To that end this past Saturday I settled in to my seat with about fifty other folks to watch “Massinet:Cendrillon”. It’s the story of Cinderella with a few variances from the story most of us have read and seen many times.
I am a long way off from knowing much of anything about opera. What I do know is that every time I make the effort to experience it I love it and I walk away wondering why I don’t do it more often.
I found this performance to be fantastic. From the sets, to the costumes to the music, and not the least, the incredible singing, it was mesmerizing.
The orchestra was conducted by Bertrand de Billy and they were fabulous. Watching it in a theater allows for tight closeups of musicians which you do not get at the wonderful Metropolitan Opera. “Lucette”, known as Cendrillon (Cinderella) is played by the phenomenal Joyce DiDonato who hails from none other than Kansas City. It is impossible to describe what this mezzo-soprano can do with her voice. Another mezzo-soprano, Alice Coote is terrific as her Prince Charming. They each have show stopping worthy moments.
Other performers of note are Kathleen Kim, who shines as the Fairy Godmother and Stephanie Blythe as the evil stepmother Madame de Haltiere.
Another great advantage of seeing these performances in a theater is the opportunity to go live behind the curtain at intermission and other scene changes. You get to witness what the crew does in stage setting etc. as well as listen in to live interviews of the performers on the fly. It enables the audience to get to know these incredibly talented and dedicated people just a little better. It’s like having your own backstage pass at the Met!
I’ll close by encouraging you to investigate this opportunity and to give it a try. The live performances are usually on Saturdays, midday and an encore taped performance is playing the following Wednesday evening (same live performance only taped). Just search for it online.
Special thanks to my Dad for asking to go to the Met!
