Juilliard Opera is set to present Humperdinck’s “Hänsel und Gretel” for the first time in 30 years on Nov. 17, 20, and 22, 2025 at Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater.

The opera will be directed by director Kevin Newbury, who is making his Juilliard debut, and will set the opera in the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the blackout of 1977.

The work will be conducted by Patrick Furrer, a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s music staff, and will feature students from Juilliard’s Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts.

In a statement, Newbury said, “’Hänsel und Gretel’ is a story about the search for home, sustenance, and security. Our production is set on the Lower East Side of New York City on July 13, 1977, the night of the city-wide blackout. New York in the summer of 1977 was plagued by economic insecurity, a brutal heatwave, and rampant crime, including the Son of Sam’s notorious killing spree. At the same time, downtown New York was experiencing a cultural renaissance, from the genre-defining music scene to the gender-bending nightclub culture. The young and curious Hansel and Gretel get lost ‘in the woods’ in a foreign city—a city both dangerous and magical—just as all the lights go out.”

He continued, “Our production is a valentine to our city’s rich history, inspired by vibrant real-life characters like David Bowie and Dorothy Day as well as iconic spots like CBGBs and Economy Candy. In fact, July 1977 featured the debut of an actual valentine: the now-legendary ‘I Heart NY’ campaign. Most of all, our production is a tribute to the wit, wonder, and imagination of childhood, flourishing even in the wake of great hardship.”

The Nov. 22 performance will be livestreamed and available to view at juilliard.edu/calendar via Juilliard LIVE, the school’s free digital platform.

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