Cloakroom: Coats, umbrellas, backpacks, and large bags must be checked in the cloakroom and retrieved upon exit. Items and valuables are not insured. Food & Drinks: Outside food is prohibited. Refreshments may only be consumed at the theater buffet and are not allowed in the auditorium. Electronic Devices: Phones and electronic devices must be silenced or set to airplane mode and cannot be used during the performance. Late Arrivals: Latecomers will only be admitted during intermission. Unauthorized entry after showtime may lead to ejection or a venue ban. Smoking: Smoking, e-cigarettes, and open flames are strictly forbidden everywhere inside the theater.

Subway: Line U4, Schönbrunn station – follow the directions to the palace – when you stand in front of the palace, the theater is in the 2nd wing on the left.

Hansel and Gretel

Synopsis/Details

Opera in a shortened version by Engelbert Humperdinck

Duration 1 h 15 min
Intermission after 30min

Spoken language: German
Synopsis in English and other languages at the Box office. Price € 1,-

The composer Engelbert Humperdinck - as a marionette – leads through his opera in a child-friendly way

This opera is about Hansel and Gretel, the children of a poor broom-maker-family. One day, their mother sends them into the forest in order to collect mushrooms. But they forget about the time and suddenly it’s too dark to find their way home. So they have to sleep in the woods for the night. When they awake on the next morning, they discover an gingerbread house, where the witch lives, who turns the children into gingerbread loaves. Hansel and Gretel are caught and kept as prisoners by the witch; they are also to be turned into gingerbread. However, Hansel and Gretel are smart: With the help of a trick they cast the witch into her own oven. But the story does not end here: as their worried parents arrive at the gingerbread house, they find not only their own children, but also all the other children who were rescued by Hansel and Gretel.

Tradition for 250 years
- The Marionette Theatre Palace Schonbrunn performs world-famous operas, musicals and fairy tales according to an old tradition. The theatre is located at Palace Schönbrunn. All puppets and stage elements are handmade. The playing technique is officially an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Rigorous Training
- In order to play a puppet it needs a training of approx. 1-2 years. After that it takes years for perfection and really bring the puppet to life. The whole ensemble of the Marionettentheater Schloss Schönbrunn was trained by Christine Hierzer-Riedler and Werner Hierzer and plays over 300 performances every year.
House rules
- Cloakroom: Coats, umbrellas, backpacks, and large bags must be checked in the cloakroom and retrieved upon exit. Items and valuables are not insured.
- Food & Drinks: Outside food is prohibited. Refreshments may only be consumed at the theater buffet and are not allowed in the auditorium.
- Electronic Devices: Phones and electronic devices must be silenced or set to airplane mode and cannot be used during the performance.
- Late Arrivals: Latecomers will only be admitted during intermission. Unauthorized entry after showtime may lead to ejection or a venue ban.
- Smoking: Smoking, e-cigarettes, and open flames are strictly forbidden everywhere inside the theater.
Directions
- Subway: Line U4, Schönbrunn station – follow the directions to the palace – when you stand in front of the palace, the theater is in the 2nd wing on the left.

Cast

Puppeteer

Hänsel: Elisabeth Grümmer
Gretel: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Peter / Vater: Josef Metternich
Getrud / Mutter: Maria von Ilosvay
Hexe: Else Schürhoff
Sandmann: Amy Felbermayer
Taumann: Amy Felbermayer

Marionettenspiel

Christine Hierzer-Riedler, Werner Hierzer, Rudolf Schwarzenberger, Isabell Francisci-Ragger, Claudia Hisberger, Lisa Pippan, Saviz Foroughi, Antonia Petz, Georg Angerer

Venue

Marionettentheater Schloss Schönbrunn

Tradition for 250 years

The Marionette Theatre Palace Schonbrunn performs world-famous operas, musicals and fairy tales according to an old tradition. The theatre is located at Palace Schönbrunn. All puppets and stage elements are handmade. The playing technique is officially an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The two founders and artistic directors Christine Hierzer-Riedler and Werner Hierzer look back on over 40 years of international experience in the art of puppet playing.
The marionettes, the costumes and the set designs are produced in cooperation with prominent directors, stage and costume designers in the in-house workshops.

Two well-trained teams make it possible to perform in the theatre in Schönbrunn and at the same time on international tours.

We have been to (selection):

Athens, Brussels, Florence, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico City, Montreal, New York, Paris, Beijing, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Stratford and many more.

In order to play a puppet it needs a training of approx. 1-2 years. After that it takes years for perfection and really bring the puppet to life. The whole ensemble of the Marionettentheater Schloss Schönbrunn was trained by Christine Hierzer-Riedler and Werner Hierzer and plays over 300 performances every year.

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Hansel and Gretel

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