Cinderella with a mixture of Dickens and Grimm

La Cenerentola by Rossini NZ
Opera Wellington
With Orchestra Wellington St James Theatre May 9-16 May
With Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre 30 May 30-June 5

The new production of La Cenerentola from NZ Opera, a co-production with Opera Queensland, draws on many themes in making the opera more relevant for today’s audience.

Set designer Dan Potra has created a Dickensian chocolate box set for the production that reflects the romantic side of La Cenerentola. There’s an Olde Curiosity Shoppe, allusions to the gardens of Brideshead Revisited’s Castle Howard, and a nod toward Downton Abbey, where the servants are not always what they seem.

Director Lindy Hulme quotes Lady Gaga singing “Hold your head up and you’ll go far” from Born This Way. That’s another theme, she says. “Show the world who you are, and people will love it.”

Charles Dickens, with his notions of social justice, was popular shortly after Rossini wrote Cinderella, says Hume, “so it’s fairly easy to stay in that world; there’s some politics in there as well.” å

Rossini’s magically mischievous music tells a very human story of kindness, forgiveness and generosity, while Lindy Hume does not shy away from the firmer themes of fairness, and cruelty versus goodness, that pervade the various retellings of the story. Overall, “I’m with Grimm,” she says, as she adds a “slightly Gothic quality” to the production.

But there’s still more than a little magic, and, of course, a handsome prince, while the Fairy Godmother is embodied in Alidoro, the prince’s “fixer”, says Lindy. Part magician, part MC, he effects a full external rags-to-riches transformation for Angelina (Cinderella), but she already has the best heart in the kingdom.

“The true transformation is the internal one she brings to everybody else,” says Lindy Hume. “I think it’s a story with the gleaming potential for goodness in a dark world.”

The male chorus wraps up over two-and-a-half hours of sparkling music and visual fantasy with the moral: “Envy and pride are vanquished, and goodness wins the day”.

NZ Opera general director Stuart Maunder believes the New Zealand-built show will continue the success being enjoyed currently by the national opera company. “We were over-capacity for our two outdoor opera events this summer, when thousands enjoyed our emerging and established opera artists. The company’s current, touring opera for schools has a waiting list. Now we are bringing the bubbly, bright music of Rossini’s classic fantasy to the stage. It’s a wonderful momentum for this year’s season.”

New Zealanders Sarah Castle, Amelia Berry and Rachelle Pike shine in this delicious tale. While Sarah Castle enchants in the virtuosic title role, her magnificently naughty stepsisters run wild.

Adding further international flavour, John Tessier steals hearts as the dashing prince, with Marcin Bronikowski as his reliable sidekick Dandini. Andrew Collis tries to spoil everyone’s plans as the evil stepfather, while the delightful Ashraf Sewailam leads to a happy-every-after conclusion. NZO Music Director Wyn Davies, will conduct in Wellington and Auckland.