Vashon Opera heads into the woods with ‘Hansel and Gretel’
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 19, 2026
A gingerbread house, a wicked witch and a forest full of enchantment will soon arrive at Vashon Center for the Arts, as Vashon Opera presents Engelbert Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel,” according to a press release from Vashon Center for the Arts.
The beloved opera, based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, follows the famous siblings into the Black Forest, where hunger, danger and magic test the bond between them. Humperdinck originally wrote the opera as a gift for his sister’s children, filling it with folk-like melodies that are simple enough to hum on the way home — then wrapping them in a lush, sweeping score influenced by Wagner, one of his teachers.
This production marks Artistic Director Allison Pohl’s debut as stage director. Her take on the fairy tale will emphasize family, while music director Jim Brown leads an orchestra of Pacific Northwest musicians through a score that moves from childhood innocence to full fairy-tale spectacle.
And yes, there will be a witch.
Local drag performer Anita Spritzer will take on the role of the Witch, bringing live vocals, big wigs and a larger-than-life stage presence to the production. When not in drag, Spritzer is tenor John Marzano, who has previously appeared with Vashon Opera and Seattle Opera.
Emma Petersen will make her Vashon Opera debut as Gretel, and mezzo-soprano Laurel Semerdjian will sing Hansel. The cast also includes Vashon Opera founders Jennifer and Andy Krikawa as the children’s stepmother and father, Ellaina Lewis as the Sandman and Dew Fairy, and island residents Peter Dorman, Rick Turner and Erika Strandberg in roles created for this production.
One of the production’s biggest collaborations is with the Tacoma Youth Chorus, whose young singers will help bring the opera’s children’s chorus to life under the direction of founder Judith Herrington.
The world of the show will be built by set designer Ryan Ross of Studio Nest Designs, with inspiration from Spritzer’s drag aesthetic. Costume designer Alex Lewington will draw from the Black Forest setting with dirndls and lederhosen, while lighting, wigs and makeup will help complete the fairy-tale atmosphere.
“Hansel and Gretel” will be sung in German with English supertitles. The show runs about two hours, including one intermission.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 29, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 31, at Vashon Center for the Arts, 19600 Vashon Highway SW. Tickets are $38-$64. More information is available at vashonopera.org.
