James M. Trimble and Sylvia Barnes Fellow

Hansel Erin Wagner ‡

Gertrude (Mother)

Elizabeth Hanje †

Ms. Marty Dudley/ Amy and Mark Melton/ Diane Marcinek/Jeff Stocks

and Juan Lopez Fellow

Sandman Megan Mikailovna Samarin ‡

Witch

Demetrious Sampson, Jr. †

Dr. Dina Alsowayel and Mr. Anthony R.

Chase/ Dr. Eric Mclaughlin and Mr. Elliot Castillo/ Alejandra and Héctor Torres/ Mr. Trey Yates Fellow

Peter (Father) Geonho Lee †

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover/ Dr. and Mrs. Miguel Miro-Quesada/ Dr. John Serpe and Tracy Maddox Fellow

Will-o'-the-wisp Silken Kelly

CREATIVE TEAM

Conductor William Long *

Original Director Antony McDonald and Scenic and Claire Liu and Joe

Costume Designer Greenberg Director Chair

Assistant Director Stephanie Smith

Associate Designer Ricardo Pardo

Original Lighting Lucy Carter Designer

Family Day Philip Alfano

Lighting Designer

Choreographer Lucy Burge

Children’s Chorus Karen Reeves Director

Musical Preparation Jenny Choo †

Dr. Laura E. Sulak and Dr. Richard W. Brown Fellow Peter Pasztor ‡ Madeline Slettedahl

Stage Manager Brian August

* Mainstage debut

† Butler Studio artist

‡ Former Butler Studio artist

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Supertitles by Alexa Lietzow. Supertitles called by Matthew Neumann.

Performing artists, stage directors, and choreographers are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, the union for opera professionals in the United States. Scenic, costume, and lighting designers and assistant designers are represented by United Scenic Artists, IATSE Local USA-829.

Orchestral musicians are represented by the Houston Professional Musicians Association, Local #65-699, American Federation of Musicians.

Stage crew personnel provided by IATSE, Local #51.

Wardrobe personnel provided by Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #896.

Usher personnel provided by IATSE, Local B-184.

This production is being recorded for archival purposes.

