Cinderella: A Whimsical Holiday Treat

Are you looking for the perfect holiday treat for family, friends, or coworkers? Starting December 1, Lyric presents Massenet’s Cinderella (Cendrillon), a fabulous French reimagining of your favorite fairytale.

Massenet adapted Cinderella with an irresistible blend of wit, sensitivity, and elegance. The love duets are the very essence of romance, but there’s hilarity, too, thanks to the most outrageous of all stepmothers. And if you want to hear glittering top notes sail into the stratosphere, there’s the vocally high-flying fairy godmother. At the heart of Cinderella is the delectable heroine—and when she sings to her beloved, “You are my Prince Charming,” it’s truly magical!

Leading the cast as the title character is soprano Siobhan Stagg, making her Lyric Opera and American debut. WhatsOnStage says, “Stagg is a touching and musically delicious discovery...the next big thing.” She stars opposite Lyric favorite Alice Coote in the trouser role of Prince Charming—a role she recently played in the same production at the Metropolitan Opera.

Sir Andrew Davis conducts the Lyric Opera Orchestra in what is sure to be a delightful interpretation of Massenet’s energetic score that bubbles like champagne. Stepping in for the January 11 performance is Francesco Milioto, making his Lyric podium debut after serving as assistant conductor for several productions. A regular fixture in the Chicago area, Milioto has been an assistant conductor at the Ravinia Festival for ten seasons and is a frequent guest of Chicago Opera Theater.

This beautiful Laurent Pelly production is “boldly stylized; elegant yet winking; straightforward but with an aura of extravagance” (The New York Times). The written word plays heavily in the design, with Charles Perrault’s original text displayed on the storybook walls and Cinderella riding off in a carriage constructed from the letters of “carosse,” the old French term for a royal coach.

Warm up for the holidays by catching an early December show, or give those hard-to-buy-for people on your list tickets to a show in January. There are only six performances of Cinderella—don’t miss out on the production everyone is sure to be talking about this winter!