1977 was the year that the Wolf Trap Company reflected its more targeted focus in its name, and playbills and other written references began to refer to the Wolf Trap Opera Company. Young artists sang most featured roles in the July 1977 four-performance run of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Roles were double cast, with each group of singers handling two of the four performances.
The production was on loan from the Met and was directed by Nathaniel Merrill and conducted by Franz Allers. The Washington Post reported that “even for those [young audience members] of Hansel and Gretel age, it was worth staying up past bedtime.”
Hansel and Gretel
July 13-16, 1977
Filene Center
Janice Hall, Gretel
Jane Bane, Gretel
Faith Esham, Hansel
Karen Yarmat, Hansel
Fredda Rakusin, Mother
Donnie Ray Albert, Father
Glenn Cunningham, Father
Elizabeth Knighton, Sandman
Terry Patrick, Sandman
Sheila Barnes, Dew Fairy
Kathryn Karassik, Dew Fairy
John Lankston, Witch
This was beautiful. Probably the best overall physical production ever on the Wolf Trap stage, and arguably one of the best sung. They really did themselves proud with this one.