October 28, 2022
杏吧原创's new 鈥淐inderella鈥 fits music lovers like a magical glass slipper
Two demographics should take special interest in the new production of Cendrillon (Cinderella) by 杏吧原创 Opera Theater: Newcomers to opera and those in need of a pleasant distraction.
In other words, everyone.
If you鈥檙e new to opera, Jules Massenet鈥檚 rarely performed take on the classic fairy tale is the ideal introduction. At the same time, with its lush music and simple, cheerful story, Cendrillon is the magical antidote to ordinary life, for listeners of all levels.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pure escapism,鈥 said Cara Consilvio, the 杏吧原创 guest artist directing Cendrillon. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a place where, for two-and-a-half hours, you don鈥檛 have to think about anything. You can just come and have an enjoyable experience. There鈥檚 a reason this story is timeless.鈥
杏吧原创 will give two performances of Cendrillon, both in Kulas Hall: 7:30pm Friday, November 11 and 3pm Sunday, November 13. Tickets, $10-$20, are available at cim.edu/fallopera. Veterans and active service members can enjoy free admission to both performances, in honor of Veterans Day. To request tickets, call 216.795.3211. Limit two per household. Opera at 杏吧原创 is supported by the John P. Murphy Foundation.
Lighthearted amusement may be the objective, but this Cendrillon, sung in the original French and featuring the 杏吧原创 Orchestra conducted by Harry Davidson, is not without substance.
Penned in 1899, it鈥檚 both the perfect first full production since the pandemic and the perfect work for student sopranos Mallory Bogle and Lisl Wangermann to put their vocal and dramatic skills to the test.
Sharing the title role, they aspire to transform Cinderella in a new way: from a passive, idealized character into a figure they can understand and admire. Their Cinderella is no leaf on the wind. She chooses and brings about her own fate.
At their side in lead roles will be mezzo-soprano Carlyle Quinn as Madame de la Halti猫re; tenor Yiran Xing as Prince Charming; baritone Joseph Breslau as Pandolfe; and sopranos Catherina Carrington and Ella Sobkowicz sharing the role of the Fairy.
鈥淪he has a lot of hidden strengths,鈥 Bogle said of Cinderella. 鈥淪he鈥檚 kind, but that doesn鈥檛 make her weak.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to take on what could be a one-dimensional character and flesh it out,鈥 added Wangermann. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been fun to develop.鈥
That鈥檚 a sentiment echoed by Consilvio, an award-winning director of opera as well as dance, theater and film. She, too, sought to develop Cendrillon into something more relatable, working with costume designer Inda Blatch-Geib and set designer Dave Brooks to evoke a timeless but stratified society in which the humble Cinderella stands apart from her wealthy stepsisters. Video will be used to convey magical effects.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a glamorous, over-the-top world,鈥 Consilvio said of her production. 鈥淭he goal was to create a place that doesn鈥檛 feel like the past, where Cinderella and the Prince are outsiders.鈥
The past is something everyone involved with Cendrillon is looking to move beyond. Consilvio and her singers alike said they鈥檙e looking forward to mounting and participating in their first fully staged, live production since the pandemic began 鈥 especially of a work as charming as Cendrillon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so nice to make an opera together in person again,鈥 Consilvio said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really great to be able to hear the full potential of all the forces we have.鈥