Later this month, you can dive o
the whimsical world of Hansel ad
Gretel with the Kentucky Opera.
The show's going to feature
stunning lead artist,
puppetry and a children's choru.
Joining me today with more on
the performance and of course,
a big kickoff happening this
upcoming weekend is General Dirr
and CEO Barbara Lynn Jamison.
Barbara, always good to see you.
Yeah, it's great to see you too.
It's the season beginning,
isn't it the most exciting time?
Yeah.
Labor Day weekend is now behind
us and we're off to the races ad
we're getting ready to start wih
a lot of fun stuff this season.
I think can Hansel and Gretel,
yes, kicks off our season
and I love how I feel
like this coming weekend.
There's so much from in the arts
world going on and you have an
event coming up on Saturday.
That is a great way, I think,
to get a sample of what the
performance is going to be liked
celebrate the opera and support.
Yeah, yeah, we've tried some.
They're fundraisers, right?
There's the big gallows where you dress
up and and and go support the as
with auctions and things like t.
We're trying some different
types of fundraisers this year,
something that allows everybody
to dissipate and and actually be
we're doing this immersive even.
So it's we're being surrounded n
the fairy tale woodland of Hansl
and Gretel and still raising
money to support this
opera center to kind of show that off.
I mean, I feel like it's the perfect venue
where you can be completely immd
because you all have performances there.
Yeah, I mean, what we do,
we we always take a big box of a stage,
blank walls and we create castls
and Woodlands and all kinds of
things that in theater, right?
We're doing that but we get to e
immersed and just instead of jut
watching the the actors and sins
immersed in that on the stage,
so surrounding
and then this hits the stage.
Performances begin later this
later this month and go
right into the next month.
We we end this year we're adding it a
third performance on we've typiy
done 2 performances on a weeken.
We're adding a third performance
on to Hansel and Gretel for fal,
the fall break.
So it's not going to be a fall Family
Day matinee with special family
ticket prices and group ticket rates.
If you're is still in school,
we are we are happy to have stut
groups and senior groups as wel.
What a fun way. I mean you all.
I think it's it's one thing to celebrate
the arts in the Kentucky opera,
it's another to have kids come
out because you all do so much n
the community with kids, right.
Like, I feel like it's a very fl
circle moment to bring kids out
to this event because you give
so much back to these groups.
Yeah. Kids are really
important part of our mission.
They're not something
ancillary that we add on to.
They think we do believe that tt
children and families are very
important to to reach through the arts
to open up creativity and expression.
I just love watching children's
eyes when they see something
something new for the first tim.
And you have a lot of children
involved too with the chorus and
we do like tell us a little bit
about. So on some operas you'll
see a big chorus on stage.
The chorus on this stage is made of children.
So our youth opera project wille
singing and they are the gingerd
children that are have been captive in
the forest by the by the evil w.
So this this the story starts off with Hansel
and Gretel who are brother and sister.
And they get take they they thee
they're in poverty and they need some food.
So their mother sends them out o
the forest to find berries and that's
where the story begins and thats
where a fundraiser will happen o
in that forest that in the foret
fanciful magical forest. You
always have as far as your leads
in the performance are always,
I mean incredible.
So what can you tell us about
the leads that you have. Well
we've got some we've got some leads we
we were going to do Hansel and Gretel
before the KOVAT shut down Sout.
It's great to be able to bring that back.
And several of the people who we
contracted do that are coming b.
We've got. Yeah.
Yeah we've honor that Ashley Emerson and
Naomi O'Connell playing the two lead roles.
But we also have some local sin,
great, great local singers.
Chad Sloan and it will be playing the father.
Angelique Clay will be playing the Mother.
We've got Marquita Richardson
as the Dew Fairy and Sandman.
So we have a great,
great local group to our cast as well.
We have so much talent here in Kentucky
and it's great to be able to fee
that on the stage as well as bringing
in international artists absoluy
and beyond canceling Gretel
and they're excited about the
whole season coming up.
So we've got in December you you
might remember that we started a
holiday opera in the opera cent.
So this is it's another sort of
immersive opera event in the warehouse
and it's a warehouse that we cr.
All is calm.
It's about the Christmas truce f
1914 between the the Germans and
the allied forces laid down ther
weapons on Christmas Eve to to o
halt their fighting for a night.
And so we'll be celebrating that
Christmas in December around
the Christmas time.
A great family family event.
If you're
looking to to have like a Chriss
tradition where you go and you e
something different and you can
bring the family together for t,
this is a really good one.
Yeah, it's gonna it's gonna be it'll be
great for all ages and then we're going
to continue with Pirates of Penzance.
That's a lot of fun with the modern Major
General if you if you are conned
to Gilbert and Sullivan at all.
Even if you're not,
you probably know the modern Mar
General and then we end with as
one another one back at the opea
center a little 2 hander Robert
Barry Fleming from actress theae
will be directing that show.
So really leaning into a lot of
local talent this year, right.
Local talent here and even just
like coming together with other
arts groups, right? Right.
Just as one. Was it All ships r.
Yes. Yeah, that's right.
Yeah, absolutely.
We just, we love to work togeth.
It's really important that our
arts organizations work togethe.
We're very fortunate in Louisvie
to have so many wonderful,
fantastic arts groups.
Yeah. And so we do look for
opportunities to work together.
Thank you so much. So good to see you.
I'll see you this weekend.
Cannot wait. So, you know,
if you want to get your tickets
to Hansel and Gretel also for
the entire season. Absolutely.
The whole season season is online right now.
Just go to kyopera.org and
we're coming right back.
Stay with us.