This universally known fairy-tale is wonderful material for a great opera: Year after year, all over the world of musical theatre, the curtain rises on Engelbert Humperdinck’s most successful work. In the 2024/25 season, it’s time to say “Happy Birthday, Hänsel und Gretel!” On the occasion of the 555th performance of Hanover’s favourite production of all generations, there will be a great celebration of its 60th anniversary on 1 December 2024. Steffen Tiggeler’s staging has been in the State Opera’s repertoire since 1964, which surely makes it the longest-serving Hänsel-production in all of Germany.

Just as in the fairy-tale, a poor broom-maker and his wife send their two children into the forest to collect berries. They lose their way and end up in the clutches of the alluring Rosine Leckermaul, who turns out to be an evil witch and wants to bake the children into gingerbread.

Together, the children manage to outsmart the witch and to push her into the oven. And lo and behold, all the gingerbread children are miraculously transformed… Humperdinck’s fairy-tale opera owes its popularity to singers who love to act and to a musical mixture of the opulent sounds of the orchestra, German children’s songs like “Suse, liebe Suse” or “Ein Männlein steht im Walde” and newly composed folk songs like “Brüderchen, komm tanz mit mir”.

Sing along
Joining the opera ensemble and singing along with gusto – this is the express intention of our popular sing-along performances on 8 and 16 December 2024! One hour before the performance, we invite you to come to the Lavesfoyer and rehearse selected pieces together. During the performance, the conductor will give you the cue to join the singing to your heart’s content, accompanied by the orchestra and with projected lyrics! read less