New York, NY (December 18, 2007) — Celebrated pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini of Restaurant Jean-Georges will judge a baking competition for students of New York City’s culinary high schools as part of the premiere of the Metropolitan Opera’s new English-language production of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, directed by Richard Jones. In this imaginative adaptation of the famous Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale, food—and the absence of food—play a key role in this story of wayfaring siblings, and sweet treats take center stage. Johnny Iuzzini will provide his signature Bûche de Noël holiday cake recipe to the young aspiring chefs, whose creations will then be judged by him at the Met’s Student Open House event at 10:15 a.m. on Friday, December 21. First prize is a private cooking demonstration by Iuzzini for the winning students at their school.
The Met’s Student Open House on December 21 includes access to the final dress rehearsal of Hansel and Gretel, as well as to special events and demonstrations throughout the day, including a new exhibit in the Met’s Founders Hall of paintings, drawings, and designs by the opera’s set and costume designer, John Macfarlane. 2,500 students from local public schools and select universities will attend the event for free, through a combined effort between the New York City’s Department of Education and the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and all attendees will be provided with a free lunch through generous sponsorship of the Open House by Dr. Agnes Varis, a Managing Director on the Met Opera Board. Doors open at 10:00 a.m.; the final dress rehearsal begins at 11:00 a.m. The Met’s Student Open House is part of the company’s larger outreach initiative to build younger audiences. This month, the Met will launch its “Live in High Definition” series in New York City public schools for the first time. Seven performances from the 2007-08 season will be transmitted live via satellite into participating schools—one in each borough. Admission is free to students and their teachers. (A separate press release about this initiative is available).
About Johnny Iuzzini
Thirty-three-year old Johnny Iuzzini is Executive Pastry Chef at Restaurant Jean-Georges, which recently received an exceptional three-star rating by the Michelin Red Guide. He previously served as Executive Pastry Chef at Daniel Boulud’s namesake restaurant, where he was chosen by France’s Comité Colbert as one of its “Emerging Young Artists of 2000.” He has gone on to win numerous awards and accolades, including The James Beard Foundation’s “Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year” in May 2006. In March 2007, Forbes.com named Mr. Iuzzini one of the 10 most influential chefs working in America today. His first cookbook will be published in 2008.
About Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel is the second of the Met’s annual series of holiday presentations and is directed by Richard Jones, with costumes and sets designed by John Macfarlane. The series includes four matinee performances and five evening performances: Monday, December 24 matinee (Christmas Eve), Saturday, December 29 matinee; Tuesday, January 1 matinee (New Years Eve); Friday, January 4 matinee; Tuesday, January 8; Friday, January 11; Wednesday, January 23; Saturday, January 26; and Thursday, January 31.
Vladimir Jurowski conducts eight performances through January 26; J. David Jackson conducts the final performance on January 31. The cast includes Christine Schäfer and Alice Coote as the fabled siblings, Rosalind Plowright and Alan Held as their overburdened parents, Gertrude and Peter, and Philip Langridge as the wicked Witch. Jennifer Tipton is the lighting designer, and Linda Dobell creates the choreography. The English-language libretto is by David Pountney. Met titles are available for Hansel and Gretel in English, German, and Spanish.
About the Met
Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Met has a series of bold initiatives underway that are designed to broaden its audience and revitalize the company’s repertory. The Met has made a commitment to presenting modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, with highly theatrical productions featuring the greatest opera stars in the world. Seven new productions debut at the Met in 2007-08, the most new productions the Met has presented in one season in 40 years.
The company has recently formed a groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with New York’s Lincoln Center Theater, to provide renowned composers and playwrights with the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Building on its 76-year-old international radio broadcast history – heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network – the Met now uses advanced media distribution platforms and state-of-the-art technology to attract new audiences and reach millions of opera fans around the world. “Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD,” the company’s series of live performance transmissions, shown in high definition (HD) in movie theaters around the world, will expand from six to eight opera transmissions in 2007-08, beginning with Roméo et Juliette on December 15. Global distribution of the series will triple in 2007-08 to reach over 700 participating venues in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. These performances will subsequently air on PBS, and a selection of these HD performances will be available on DVD beginning in 2008. Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Channel 85) is a subscription-based audio service broadcasting both live and rare historical performances. In addition to providing on-demand audio recordings through the new Rhapsody service, the Met also presents free live audio streaming of performances on its website once every week during the opera season with support from RealNetworks®.
The Met has recently launched several audience development initiatives, including Open House dress rehearsals, the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met, reduced ticket prices—including an immensely popular new rush ticket program, and an annual Holiday Series presentation for families.