The New Bedford Ballet and Seaglass Theater Company announce performances of Hansel and Gretel on Sunday, March 10 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm at the Fairhaven Town Hall Auditorium.

New Bedford Ballet and Seaglass Theater Company collaborate to present the classic story of Hansel & Gretel. First published as a fairytale by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, it was adapted as an opera by Englebert Humperdinck in 1892.

The performance blends ballet, opera, and narration in English in a charming rendition that suitable for the whole family. Be enthralled by the story of Hansel and Gretel as they travel through the woods, are watched over by the Sandman and Dew Fairy, eventually overcome the evil Witch, and are reunited with their mother.

The performance features the New Bedford Youth Ballet bringing the story of Hansel & Gretel to life through dance, while Seaglass Theater Company artists Elaine Daiber, Kristin Lawler, Chris Hunter, Diana McVey, Patrice Tiedemann, and Matthew Larson perform the musical score.

Founded in 2016 by Patrice Tiedemann and Dr. Matthew Larson, Seaglass Theater Company is a vagabond company presenting creative performances of classical music, theater and beyond. Their mission is to bring the finest classics to New England, while inspiring community engagement and conversation. www.seaglasstheater.com

ELAINE DAIBER (Gretel) Boston-based soprano Elaine Daiber has been heralded for her “spectacular vocalism”, which has garnered much acclaim on the operatic, concert, and recital stages. In recent seasons, Elaine was at The Yellow Barn Chamber Music Festival where she appeared in recital with famed pianist Gil Kalish, and sang performances with Cambridge’s Coro-Dante, The New England Symphony, and in recital with JJ Penna in a performance of Messiaen’s rarely heard Harawi. In addition, Elaine participated in a concert of Bach arias and duets with Emmanuel Music, a production of Poulenc’s La voix humaine in Boston’s Jordan Hall and in a concert of new works by women composers with NYFOS Next. Previous seasons have included a role debut as Ilia in Mozart’s Idomeneo in Boston’s Jordan Hall, and recital appearances as a Schwab Vocal Rising Star with the New York Festival of Song, as the soprano soloist in Bach’s Magnificat with Counterpoint Concerts, in the US premiere of Helen Grime’s Bright Travellers. Other engagements have seen the versatile soprano in a variety of performances with The Tanglewood Music Center, The Bard Music Festival, The New York Festival of Song, The Orchestra Now and the Albany Symphony, among others. Elaine holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, Bard College, and New England Conservatory.

CHRIS HUNTER (Witch) Chris Hunter is a tenor based in Boston. He made his debut in 2023 with the Boston Pops as a member of the ensemble for Ragtime in Concert at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood. Selected credits include Zuniga in La Tragédie de Carmen (Seaglass Theater Company), Dr. Baglioni in La hija de Rappaccini (BU Opera institute), Ferrando in Cosí fan tutte (Salastina), Rapunzel’s Prince from Into the Woods (Pacific Opera Project), Tamino in The Magic Flute (UCSB), Orpheus (LA Opera Connects), Rodolfo in La Boheme (Guild Opera), The Music Man (5 Star Theatricals), The Secret Garden (3D Theatricals), The Little Mermaid (MTW), South Pacific (San Diego Musical Theatre), Sweeney Todd in Budapest, Hungary, Lost in the Stars (Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra), and he has also participated as a soloist in numerous concerts in both opera and musical theatre internationally. He is also a faculty member and Music Director at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Chris is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at Boston University. www.chuntertenor.com

DR. MATTHEW LARSON (Music Director) Matthew Larson received his Doctorate in Collaborative Piano from Arizona State University under the tutelage of Eckart Sellheim. An accomplished recitalist, Dr. Larson has played over 1,000 performances in the US and Europe. He has worked with such varied artists as Metropolitan Opera stars Carol Vaness, Maria Spacagna, Eric Owens, and Lawrence Brownlee; Academy of Ancient Music director Christopher Hogwood; vocal pedagogy pioneer Richard Miller; and the eminent collaborative artist Dalton

Baldwin, with whom Matthew was invited to study in New York. Past positions include Assistant Conductor for Boston Lyric Opera; Music Director for the University of Connecticut Opera Program; Staff Pianist for Yale University Opera; Vocal Coach at Brown University; Staff Pianist for The American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria; Music Director of Opera Providence; Vocal Coach at Walnut Hill School for the Arts; Pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus; Music Director of Cape Cod Opera; and Vocal Coach for Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artist Vocal Program. Currently, Dr. Larson is on faculty at Boston University; Music Director of Seaglass Theater Company of New Bedford MA; and Minister of Music at First Congregational Church of Milton, Massachusetts. In January 2020 he earned a Grammy Award as pianist on Boston Modern Opera Project’s recording of Tobias Picker’s Fantastic Mr. Fox.

