For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com
Most audiences are familiar with the classic rags-to-riches fairy tale of Cinderella, complete with glass slippers and enchanted pumpkins. But this February, Edmonton Opera presents a version like you have never seen (or heard) before in its production of Rossini’s Cinderella (La Cenerentola)!
While Rossini’s opera itself transforms the Cinderella story — a buffoonish stepfather replaces the wicked stepmother, the fairy godmother is now a wise philosopher, and matching bracelets reunite the lovers instead of glass slippers — Edmonton Opera’s production also gives Cinderella a 1950s high fashion makeover!
Director Robert Herriot and costume designer Deanna Finnman have set Cinderella in the competitive world of 1950s haute couture, drawing inspiration from fashion houses such as Dior, Chanel, and Givenchy to style this charming new production. The costumes, custom made in Edmonton by Finnman and her team, showcase vibrant colours and patterns to complement Rossini’s bubbly romantic comedy.
Cinderella brings together a cast of celebrated Canadian artists including mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó in the title role and tenor John Tessier as the Prince. Szabó’s voice is described by the Globe and Mail as “a burnished joy, able to cut through a full orchestra with clarity and beauty,” while Edmonton native Tessier has been praised by the Seattle Times as a “lyrical, soaring tenor.”
Rossini’s energetic and delightful bel canto composition, previously experienced in Edmonton Opera’s The Barber of Seville (2014), will be performed by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra with conductor Peter Dala.
Featuring an array of stellar talent on stage, extravagant 1950s style costumes, and Rossini’s remarkable music, Cinderella is sure warm audiences’ hearts.
Cinderella will be sung in Italian with projected English translation. Performances are on Saturday, Feb. 4 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.), and Thursday, Feb. 9 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $40, and special pricing for patrons under 40 is available.