UNO Opera Theatre's Hansel & Gretel Named a National Finalist for Award

The UNO Opera Theatre's 2021 virtual production of Hansel & Gretel has been named a national semi-finalist and finalist by The American Prize in their Virtual Performance category, 2023 in the college/university division. Each year, The American Prize rewards the best recorded performances by individual artists and ensembles in the United States.

Faculty from the UNO School of Music and UNO Theatre collaborated on the production that premiered April 15 and ran until May 15, 2021 on the School of Music YouTube channel.

The entire production was performed and filmed in the School of the Arts Black Box Theatre against a large green screen inside the Weber Fine Arts building.

Cast members: Christa Sheperd, Julia Campbell, Hannah Rembert, Jill Galvin, Alex Crooks, Carli Tomac, Emily Johnson, Madison Koperski, Ben Jones, John Lim, Felica Ariza, Garret Jackson, Olivia Sikora, Sadie Ziegerer, Paul Behrends, and Alexis McDade.

The performance was directed by Shelby VanNordstrand, Associate Professor of Voice / Voice Area Coordinator in the UNO School of Music.

Shelby was also selected as a finalist in two categories for her performances: The American Prize Women in Art Song & Oratorio, 2023 professional division and The American Prize Performance of American Music- Ernst Bacon Award- 2023, soloist and composers professional division.

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of new, non-profit national competitions in the performing arts unique in scope and structure, providing cash awards, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition. Thousands of artists from all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation.