Opera
Join OSU Opera for a magical production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s beloved fairy tale opera, Hansel and Gretel. Featuring stunning music, captivating storytelling, and a cast of talented OSU singers, this family-friendly performance is sure to delight audiences of all ages!
Purchase Tickets to Hansel & Gretel
Oklahoma State University Opera Theatre will present Hansel and Gretel composed by Gian Engelbert Humperdinck on Friday, March 14 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, March 15 at 2:30 pm in The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, Stillwater. This opera will be presented in three acts with one fifteen-minute intermission based on the libretto by Adelheid Wette after a Grimm fairytale with English translation by Constance Bache. The cast and orchestra are comprised of students from the Michael and Anne Greenwood School of Music.
Stage Directed by Dr. Christian Bester, Conducted and Music Directed by Megan Barth Argo with assistance from Steve Sanders and April Golliver-Mohiuddin, the performance is sure to be a crowd pleaser for all ages! This fresh take on Hansel and Gretel transports the classic story where animals were once children, and a fabulously flamboyant witch rules her domain with a touch of heartland flair. With lively tunes and glittering costumes, this magical production promises laughter, suspense, and surprises. Perfect for the whole family. It’s a fairy tale like you’ve never seen before!
Engelbert Humperdinck (1854–1921) was a German composer who began his career as an assistant to Richard Wagner in Bayreuth in a variety of capacities, including tutoring Wagner’s son Siegfried in music and composition. Hansel and Gretel was Humperdinck’s first complete opera and remains the foundation of his reputation. The libretto was written by Humperdinck’s sister, Adelheid Wette (1858–1916), and is based on the version found in the Brothers Grimm collection of folk stories. Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859) Grimm were German academics whose groundbreaking linguistic work revolutionized the understanding of language development.
The cast will feature our special guest artist, Joshua Cominsky (Austin, TX ) alongside current opera students Mike Bullington (Keller, TX), Hayley Hitt (Muskogee, OK), Nia Sier (Oklahoma City, OK), Stephanie Duke (Stillwater, OK), Nevaeh Hennessy (Edmond, OK), Laine Solheim (Phoenix, AZ), Lana Salcedo (Fort Worth, TX), Lydia Raines (Durant, OK),Charlotte Sams (Tulsa, OK), Adeline Skillman (Stillwater, OK), Elizabeth Brockman (McKinney, TX), Ainsley Carmichael (Carrollton, TX), Grae Taylor (Pond Creek, OK), Katlyn Farrer (Virginia Beach, VA), Tyler Cantrell (Ada, OK), Van Hartman (Edmond, OK), Haley Richardt (Tulsa, OK), Cole Rogers (Muskogee, OK), and Joshua Ross (Pearland, Texas),
Tickets can be purchased online at mcknightcenter.org or at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts Box Office. The Box Office can be reached at (405) 744-9999. Box Office hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm, and two hours before the performance. General Admission is $12, Seniors $10, and students $7. Ordering tickets in advance is highly recommended.
We welcome donations to OSU Opera for future production funding and student scholarships. Donations to the Opera Program Fund or the Opera Scholarship Fund can be made through the OSU Foundation at osugiving.com or by calling 1-800-622-4678. For more information, contact April Golliver-Mohiuddin at (405) 564-4961. Your support will directly impact our students in the form of greater performance opportunities and scholarships!
OSU Opera is a top level performance experience for singers at Oklahoma State University. Students will expand their knowledge of opera history and repertoire and develop their ability to move and sing on stage. Recent opera performances include Susannah (Carlisle Floyd), Die Fledermaus (Johann Strauss), Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi (both by Giacomo Puccini), and The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert and Sullivan).
The OSU Opera presents a fully staged, costumed, major opera with full orchestra each year in the spring semester. Rehearsals begin in the fall semester, and auditions are held during the previous spring semester. Our cast consists of undergraduate and graduate students, both music majors and non-majors. Performers have the opportunity to sing lead, supporting, and chorus roles.
Opera students performing in Susannah by Carlisle Floyd.