Sarasota Opera opens fall season with ‘Hansel and Gretel’

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Sarasota Opera opens its fall season this weekend with “Hansel and Gretel,” the first mainstage collaboration between Sarasota Opera artists, Sarasota Orchestra, the Sarasota Ballet and Conservatory, and the Youth Opera.Sarasota Opera General and Artistic Director Richard Russell, mezzo-soprano Kara Morgan, who plays Hansel, and soprano Kerrigan Bigelow, who sings Gretel, appeared in the studio to discuss the production.The performance starts earlier than usual, at 7 p.m., to accommodate families. The opera is offering family pack discounts. More information is available at sarasotaopera.orgThe story and the musicThe story follows two poor but resourceful children who go into the forest on their own. A witch traps them, and they outsmart her, saving themselves and other children.Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera returns to Sarasota Opera after a 16-year absence. Maestro Anthony Barrese, who conducted the show in Sarasota in 2010, returns to conduct this year.“It con