HGO ORCHESTRA

Patrick Summers, Artistic and Music Director

VIOLIN

Denise Tarrant *, Concertmaster

Chloe Kim *, Assistant Concertmaster

Natalie Gaynor *, Principal Second Violin

Carrie Kauk *†, Assistant Principal Second Violin

Rasa Kalesnykaite *, Acting Assistant Principal Second Violin

Miriam Belyatsky *

Hae-a Lee Barnes *

Chavdar Parashkevov †

Anabel Ramirez *

Mary Reed *

Erica Robinson *

Linda Sanders *

Oleg Sulyga *

Sylvia VerMeulen *

Melissa Williams *

Andres Gonzalez

Kana Kimura

Maria Lin

Fiona Lofthouse

Mila Neal

Sean O'Neal

Rachel Shepard

Trung Trinh

Emily Zelaya

VIOLA

Eliseo Rene Salazar *, Principal

Lorento Golofeev *, Assistant Principal

Gayle Garcia-Shepard *

Erika C. Lawson *

Suzanne LeFevre *

Matthew Weathers *

Elizabeth Golofeev

Sarah Mason

CELLO

Barrett Sills *, Principal

Erika Johnson *, Assistant Principal

Dana Rath *

Wendy Smith-Butler *

Chennie Sung *

Shino Hayashi

DOUBLE BASS

Dennis Whittaker *, Principal

Erik Gronfor *, Assistant Principal

Carla Clark *

Hunter Capoccioni

FLUTE

Henry Williford *, Principal

Tyler Martin *

PICCOLO

Allison Asthana

RECORDER

Allison Asthana

OBOE

Elizabeth Priestly Gehrke *, Principal

Mayu Isom †

Spring Hill

ENGLISH HORN

Spring Hill

CLARINET

Eric Chi *, Principal

Julian Hernandez

BASS CLARINET

Molly Mayfield

BASSOON

Amanda Swain *, Principal

Quincey Trojanowski †

Micah Doherty

HORN

Sarah Cranston *, Principal

Kimberly Penrod Minson *

Spencer Park *

Aaron Griffin

Jamie Leff

TRUMPET

Tetsuya Lawson *, Principal

Randal Adams *

TROMBONE

Thomas Hultén *, Principal

Mark Holley *

Jordan Milek Johnson †

Brian Logan

TUBA

Mark Barton *, Principal

TIMPANI

Alison Chang *, Principal

PERCUSSION

Christina Carroll, Acting Principal

Craig Hauschildt

Karen Slotter

HARP

Caitlin Mehrtens *, Principal

* HGO Orchestra core musician

† HGO Orchestra core musician on leave this production

HGO CORPS DANCERS

Nikolas Darrough

Ava Makana Dempster

Cameron Edwards

Jillian Evers

Alexandra FitzGibbon

Silken Kelly

Shondra Marie

Aia K. McInnes

Persi Mey

Ainsley Waguespack

HGO CHILDREN'S CHORUS

Karen Reeves, Children’s Chorus Director

Victoria Auyanet

Emma Cranston

Felicity Cronin

Isadora Dominguez

Arabelle Howard

Anvi Joshi

Raasti Kayani

Mary Anna LeGall

WHO'S WHO

WILLIAM LONG (UNITED STATES) CONDUCTOR

Luciana Madaria

Concetta Mayorca

Sonya Parsons

Ayla Perrin

Shreya Puvvada

Matilda Rutledge

Edison Salek

Emmett Adair Scoles

William Long is making his HGO debut. In 2024, Long was awarded a Grammy for his work on the Metropolitan Opera’s recording of Terence Blanchard’s Champion. He is a 2023 and 2025 recipient of a Career Assistance Grant from the Solti Foundation. Recent highlights include his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra at The Barbican; Carmen at Washington National Opera; the Centennial Open House Concert for San Francisco Opera; and the world premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. During the 2024-25 season, Long returned to the Metropolitan Opera for a new production of Golijov’s Ainadamar and made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting the Met Orchestra Chamber Ensemble. Additional debuts included conducting at the Merola Opera Program and covering engagements with the San Francisco Symphony and Detroit Opera. Long continued his relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra, where he has conducted and assisted on a wide variety of programs since 2020, working with Sir Simon Rattle and Gianandrea Noseda. He also continued his posts as Guest Conductor and Teaching Artist at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California where he most recently conducted a new production of Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges.

Lucas Sequera

Theodore F. Shadding

Max Shekerdemian

Macie Joy Speer

Lora Uvarova

Maximus Vu

Katherine Yu

Kaiya Zhang

ANTONY MCDONALD (UNITED KINGDOM)

ORIGINAL DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER

Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair

Antony McDonald made his HGO debut this season as director and scenic and costume designer for the company’s mainstage Hansel and Gretel production. As director-designer, McDonald’s credits include Phaedra & Minotaur, 4/4 - Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (Royal Ballet and Opera); Alice’s Adventures Under Ground (Irish National Opera, Royal Ballet and Opera); Der Ring des Nibelungen (Dutch Touring Opera); Rusalka, The Queen of Spades, and Fidelio (Grange Park Opera); Lohengrin (Welsh National Opera, Polish National Opera, Greek National Opera); Powder Her Face (Irish National Opera); Mary Stuart (Opera North); L’Enfant et les sortilèges (Bolshoi Theatre); Tristan and Isolde (Opéra national du Rhin); The Importance of Being Earnest (Northern Ireland Opera); Die Gezeichneten (St. Gallen); Ariadne auf Naxos (Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park); Werther (Bergen National Opera); and On The Town and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hyogo Performing Arts Centre Japan). He has also designed for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court, Old Vic, Almeida, National Theatre, and Scottish Ballet. McDonald was nominated for the 2023 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for his design for Alcina (Royal Ballet and Opera), and he won Set Designer of the Year at the 2013 International Opera Awards. He is a Royal Designer for Industry, a title awarded annually by the U.K.’s Royal Society of Arts to exceptional designers.

