In September, just before the fifth annual Festival O kicks off, Opera Philadelphia will bring free screenings of Hansel and Gretel, Humperdinck’s family-friendly opera reimagined for film by Opera Ithaca, to parks around the city. FDR Park, Drexel Park, and Esperanza Arts Center will all host viewings of the film, equipped with both English and Spanish subtitles.

In this delightfully delicious adaptation of Hansel and Gretel, two children who are lost in the woods are captured by a celebrity chef witch, who hosts the kids on her cooking show as both the guest stars... and the main ingredients.

Director and librettist Ben Robinson says the film was inspired by his grandmother's love of Julia Child. “Ms. Child's ease in the kitchen - and ability to laugh at herself - is the backbone of the Witch character,” says Robinson, Artistic Director of Opera Ithaca.

Produced in collaboration with PhotoSynthesis Productions, Resonance Works Pittsburgh, Raylynmor Opera, and the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, this original film production stars Annie Rosen as Hansel, Marlen Nahhas as Gretel, Meghan Kasanders as The Witch/Mother, Mario Diaz Moresco as Father, Mariya Kaganskaya as Sandman, and Megnot Toggia as the Dew Fairy. 

Prior the film screenings, which all begin at 7:30, audiences can enjoy live performances by local artists. Performers include Kevin Godínez, Megnot Toggia, Ethel Trujillo, and Ting Ting Wong. The events will also feature a variety of food trucks and fun family activities.

“Much like the diverse history of opera itself, FDR Park is where speakers of myriad languages, cultures and backgrounds come together,” said Maura McCarthy, CEO of Fairmount Park Conservancy, which is overseeing the implementation of the FDR Park Plan, a multi-decade effort to transform the park with more trails, meadows, nature and water. “Opera in the Park is a fantastic opportunity for more families to experience this world-class public space.”

The William Penn Foundation provides lead support for Opera in the Park.