Houston Grand Opera to Present Humperdinck's HANSEL AND GRETEL
HGO will offer two additional performances designed specifically for younger audiences—a Student Matinee and a Family Day production.
By: A.A. Cristi Dec. 03, 2025
Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will open Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, a timeless adaptation of The Brothers Grimm tale.
Produced in association with the London's Royal Ballet and Opera and San Francisco Opera, the composer's classic masterpiece will be brought to life by award-winning director/designer Antony McDonald in his HGO debut, with conductor Andreas Ottensamer making both his official operatic debut and company debut at the podium.
Full of whimsical, sophisticated melodies derived from German nursery songs, the opera whisks families to a storybook world of dirndls, Alpine hats, and misty clouds. Here, Hansel and Gretel set off on their quest through the forest and stumble upon the Witch, who reigns from her irresistible house of cake, topped with a shining red cherry. Mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke as Hansel and soprano Mané Galoyan as Gretel lead the opera's stellar cast, with mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton making a star turn as the Witch who, outsmarted by the children, takes a dive into a bubbling cauldron of chocolate.
The opera runs for two hours, including one intermission. It is sung in German, with projected English translation.
WHO: The mainstage Hansel and Gretel production will star Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, a graduate of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, as Hansel, with sublime soprano/Butler Studio alumna Mané Galoyan as Gretel. Mezzo-soprano/Butler Studio alumna Jamie Barton—who sang the role of Elizabeth on HGO's 2026 Grammy-nominated Intelligence album—performs as the Witch, joined by Grammy-winning baritone/Butler Studio alumnus Reginald Smith, Jr. as Father and sought-after soprano Alexandra Loutsion in her HGO debut as Mother. Antony McDonald directs, with Andreas Ottensamer conducting, both in their anticipated company debuts.
Tickets range from $25 to $210. For more information and to buy tickets, visit HGO.org or call the Box Office at 713-228-6737. Students with a valid student ID may purchase $25 tickets one month prior to the opening of every performance; see HGO.org/tickets.
While families are encouraged to enjoy one of the five full-length German-language performances of Humperdinck's opera, HGO will offer two additional performances designed specifically for younger audiences—a Student Matinee and a Family Day production—in the Wortham Theater Center's Brown Theater. Led by Sasha Cooke in her directorial debut, these 90-minute, English-language shows will feature mezzo-soprano Erin Wagner as Hansel, soprano Alissa Goretsky as Gretel, and tenor Demetrious Sampson, Jr. as the Witch.
- Student Matinee: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, at 10 a.m. $15. Tickets and info at HGO.org/Community.
- Family Day: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, at 11 a.m. Performance offers a relaxed environment inside the theater as well as activities for children in the Wortham Theater's Grand Foyer. $25-$157.50. Tickets and info at HGO.org/FamilyDay.
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