La Cenerentola (Cinderella)

Around 3 hours

Sung in Italian with Swedish surtitles

»What is a ball at the palace after all?« Probably absolutely wonderful. The severe Don Magnifico has two daughters and a stepdaughter, Angelina (Cinderella). Destitute, he dreams of a rich suitor for one of his daughters, and everything is on the line when the prince announces a ball. The tale of Cinderella (La Cenerentola) has fascinated us through the ages. In this version, the wicked stepfather is in control, the Fairy Godmother has been replaced by a ragamuffin philosopher, and a silver bracelet has taken the place of the classic glass slipper.

Rossini’s ingenious, untamed music tells a very human story about kindness, forgiveness and generosity. Inspired by vaudeville, Charles Dickens and Tim Burton, director Lindy Hume and set designer Dan Potra have created a colourful, romantic production in which goodness triumphs in the end. La Cenerentola premiered in Rome in 1817. Directed by Rossini himself, the composer prophesied that the production would take over the entire continent in spite of its poor initial reception by critics. And he was right. This highly acclaimed production premiered at Opera Queensland in Brisbane, Australia in 2013 – and has taken the world by storm. Original production commissioned by, designed for and created by Opera Queensland and New Zealand Opera.