Talent and artistry

Two children’s stories are about to satisfy musical appetites and be brought to life by the UTRGV Opera Theatre.

Catherine Compton, director for the upcoming performances of “Hansel & Gretel” and “Amahl & the Night Visitors,” said the two works tie in together through their theme of food insecurity.

Music for “Hansel & Gretel” was composed by 19th century composer Engelbert Humperdinck, and “Amahl & the Night Visitors” was composed by Gian Carlo Menotti in 1951.

“[‘Hansel & Gretel’ is] a story about a brother and sister, who through their cleverness and ingenuity, they overcome difficulties, and triumph over an evil witch,” Compton said. “In ‘Amahl & the Night Visitors,’ Amahl and his mother are also in need of a miracle in the same way that Hansel and Gretel are.”

In “Hansel & Gretel,” the children do not have enough food to eat at home, which is why they’re sent to collect berries in the beginning of the play.

 “Also, in ‘Amahl & the Night Visitors,’ Amahl and his mother are very poor, and are faced with this problem, in the beginning, of how they are going to survive,” she said.

Compton explained the performances will also serve as a food pantry and coat drive to benefit the UTRGV Student Food Pantry.

“We are asking people who attend the performances to please bring a food item,” she said. “This might be a box of pasta, a canned item or even a gently used coat.”

The performance will be accessible to and appropriate for all audiences.

“‘Amahl & the Night Visitors’ was actually the first opera written for television, and was written for the general audience, and ‘Hansel & Gretel’ was written for children,” Compton said. “So, there is something that is really accessible about the story and the music, both for our students at UTRGV and for the audience that will come see the shows.”

Compton said the music is going to be particularly enticing.

“The music is absolutely gorgeous,” she said. “There are really beautiful musical scenes that are very different in the two operas. But, also, both of them call on folk like qualities. So, you hear the music and you feel, like, ‘Maybe I heard this before?’ There is something that is very simple and memorable about the music, even though it is very complicated and dramatic.”

Evany Jackson is a music senior who will play Hansel.

“I think if you would come to see it, you would see that it’s very enriching, the music is beautiful, and the stories are beautiful and timeless,” Jackson said. “These performances showcase how much talent and artistry that we have to offer at the university, that I think people are not aware of.”

The performing students have been rehearsing since September.

The operas will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in the Texas Southmost College Arts Center, located at 90 Taylor Ave. in Brownsville.

General admission is $10 and $5 for elementary through college students with ID, and senior citizens. Tickets are available at patron.utrgv.edu.

For more information, call Valerie Hernandez, program coordinator of Patron of the Arts, at 882-7025.