If ever enchanted by Cinderella, see Rossini’s “La Cenerentola”. It’s a lively, more complex, and humorous version of the beloved fable. Part of what makes this opera accessible is its feverish music written in a flash by Gioachino Rossini and librettist Jacopo Ferret over a hundred years ago. Prepared to be awash with vocal flourishes and overlapping rounds; the score reflects the story itself chock-full of mistaken identities and emotional ups and downs.
Mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh as Cinderella or “Venus of the Scullery”, as her demeaning step-father calls her, has moral perseverance that makes you question the last time you gave change to a “beggar”. Despite being reduced to a housemaid and always having “some craziness to suffer”, she’s forgiving. McIntosh’s arias embody both sweetness and strength. On the flipside, her clowning step-sisters provide a continuous stream of comic relief. As does the valet who swaps places with the Prince so that he can “study the ladies freely”; hilarity ensues.
Each member of the cast brings their own weight to the stage as the classic characters they personify and with their own human voice. For those attached to the Disney version, the costumes are a righteous nod to Walt’s 1950 production. “La Cenerentola” gives a bedazzling performance that leaves you believing this Cinderella, is the real thing.
– Juljka Nadir