Double cast and mature, Hansel and Gretel is more than child's play

ELIZABETH HOLTAN
Special to The Leader

Once upon a time there was a man who decided to put one of the most loved fairy tales to music.

This year's Hillman Opera production at SUNY Fredonia is Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, based on the popular story by the Brothers Grimm.

Hillman Opera Producer Julie Newell warns to not write it off as just a children's show because of its title.

"It's very adult. It happens to have been composed on this theme. It's big music," Newell said.

Newell, a Fredonia graduate herself and a 15 year working opera faculty member said, "As producer, I'm really responsible for making sure everyone has what they need to do their job."

This includes faculty members, crew, the Chautauqua Children's Chorale and about 110 students from different departments.

The Hillman Opera, one of the oldest traditions on campus, was named after the beloved Fredonia Normal School piano teacher Jessie Hillman. According to a Oct. 4 Fredonia press release on the history of its women, Hillman was known for her "quiet generosity to students in financial need."

The Friends of Jessie Hillman Committee founded the Hillman Memorial Music Association around 1953 and held the first benefit recital the following year to raise scholarship money for music students. The group of dedicated ladies also sewed costumes for the operas, the first which was held in 1956.

The association still sponsors the Hillman Opera and awards scholarships.

The Hillman Opera is an annual event, a collaboration of the Department of Theatre and Dance and the School of Music.

Senior vocal performance major Justin Staebell, who plays the role of father, said, "It's a shame we don't have more [operas]. I only have one opportunity a year and as a performance major it makes it difficult."

Newell praises the marriage of departments, speaking of its rarity in relation to other colleges. "We have a pledge to each other," she said. "We need the theatre department's expertise" for the opera, and in turn, music faculty and students offer theirs for musicals.

David Rudge is serving as music director for the production with James Ivey as stage director. Shinobu Takagi is the accompanist and vocal coach for the cast during rehearsals.

The main characters are double- cast to give students as much opportunity to be onstage as possible. Double casting also helps keep stress off of young voices, which have to be heard over 42 musicians in the pit, and "four nights is difficult for anybody," Newell said.

Staebell related his fond experiences with the other father, Will Praepestis, a junior voice performance major. "I see him from about 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every weekday," he said, from classes in the morning to opera rehearsal in the evening.

It's a good thing they get along so well, because "you don't really have a choice!" said Staebell. "You get very close with whoever's sharing your role."

Lea Kazakis (Hansel), a senior double major in voice performance and music education, said, "It's a team effort. You don't get to sing every night, so you learn patience. You have to, on some level, learn to work with each other."

Speaking of her fellow Hansel, junior voice performance major Nicole Weigelt, Kazakis said, "If one of us is sick, the other's there. We watch each other very carefully and tell what works and what doesn't. Both casts, if you look closely, are entirely different."

"I think together we bring two different sides" of the same character, of being a boy, she said. On top of having to sing for about two and a half hours, Kazakis has "to play the opposite sex, I have to be the older brother. You learn to see like a boy, hear like a boy."

She calls it a "pants role" for girls, because a female typically plays the part of Hansel. "He's a boy, he has a lighter voice. I don't know of many guys that could do that," said Kazakis.

During her first opera experience, Kazakis has learned how to be a professional, supporting her peers as they learn to be performers. For her, the essence of learning together is enlightening.

"Nicole has been wonderful and the opera experience goes far beyond what the audience sees, she adds. People put their hearts and souls into it," Kazakis said.

The cast also includes Laura Noack, a junior music education major, and Patty Carpenter, a senior music education major in voice and flute, who both play Gretel.

Ciara O'Neill-Mendoza, a junior voice performance major, and Carly Scranton, a junior voice performance major, will play Mother.

Victoria Vargas, a senior voice performance major and Boris VanDruff, a junior voice performance major from Olean, will sing the role of the witch.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8 through Saturday, Nov. 10, and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 11 in Marvel Theatre.

Tickets are available at the Central Ticket Office in the Williams Center on campus. For more information, call (716) 673-3501.