* Notes * San Francisco Opera's second performance of Hansel and Gretel (Sasha Cooke and Heidi Stober in Act II pictured, photograph by Cory Weaver) yesterday afternoon was a fine introduction to opera for young audiences. The title characters are winsome and powerful singers. Adler Fellow soprano Mary Evelyn Hangley replaced mezzo-soprano Michaela Martens as…

* Notes * An amusingly spooky production of Hansel and Gretel (Act III pictured, photograph by Cory Weaver) opened at San Francisco Opera last night. The cast features many lucid, high voices and the orchestra sounded great. This creepy set is inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, and this works surprisingly well — the darkness of the…