RICARDO PARDO (SPAIN)

ASSOCIATE DESIGNER

Ricardo Pardo made his HGO debut this season as associate designer for the company’s mainstage Hansel and Gretel production. His opera designs include Romeo and Juliet (Ingolstadt, Germany), Unborn in America (Vaults Festival, London), The Marriage of Figaro (King’s Head Theatre, London), and The Medium (Cochrane Theatre, London). As an associate designer for director/designer Antony McDonald, his credits include this production of Hansel and Gretel (Royal Ballet and Opera/San Francisco Opera), Tristan and Isolde (Opéra National du Rhin), Phaedra/The Minotaur (Ustinov Studio, Bath), Julietta (English National Opera), and Alice (Croatian National Ballet). He has also collaborated with and assisted McDonald on productions such as Alcina and Kátya Kabanová (Royal Opera House, both winners of Olivier Awards), Wozzeck (New National Theatre, Tokyo), L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (Bolshoi Theatre), The Marriage of Figaro (La Scala, Milan), 4/4 – Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and Alice’s Adventures Under Ground (Royal Ballet and Opera/Irish National Opera), Lohengrin (Greek National Opera), Powder Her Face (Irish National Opera), The Importance of Being Earnest (Northern Ireland Opera), Fiddler on the Roof (Grange Park Opera), Raymonda (English National Ballet), and On the Town (Hyogo Performing Arts Centre Japan). Pardo’s future engagements include serving as the associate designer for Manon (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, November 2026) and collaborating with McDonald on productions including Iolanta (Finnish National Opera, May 2026) and Suor Angelica/La Mort de Cléopâtre (Erl Festival, Austria, July 2026)

LUCY CARTER (UNITED KINGDOM)

ORIGINAL LIGHTING DESIGNER

Lucy Carter made her HGO debut this season as lighting designer for the company’s mainstage Hansel and Gretel production. Carter was awarded the 2018 Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Creative Contribution; and the Knight of Illumination Award for Dance for Chroma (2008) and Woolf Works (2015). Opera-lighting credits include Festen, Alcina, Mavra, and Pierrot Lunaire (Royal Ballet and Opera); Obsidian Tear (National Ballet Bordeaux); The Turn of the Screw (Royal Danish Opera); The Marriage of Figaro (Paris Opera); Kát’a Kabanová (Rome, Royal Ballet and Opera); The Cunning Little Vixen, Orphée, Salome, and The Dream of Gerontius (English National Opera); Fiddler on the Roof (Grange Park Opera); La finta giardiniera (Glyndebourne Festival, La Scala,

Milan); and Peter Grimes (Aldeburgh). Theater credits include The Time Traveler’s Wife (Storyhouse, West End); Shirley Valentine, 2:22 A Ghost Story, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (West End); Much Ado about Nothing, Home I’m Darling, Husbands and Sons, Medea, and Emil and the Detectives (National Theatre); and Persuasion (Rose Theatre, Kingston). Dance productions with Wayne McGregor include DYAD 1929, INFRA, Woolf Works, MADDADDAM, The Dante Project, McGregor + Mugler, Multiverse, Chroma, and Autobiography.

LUCY BURGE (UNITED KINGDOM) CHOREOGRAPHER

Lucy Burge made her HGO debut this season as the choreographer for the mainstage production of Hansel and Gretel. Burge was a principal dancer with Rambert from 1970 to 1985, performing as a guest artist with Rudolf Nureyev. Her opera movement credits include The Rake’s Progress (Grange Park Opera); La Gioconda (Salzburg Easter Festival); Madame Butterfly (Bregenz Festival); Festen, Eugene Onegin, Samson et Dalila, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, Hansel and Gretel, L’heure espagnole, Gianni Schicchi/ Il trittico, and A Masked Ball (The Royal Ballet & Opera); The Girl of the Golden West (English National Opera, Santa Fe Opera); Ariodante (Aix-en-Provence, Amsterdam); Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Welsh National Opera, English National Opera); Parsifal (Paris Opera); The Makropulos Case (Frankfurt); Billy Budd (Gothenburg, Frankfurt); The Tales of Hoffmann and Lohengrin (Bavarian State Opera); Powder Her Face (Irish National Opera); Der Ring des Nibelungen (Dutch Touring Opera); Fiddler on the Roof, Rusalka, and The Queen of Spades (Grange Park Opera); Ariadne auf Naxos (Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park, and Glyndebourne Festival); The Importance of Being Earnest (Northern Ireland Opera); and Carmen (Opera North). Theater work includes Oliver Twist (Regent’s Park Theatre) and Oresteia (Shakespeare’s Globe).

PHILIP ALFANO (UNITED STATES) FAMILY DAY LIGHTING DESIGNER

Philip Alfano is the lighting associate and a production draftsman for HGO. He has previously served as the revival lighting designer for Madame Butterfly at HGO (2024, 2015), Opera Queensland (2016), and Grand Théâtre de Genève (2013). He created the lighting for HGO’s Coming Home gala featuring Plácido Domingo (2018), as well as designs for the company’s Miller Outdoor Theatre productions of Madame Butterfly

(2011) and The Barber of Seville (2012). Select community engagement projects for HGO include designs for The Bricklayer (2012) and Your Name Means the Sea (2011). Other Houston design work includes Rice University Shepherd School of Music productions of Hansel and Gretel (2015), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016), Giulio Cesare (2017), La finta giardiniera (2018), and Susannah (2019). In addition to his work for HGO, Alfano worked with The Santa Fe Opera for 13 seasons, most recently as lighting director. During that time, he created the lighting for the gala productions Renée Fleming Sings Letters From Georgia (2019) and Angel Blue in Concert (2021). He holds a degree in lighting design from the State University of New York at Fredonia.

KAREN REEVES (UNITED STATES)

CHILDREN’S CHORUS DIRECTOR

Karen Reeves, who has been working with young singers at HGO since 1991, also serves as children’s chorus director for Il trittico and the company’s mainstage Hansel and Gretel production during the 2025-26 season. Reeves served as chorus director for the HGO Children’s Chorus in the Houston Symphony’s performance of Berg’s Wozzeck, which won the 2017 Grammy for Best Opera Performance. She prepared HGO’s Juvenile Chorus for the world premiere of The House Without a Christmas Tree in 2018 and has also prepared the HGO Children’s Chorus and child soloists for such productions as La bohème, The Sound of Music, Werther, Otello, Carmen, Dead Man Walking, Tosca, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Little Prince. Reeves was a member of the HGO Chorus for 13 seasons and was the founding director of HGO’s Bauer Family High School Voice Studio. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Southwestern University and her Master of Music degree from Rice University. She taught on the voice faculty at Houston Baptist University and in the voice department of Kinder HSPVA. She has served as a grant evaluator for the Texas Commission on the Arts.

ERIN WAGNER (UNITED STATES)

MEZZO-SOPRANO—HANSEL

Previously at HGO, Butler Studio alumna Erin Wagner performed as Flower Maiden/Voice from Above in Parsifal (2024); Kate Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly (2024); Sister Margaretta in The Sound of Music (2024); Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro (2023); and Page of Herodias in Salome (2023). She made her HGO mainstage debut in the role of Jack for the final performance of The Wreckers (2022). During the

2025-26 season, Wagner will return to Brooklyn Arts to sing Harawi. During the 2024-25 season, Wagner joined Wolf Trap Opera as a 2024 Filene Artist to perform the roles of Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Blanche de la Force in Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Mércèdes in Carmen. She debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Unborn Voice 3 and covered Servant 2 in Die Frau ohne Schatten, in addition to engagements with Louisville Orchestra, Maryland Symphony, Brooklyn Art Song Society, and Brazos Valley Symphony. Wagner is the first prize winner in the Gerda Lissner Foundation for the 2024 Lieder/ Song Vocal Competition. She is also a winner of the 2021 Naumburg Foundation International Vocal Competition, and with pianist and composer Shawn Chang, the 2021 Juilliard Vocal Arts Honors Recital. Wagner was a 2021 Renée Fleming Artist at Aspen Music Festival. She worked with Fleming for Carnegie Hall’s 2021 SongStudio and received second prize in the 2021 Saengerbund Awards.

ALISSA GORETSKY (UNITED STATES) SOPRANO—GRETEL

Gloria M. Portela/ Susan Bloome/ James M. Trimble and Sylvia Barnes Fellow

A second-year Butler Studio artist from Los Angeles, Alissa Goretsky was the third-place winner of HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. In HGO’s 2025-26 season, she performed as Young Lover (Il tabarro) and Nursing Sister (Suor Angelica), both part of Il trittico, and Dew Fairy in HGO’s mainstage production of Hansel and Gretel. Also this season, she performs as Curley’s Wife in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men and Berta in The Barber of Seville. Goretsky was a 2025 Apprentice Singer for Santa Fe Opera, covering the roles of Mimì in La bohème and Helmwige in Die Walküre. During the 2024-25 season, she made her HGO debut as Clorinda in Cinderella and performed the role again for the company’s Family Day production. She made her operatic debut as Gismonda in Ottone at Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall in 2019. In 2024, she performed the role of Ma Zegner in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up, also at Caroline Hume Hall. Goretsky is a National Winner of the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

DEMETRIOUS SAMPSON, JR.

(UNITED STATES)

TENOR—THE WITCH

Dr. Dina Alsowayel and Mr. Anthony R. Chase/ Mr. Eric McLaughlin and Mr. Elliot Castillo/ Alejandra and Héctor Torres/ Mr. Trey Fates Fellow

A third-year Butler Studio artist from Albany, Georgia, Demetrious Sampson, Jr. performed as Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess and performs the role of Lennie Small in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men in HGO’s 2025-26 season. Elsewhere this season, he will perform the role of Rodolfo in La bohème with Austin Opera. Other roles for 2025 included Malcolm in Macbeth at Atlanta Opera and Steuermann in The Flying Dutchman at Des Moines Metro Opera. Other HGO roles include Parpignol in La bohème (2025), Ruiz in Il trovatore (2024), and 3rd Esquire in Parsifal (2024). He made his professional debut with Atlanta Opera at the age of 20 as Crab Man in Porgy and Bess, a role he reprised at Des Moines Metro Opera in 2022 as an apprentice artist. In 2023, Sampson joined the Merola Opera Program in San Francisco, and in 2024, he performed with Cincinnati Opera as Gastone in La traviata and with Wolf Trap Opera as the Kronprinz in Kevin Puts’s Silent Night. A previous Encouragement Award winner, he was named a National Finalist in the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. The second place and Audience Choice Winner in HGO’s 2023 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias, Sampson received his bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University.

GEONHO LEE (SOUTH KOREA)

BARITONE—PETER

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover/ Dr. and Mrs. Miguel Miro-Quesada/ Dr. John Serpe and Tracy Maddox Fellow

A first-year Butler Studio artist from South Korea, Geonho Lee won first place and the Audience Choice Award at HGO’s 2025 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. Earlier this season at HGO, he performed the role of Marco in Gianni Schicchi, part of Il trittico. Upcoming, he performs as Slim in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men and Fiorello in The Barber of Seville. Lee was a 2024 semifinalist in the renowned Operalia Competition. He was a student of advanced studies at the University of Music and Theatre Munich, where he participated in frequent performances and productions. He has been an active member of the August Everding Academy and holds a prestigious scholarship from the Bühnenverein. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Seoul National University, where he won several distinguished competitions.

