Chatting with Cinderella
Dayton Opera brings classic fairy tale to the stage in ‘La Cenerentola.’
If you’ve thought about taking the whole family to an opera, consider Cinderella!
Dayton Opera will stage the classic fairy tale on Friday, Feb. 28, and Sunday, March 1, when it presents Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” at the Schuster Center. The opera will be sung in Italian with English surtitles.
This fanciful version of the story is a bit different from the one you may remember from childhood. Instead of a wicked stepmother, you’ll meet a stepfather known as Don Magnifico. The fairy godmother in this story is Alidoro, a philosopher and tutor to the prince. And Cinderella, known as Angelina, is recognized — not by her glass slipper — but by her bracelet.
Making her Dayton Opera debut in the title role is mezzosoprano Allegra De Vita.
“This is a perfect first opera for all ages since it is chock full of wonderful characters, tons of zany humor and exquisite music along with a very familiar story line,” De Vita says.
“It is a fabulous piece and an absolute staple in the operatic repertoire.”
A 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Finalist, De Vita has sung the role of Maddalena in “Rigoletto” at Austin Opera, “The Page” in “Salome” at The Spoleto Festival, Siebel in “Faust” at Washington National Opera, and the title role in “Carmen” in a semi-staged production with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.
We asked Cinderella about her iconic role:
Have you previously been cast as Cenerentola?
I performed it with Boston Midsummer Opera last summer. I actually had to learn the opera in two weeks because I was filling in for an ailing colleague! It was a whirlwind, but such an incredible opportunity to perform this beautiful role and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to revisit this role so quickly.
What do you find most challenging about this part?
A title role is an honor most mezzo-sopranos do not get to enjoy frequently. There are challenges that come with the large amount of stage time and singing. However, Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” — with its difficult runs, trills, cadenzas and patter and the sheer number of notes that are crammed into each phrase — make this opera quite a feat to sing for all involved!
Copious fast notes strung together into phrases are called “coloratura.” Like an athlete, this training of muscle and pattern takes a lot of hard work and repetition to create your own coloratura. It is not just written for show but it also serves a purpose by displaying moods and feelings and interactions with other characters.
What do you hope audiences will take away from seeing this opera?
“La Cenerentola” is different from the magical Disney version. There is no fairy godmother, mice turning into coachmen, pumpkins turning into carriages. These characters are just people trying to find happiness in life. My favorite moment in the opera comes in a recitative at the beginning of Act 2. I won’t spoil it, but suffice to say, Angelina is not a damsel in distress being buoyed by the capriciousness of fate. She takes charge and demands much more from her life and her love.
But like its fairy-tale cousin, the opera proves goodness triumphs. Instead of a love-at-firstsight romance, this Cinderella persists when she sings “Cercami” (“Search for Me”) or “you need to get to know me before I will marry you!” This is such a wonderful message to people everywhere — have the patience to wait.
Others in the cast
Dayton Opera welcomes back tenor Carlos Enrique Santelli in the role of prince Don Ramiro. Baritone André Chiang will play Dandini; Thomas Hammons is the strict stepfather, Don Magnific; and the tutor, Alidoro, will be sung by Alan Higgs. The male members of the Dayton Opera Chorus, under the direction of Jeffrey Powell, will also perform.
All four of Dayton Opera’s 2019-2020 Artists-in-Residence will be making their Dayton Opera main stage debuts. Performing the roles of the stepsisters are soprano Maya Vansuch as Clorinda and mezzo-soprano Annalise Dzwonczyk at Tisbe. Tenor Benjamin Krumreig and baritone Scott Ballantine will appear as members of the choral ensemble and will understudy the roles of Don Ramiro and Dandini.
In addition to performing in the opera, these four young artists are introducing Dayton school students to opera with an in-school version of the Cinderella Trilogy, a program that examines three different versions of Cinderella. In the schools, the role of Cinderella will be played by Dzwonczyk. Her goal, she says is to foster curiosity and wonder through creative play. “When I moved to Philadelphia after finishing my master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, I worked as a nanny to two little girls.” she explains. ” I also have three little nieces and a nephew of my own.”
Dzwonczyk believes many people underestimate children’s capacity to interact with the world. “They’re so observant, naturally inquisitive, and uninhibited in their creative impulses,” she notes. “They see and absorb everything that’s going on around them, and often respond with hilarious and spot-on truths about it. There are certain things kids are too young to fully appreciate, so a big part of helping them understand complex ideas is speaking through metaphors — storytelling. It’s about making something ‘big’ small enough to fit inside the frame of reference of a person with only a few years of life behind them.”
She says opera is all about storytelling — inspiring awe and magic and wonder. “There’s this physical, emotional rush that comes from hearing live music performance — especially opera, with its impressive vocal aerobatics,” Dzwonczyk says. “I actually wasn’t exposed to a live opera until I was 18, and now it’s an essential part of my life — so I know that reaching kids with such powerful music at this age will make a huge, lasting impression.”
At the Schuster, Dzwonczyk will portray stepsister Tisbe.
“In Disney’s Cinderella, we’re familiar with the stepsisters as superficially unattractive pains-in-thebutt,” she says. “One of the fun things about this opera has been realizing that the stepsisters’ unattractiveness has little to do with their looks or nagging behaviors, and everything to do with their internal character.”
Tisbe and Clorinda, she says, are obsessed with the idea that the prince will choose one of them because they’re pretty, well-dressed, and have mastered the charms of society, like dancing and elevated speech. “They neglect to realize that the way they treat people less fortunate than them is the true reflection of their goodness — or lack thereof — and that’s what the prince cares about — not their silly vanity.”
Dzwonczyk labels Cinderella’s message wonderful and pure. “I can’t think of a better one to be giving to kids in today’s world,” she says. “Cinderella’s life has not been easy; she’s made to work as a servant for her own family, having cruelty thrown in her face at every turn, and literally living in the fireplace ashes. And yet, she endures her misfortune with a smile on her face and a song in her heart.
“Despite all of the hardship she has faced, she carries herself with an unshakable optimism. She’s resilient and graceful; she makes the most of what she has. She acts out of compassion and not pride, and she keeps believing in magic. When her time comes, she is chosen by the prince for what’s in her heart — innocence and goodness. In the end, her first royal act is to pardon all those who have wronged her.”
Staging the production
The artistic director is Thomas Bankston. Teaming up once again are stage director Kathleen Clawson and conductor Clinton Smith, who worked together in Dayton on another one of Rossini’s famous operas, “The Barber of Seville,” in 2018.
Resident lighting designer John Rensel will light this production; wig and make-up designers are Cassandra Brake and Thomas Venditelli.