KRISTIN LAWLER (Hansel) Kristin is thrilled to be returning to Seaglass Theatre Company this spring. In the fall she had the pleasure of performing in Seaglass’ Sondheim Tribute Revue. As a local Boston resident Kristin has worked with esteemed companies such as Emmanual Music, Helios Opera, Opera del West, Harvard University’s Lowell House Opera, and Boston Opera Collaborative. Favorite mainstage roles include Ruggiero (Alcina), Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro), and Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte). Recent concert appearances include performances at Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Hall with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and as an Alto soloist with the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mozart’s Requiem. Kristin received her Master’s in Voice Performance from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. In addition to her life as a performer, Kristin fills the remainder of her time teaching voice as a Performing Arts Faculty member at Wellesley College and Stonehill College.

DIANA MCVEY (Mother) is an artist whose consummate skills as both singer and actress have made her highly visible in opera, oratorio, and as soloist with symphony orchestras. She is known for her riveting and moving portrayals of Countess Madeleine in Capriccio, Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro and Lucia in Lucia Di Lammermoor. She has sung leading roles with Florentine Opera, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Opera Omaha, Opera Dubai, Opera Tampa, Opera Columbus, Lake George Opera Festival, Opera Naples, Light Opera Oklahoma, Salt Marsh Opera Company, among others. Recent engagements include the US premiere of Patrick Hawes’s The Great War Symphony at Carnegie Hall, Mozart’s Requiem with the Connecticut Choral Society, the world premieres of the one act opera Whaling Women with Seaglass Theater Company, and Ola Gjeilo’s Twilight Mass at Carnegie Hall. Upcoming engagements include Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Great Falls Symphony, Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3 with the Connecticut Choral Society, and appearances with the Music on the Hill Festival.

PATRICE TIEDEMANN (Narrator and the Sandman)

Her performance highlights include appearing as a soloist with the Boston Pops for their Holiday Concerts, with Boston Lyric Opera as The Water in the East Coast premiere of The Little Prince, Hansel & Gretel with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, with the Pioneer Valley Symphony as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana and Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus with Opera Providence and Cape Cod Opera.

In recent seasons, she has appeared as a soloist for Holiday Pops with the Cape Symphony and the New Bedford Symphony, and the Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music with New Bedford Festival Theatre and Theatre by the Sea, with the Boston Civic Symphony (Verdi Requiem), the University Chorale of Boston College (Dubois’ Seven Last Words of Christ and Beethoven 9th Symphony) and appearances across the US in classical, sacred, and theatrical repertoire.

As the Artistic Director of Seaglass Theater Company, she produces creatively staged performances of classic vocal repertoire for the Southern New England area. In 2021, she served as the dramaturg and sang the role of Eliza Brock for the world premiere of Jodi Goble’s Whaling Women.

The New Bedford Youth Ballet is a company of the New Bedford Ballet Foundation, Inc. Founded in 1987, the Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and present classical ballets, grant scholarships, and educate the community about the beauty of this performing art. Throughout the years, aided by the financial support of the Foundation, thousands of area school children and senior citizens have had the opportunity to witness the splendor of “live” ballet.

The New Bedford Youth Ballet will also be performing Hansel and Gretel for elementary schools in Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and New Bedford in March as part of their Bringing Literature to Life through the Arts program

Two special additional performances of Hansel and Gretel will be presented – one for PACE Head Start students and their families and a second for New Bedford elementary school participants and their families in NBB’s Building Healthy Communities through Dance programs. These families will be provided with evenings of culture, as they witness the enchantment of ballet and opera.

These performances are supported by grants from the Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and New Bedford Cultural Councils.

Hansel and Gretel is sponsored by Lang, Xifaras & Bullard, The William & Deborah Synnott Family, Early Learning Childcare, Colonial Shutterworks, Inner Bay Café & Grille, Anthony & Mary Ann Garro, Matias Landscaping, folia, Hawthorn Medical Associates, Colonial Air, Ray Hunt Design, and Lucida Clinical Trials.

Tickets: Adults $20, Seniors, Students, and Children $15.

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased online through New Bedford Ballet's website at newbedfordballet.org or through Seaglass Theater's website at seaglasstheater.com. Please contact New Bedford Ballet at 508-993-1387 or Seaglass Theater Company at 508-951-7187 for more information.

Eventbrite ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hansel-gretel-tickets-820146689827.