BY JASMINE MIDDLETON
For mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong, Hansel and Gretel is more than just a well-known childhood tale. It’s an opera that provided her with some of her earliest professional engagements while she was an emerging artist.
Elizabeth performed the title character in 2012 with the Chicago Lyric Opera, and again in 2018 at the Edinburgh International Festival (under the baton of Sir Andrew Davis, no less).
Now, Elizabeth will return to the story for her Melbourne Symphony Orchestra debut – making the experience especially nostalgic.
Alongside fellow American soprano Laura Wilde and MSO chief conductor Sir Andrew Davis, Elizabeth will revive her role of Hansel in Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera — placing her centre stage in the MSO’s Hansel and Gretel in Concert this November 28 and 30.
Despite having performed this piece multiple times during her career, it continues to resonate with Elizabeth.
“It is nearly as flawless as operas come,” Elizabeth says.
“It’s succinct, it gets to the point; you really sense all the characters, and the drama unfolds in a very clear, interesting, and stimulating way. From beginning to end, there isn’t a dull moment.”
Elizabeth smiles: “Truly, I genuinely love every second of this piece.”
While it may seem daunting for an adult to portray a boy experiencing his childhood, all that was required for Elizabeth was a trip down memory lane.
“I was fortunate in a sense that I have two younger brothers, so they were sort of a case study in retrospect,” she laughs.
But it is within the act of letting down her learned inhibitions that Elizabeth finds the most inspiration.
“You can’t bring all the extra knowledge that years afford you as a grown-up,” she says of taking on the youthful role.
“You have to be experiencing everything for the first time and having big reactions to even the smallest things, because everything is so new and important to you as a child.”
While audiences can expect the tale of a gingerbread house, magic, and fantastical creatures, Elizabeth believes that beneath these fairy tale elements is a very human story we can all relate to, presented in classic coming-of-age style.
Elizabeth explains that although Hansel is rough and boisterous, “he feels that he’s got this sense of responsibility for his sister, and he’s trying to be all grown up”.
“But part of being grown up is admitting that you don’t have it all figured out; things happen and you just cope with it. So instead of falling apart, you admit your mistakes and admit you’re feeling vulnerable.
“I think we all have those experiences, where we’re confronted with something and we have to respond, and it changes us.”
Much like her character, Elizabeth has learnt how to cope with growing up – and this includes the dangers artists inevitably face in the music industry.
“It’s easy to get consumed by your work, especially in this career as it is so deeply personal; and you, as a singer, are just put out there for observation and critique.”
With her constant travels and busy work life, Elizabeth runs her own blog A Singer’s Suitcase, through which she uses photography to take a moment to appreciate the small things.
“It reminds you that while you love it and it’s something you couldn’t live without, there are a lot of other things out there, other than just the music – and just how important those things can be.”
She believes that staying true to your authentic self is crucial as an artist, and extends her advice to aspiring and emerging opera singers – as she herself once was, the first time she performed as Hansel.
“Listen to a variety of singers. Don’t just pick your favourite one and try to become that, because we already had one, we don’t need another one!
“Just perfect what you are.”
See Elizabeth DeShong perform her Melbourne Symphony Orchestra debut in Hansel and Gretel in Concert, 28 and 30 November.
We’ve teamed up with the MSO to bring you this story — stay tuned as we prepare to bring you another story showcasing incredible talent in music!
Images supplied. Credit: Kristen Hobermann
