Scary Fairy

Evil stepmothers and hungry kids who end up in cages isn't the stuff of today's Disney-fied fairy tales. But since Hansel and Gretel was a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, it took their trademark twist toward the dark and macabre. Instead of ball gowns and glitter, this fairy tale reflects some concerns of the time that it was written—a time when people were worried about poverty and hunger, which often meant bad news for children. With that in mind, it's hard to believe that it was written in the 19th century and not last week. And we wish it really wasn't so similar to the nightly news. The Living Opera puts the story to song through composer Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel opera. Watch it and be entertained, and maybe inspired, to prevent scarily similar real world atrocities from happening in a gingerbread house close to home. Hansel and Gretel runs 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday at the Eisemann Center, 2531 Performance Drive in Richardson. Tickets are $25. For information, call 972-494-3400 or visit thelivingopera.org.
Thu., June 28, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., June 30, 7:30 p.m.