Tri-Cities Opera Opens 2026-27 Season with 'Hansel and Gretel'

Tri-Cities Opera will open its 2026-27 season with Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel," running October 16-18 at the Tri-Cities Opera Center in Binghamton, New York.

The company announced a cast led by Kanade Motomura as Hansel and Kate Fogg as Gretel. Sofia Scattarreggia sings the Witch, and Kevin Douglas Jasaitis takes the role of Father. Mayavati Prabhakar appears as the Dew Fairy, with Danielle Yamashiro as the Sandman.

Patrick Hansen serves as Stage Director. Giovanni Reggioli holds the position of Music Director.

The production will be performed in English, making Humperdinck's German-language score directly accessible to the Binghamton audience without surtitles.

What did the company say about the season opener?

General Director John Rozzoni framed the choice as a statement about the season ahead. "Hansel and Gretel is a wonderful way to begin a season that celebrates powerful stories and unforgettable characters," Rozzoni said in a statement. "It invites audiences to rediscover a story they may know while experiencing the magic, humor, and beauty of live opera together."

The pairing of Hansen and Reggioli at the head of the creative team signals the company's approach: a director-led staging anchored by a conductor with extensive experience in the repertory. Both names will be familiar to followers of the Upstate New York opera scene.

Who sings what in Binghamton?

The announced cast breaks down as follows:

• Hansel: Kanade Motomura
• Gretel: Kate Fogg
• The Witch: Sofia Scattarreggia
• Father: Kevin Douglas Jasaitis
• The Dew Fairy: Mayavati Prabhakar
• The Sandman: Danielle Yamashiro

The title roles sit at the center of the casting. Motomura and Fogg carry the bulk of the evening's music, from the opening duet to the final scene in the Witch's house. Scattarreggia's Witch supplies the opera's theatrical high point, a role that invites both comedy and menace in equal measure.

Why does this programming choice matter?

"Hansel and Gretel" carries a dual identity in the opera house. Composed by Engelbert Humperdinck to a libretto by his sister Adelheid Wette, the work draws on the Brothers Grimm tale and has long functioned as a gateway opera — frequently staged for families and young audiences, yet demanding genuine vocal substance from its principals.

For a regional company like Tri-Cities Opera, opening a season with a familiar title carries practical weight. Rozzoni's statement points to exactly that logic: an audience that already knows the story can be drawn into the theater on the strength of recognition, then encounter the work live for the first time.

The October 16-18 run gives Binghamton audiences three performances to catch the production. Further casting and details for the remainder of the 2026-27 season, which Rozzoni describes as celebrating "powerful stories and unforgettable characters," are expected to follow from the company.