ELIZABETH HANJE (UNITED STATES)

SOPRANO—GERTRUDE

Ms. Marty Dudley/ Amy and Mark Melton/ Diane Marcinek/ Jeff Stocks and Juan Lopez Fellow

Second-year Butler Studio artist Elizabeth Hanje, a Tanzanian-American soprano from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, was the first-place winner at HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. In the 2025-26 HGO season, Hanje performed the roles of Strawberry Woman in Porgy and Bess, First Alms Sister in Suor Angelica (Il trittico), and Madeleine Audebert in Silent Night. In the summer of 2025, Hanje was an Apprentice Singer for Santa Fe Opera, where she covered the role of Gerhilde in Die Walküre. Hanje has also been a Young Artist with Merola Opera Program (2024) and an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera (2023). In fall 2024, she made her mainstage debut with HGO as Ines in Il trovatore. In April 2023, she performed the role of Lyra in Alice Tierney in her debut with Opera Columbus. Hanje was the first-place winner at HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias and is a 2022 alumna of HGO’s Young Artist Vocal Academy. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory.

MEGAN MIKAILOVNA SAMARIN (UNITED STATES)

MEZZO-SOPRANO—SANDMAN

This season at HGO, Butler Studio and Young Artist Vocal Academy alumna Megan Mikailovna Samarin also performed as the Sandman in HGO’s mainstage production of Hansel and Gretel. Previously at HGO, Samarin performed as Carla Mae in the world premiere of The House Without A Christmas Tree (2017); Sextus in Julius Caesar (2017); Second Secretary in Nixon in China (2017); Siebel in Faust (2016); Lady Meresvale/ Mistress Revels in the world premiere of Prince of Players (2016); Third Water Nymph in Rusalka (2016); Olga in Eugene Onegin (2015); Johanna in Sweeney Todd (2015); and Second Lady in The Magic Flute (2015, Miller Outdoor Theatre). She has performed with the New York Philharmonic in Mozart’s Requiem, the Lexington Philharmonic in Rodrigo’s Retablo de Navidad, and at OPERA America’s Emerging Artist Recital Series in New York City. Notable operatic roles include Siebel in Faust at San Antonio Opera; Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro at Aspen Music Festival; and Idamante in Idomeneo at Wolf Trap Opera. Samarin is the recipient of a Sara Tucker Study Grant, a Shoshana Foundation Richard F. Gold Career Grant, and Second Prize in the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and is a fellowship recipient of the Aspen Music Festival.

HGO’S HANSEL AND GRETEL PRODUCTION

The Alpine valley

The production transports audiences to an Alpine valley, the setting for Hansel and Gretel’s adventure, using a drop curtain.

Originally seen at London's Royal Ballet and Opera, this unique version of Engelbert Humperdinck’s classic opera is full of eye candy. Here’s what to look for!

the house

Here's a great idea: Why not give the Witch not just a house, but a house made of cake? Complete with a cherry on top!

Photos by Michael Bishop

the stage frame w/cuckoo clock

Bordering the stage, there’s a big wooden frame with a cuckoo clock. Watch for the bird to pop out, and keep an eye on the giant bugs. They move—just very, very slowly!

the forest creatures

The production fills the forest with animals and magical beings including a hunter deer and a woodcutter fox.

paper angels

While in some productions, performers play the angels who protect the children in the forest, this one has a new character, the Will-o’-the-Wisp, who cuts the angels out of paper.

the vat of chocolate

In most stagings, Hansel and Gretel beat the Witch at her own game using an oven. But in this one, it’s a big vat of chocolate…

Velveteen Rabbit The HOPS AGAIN

HGO REVIVES A COMPANYCOMMISSIONED WORLD-PREMIERE OPERA FOR CHILDREN.

By Ashlyn Killian, Communications Coordinator

Once upon a time, every one of us had a doll or stuffed animal that we wished would come to life like Toy Story. Margery Williams's 1922 picture book The Velveteen Rabbit tells just such a story. In it, a plush bunny wishes for nothing more than to become real.

In 2004, composer Mary Carol Warwick and librettist Kate Pogue adapted the book into a new opera—HGO’s 29th world premiere—that would appeal to children’s imaginations. Now, two decades later, the company is reviving The Velveteen Rabbit as part of its traveling Opera to Go! program for students and families, bringing the tale’s lovely music and hopeful message to students and families across the Houston area.

“The Velveteen Rabbit is a tender, magical story that has touched hearts for generations,” said HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor. “With its beautiful score, this sweet opera teaches enduring lessons of belonging, and what it means to have a place in someone’s heart.”

