Parents and Children Alike Will Love This Opera Adaption of Cinderella

Parents take note! Children will love this opera version of Cinderella by Jules Massenet, the first time it has been seen in Australia.

This production of Cinderella was produced in association with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Theâtre Royal de la Monnaie, L’Opéra de Lille, and Gran Teatre del Liceu, and was first seen in 2011 at the Royal Opera House, London.

After successful runs at the Met in New York and at Covent Garden, this colourful staging of Cinderella makes a fabulous Australian entrance.

A tale as old as time, get a dazzling operatic makeover

The story of this enchanting opera is derived from Charles Perrault’s 17th century fairy-tale.

In his version, Pandolfe is a country gentleman who has married the overbearing countess Madame de la Haltière (Angela Hogan).

Madame’s obnoxious daughters Noémie (Jennifer Black) and Dorothée (Ashlyn Timms) bully Cendrillon, Pandolfe’s daughter from his first marriage, and the poor girl is treated as their servant.

Interestingly, Massenet chooses a soprano for the role of the prince, so don’t be shocked when you first hear him sing. This may have been to make the role sound more childlike and family friendly in keeping with the subject of the opera.

To elaborate, Massenet wrote the role of the prince as a hosenrolle (trouser-role), which was common 18th century practice. Called “a soprano falcon,” a French voice type a bit darker and lower than a regular soprano, Margaret Plummer fulfils this role to perfection from her opening scene where she sits alone and depressed to the moment when she avows her love to the young Cendrillon, who is transformed by her fairy godmother.

Emily Edmonds captures the spirit of the young Cinderella, both in sorrow and in joy when her dream is realised, while the fabulous full-throated soprano Emma Matthews is resplendent as the Fairy Godmother.

Massenet’s Cinderella (Cendrillon) delights adults and children alike

The moment Massenet opens with a C Major march suggests that all will be well in the end, a major being the key of happiness and contentment.

His score is light and comical in the ball scene in particular, where the young ladies of the realm are presented to the prince. It was a droll sight to see the ugly sisters and their bossy mother, along with the ladies of the kingdom, prance up to the cringing prince dressed in outlandish shapes and shades of red and maroon. All credit to talented choreographer Laura Scozzi for making the audience laugh out loud.

Richard Anderson sang Pandolfe with great compassion, and OA stalwart Shane Lowrencev was appropriately regal in his role as King.

The set by Barbara de Limburg was cleverly constructed as pages of an old French storybook, possibly Perrault’s original text.

All credit to Director and Costume Designer Laurent Pelly, whose imagination provided the wit and colour of the production, while conductor Evan Rogister wielded his baton to give us an evening of lovely music, droll humour, and a bit of magic.

Opera Australia’s Cendrillon (Cinderella) by Jules Massenet is on at the Sydney Opera House until 28 March.