This ancient fairy tale, popularized by the Grimm Brothers, gets a lighter retelling in this fun, fresh production written by Vera Morris and Bill Francouer, and directed by J*Company’s Joey Landwehr. And he has directed an amusing and enchanting production with a young cast of actors age thirteen and younger who turn in truly impressive performances.

The tale begins with a song by Siren the Storyteller, with nine-year-old Madison Simpson introducing us to the story with her stunning, spellbinding voice. Starring in The Story of Hansel and Gretel are Nathan Wetter and Sara Frank. Nathan is an impulsive and always-hungry Hansel who eats his poor parents out of house and home, but then feels bad about it afterwards. Sara beautifully and often subtly portrays a sweet, responsible, and intelligent Gretel who cares for her brother but isn’t shy about reprimanding him when his actions harm the family. Together they play and fight as brothers and sisters will do, and show some tender caring for one another, highlighted by the scene when they are alone at night in the forest and sing each other to sleep with a lullaby.

And then there’s the bad, old witch – Ginny The Gingerbread Witch played by the hysterical Becca Myers. She gets the best lines and songs in the show, and Becca delivers them with style, bounds of creativity, and great comedy with her voice, laugh, and body language. She shines trying to scare the young audience members (who boo her with enthusiasm) as she sings her autobiographical song about how she wants to put everyone in her tum-tum-tummy, and in her Latin-flavored Hocus-Pocus cooking song in which she gets super-excited about food – everything from Spam to paprika (the latter almost makes her faint).

The cast is full of other great performances including Jessica Muchnick as Lydia, a hilarious gypsy woman who warns the children and townspeople about the witch with great expressions and melodramatic flair. Hansel and Gretel ignore the warnings along with their soon-to-be-in-danger friends (Maddie Houts, Megan Phillips, Kelsey Barnhill, and Celia Tedde – the latter of whom smothers Hansel with affection). Danielle Levin and Sam Jacobs are Hansel and Gretel’s parents struggling to survive. Josh Shtein and Ari Krasner team up humorously as the witch’s clownish goblin assistants Frick and Frack. Shaina Krevat is Twila The Twoll, a frustrated bridge troll with a lisp.

And the forest is full of other magical and mesmerizing creatures who try to protect the young children including a Dew Princess (Michelle Guefen), a bunch of Droplets led by Gaby Greenwald, a bunch of Pebbles led by Cameron Chang, and a Sandman (Myles Collinson). Then there are the three mischievous echos (Lindsey Morrison, Danya Greenberg, and Rebecca Penner) who like to tease strangers in the woods, but they don’t like it when people figure out they are merely echoes. A bunch of kid-sized Gingerbread Cookies dance around the witch’s house – a fate Hansel and Gretel hope to avoid!

Performed May 11-20, 2007.

Rob Hopper
National Youth Theatre