The opera shares the touching story of a sweet stuffed rabbit that is loved by his owner but starts to feel neglected when shinier, newer toys steal the young child’s affection. After the bunny sees the boy through an illness, he’s left behind as contaminated. But because the boy loves him, a fairy makes him real. At the end of the story, he and the boy hug, and then the Velveteen Rabbit hops off into the forest.

When Opera Cues reached Warwick and Pogue to chat about HGO reviving the opera, they expressed delight that two decades on, their creation will find new life on various

stages throughout the community.

For both, our conversation brought back a flood of cherished memories.

Warwick and Pogue were both students of the legendary American composer Carlisle Floyd, co-founder of HGO’s Butler Studio and a professor at the University of Houston. Floyd was unusual for an opera composer in that he wrote both the music and the texts for his works. From their mentor, Warwick and Pogue learned the value of a solid libretto in creating a successful opera.

and a racecar that taunt the rabbit with all the things they can do. Their chorus of “vroomvroom-vroom” is meant to appeal to kids who might make these kinds of sounds when playing with their Matchbox cars.

The creative duo enjoyed a fruitful relationship with HGO over many years. Warwick was a part of ten company-commissioned world premieres, while Pogue was part of six. Three of those works, in addition to The Velveteen Rabbit, were also joint projects between Warwick and Pogue: TEXAS! (1993), Cinderella in Spain (1998), and The Emperor’s New Clothes

It was Warwick, an animal lover and wildlife rehabilitator, who suggested an operatic adapta tion of The Velveteen Rabbit.

Pogue’s writing style with helping her understand how a child’s mind works, especially since Pogue had kids of her own and had even authored a few Little Golden Books. “Kate knew what would be appealing, what kids would like,” said Warwick. “And then that gave me a chance to write some fun music.”

Warwick describes her score for Rabbit as “tuneful” and “lush,” with moments of pure entertainment fleshing out the opera to keep children engaged. For example, the pair added new characters including an action figure

Warwick and Pogue have fond memories of taking the show on the road in a Chevy station wagon to schools across Houston. They had to pull out every trick possible to win over children—some of the most brutally honest, toughest critics around. During performances, they carefully observed how their opera was received by young audiences.

“The minute children started to lose attention, we thought, This is the moment that we need to fix because we’re losing the kids here,” said Pogue. “When you have that degree of partici-

rehearsing, and the performance of the work—it gradually becomes stronger.”

The pair refined their opera as they went along, gaining fans in students and educators alike. Pogue recalled a memory of a teacher who approached her and Warwick after viewing The Velveteen Rabbit and said, “You have really transformed the children’s idea of what opera is.”

Warwick explained that the enduring appeal of this opera lies in the story’s hopeful message. “It’s transformative,” she said. “The world can change while things that seem impossible can come true. Kids have a great imagination, and it really relates to their dreams and hopes for a better world.”

Both creators are excited that HGO is bringing The Velveteen Rabbit back, sharing its timeless lessons of humanity with the Houston community. “Kindness is so appropriate for today and for the world that kids are growing up in,” said Warwick. “That’s what this is all about, a rabbit longs to be human, and he finally achieves that.”

HGO’s Opera to Go! program will The Velveteen Rabbit from March through June, 2026. Grades Pre-K-5. Bring the opera to your school or community space! Contact Community@HGO.org or visit HGO.org/Community.

WORTHAM THEATER CENTER’S GRAND FOYER MONDAY, MARCH 9 • 1 PM FREE ADMISSION Don’t miss HGO’s interactive Theater District Open House performance

DONATE TODAY!

Ticket sales cover less than 20% of the cost of producing great opera. Your contributions make up the rest. Bring grand opera to families and students across Houston—give today.

Your gift to HGO gives you exclusive benefits like artist recitals, lecture series, and Green Room access.

For more information, visit HGO.org/ Donate. Please contact Sarah Wahrmund, associate director of philanthropy, at 713-546-0276 or SWahrmund@HGO.org.