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| Emily Edmonds (Cinderella) - Emma Matthews (Fairy Godmother) in Opera Australia's "Cinderella" |
Music by: Jules Massenet – Libretto: Henri Cain
Conductor Evan Rogister – Director & Costume Designer:
Laurent Pelly
Costume Associate: Thomaz Le Goues - Choreographer: Laura
Scozzi
Revival Director/ Rehearsal Choreographer: Karine
Girard
Set Design: Barbara de Limburg – Lighting Design: Duane
Schuler
Sydney Opera House: December 31st 2024 to March 28, 2025.
Opening night performance on January 2nd reviewed
by BILL STEPHENS.
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| Emily Edmonds (Cinderella) - Jennifer Black (Noemie) - Angela Hogan (Madame de la Haltiere_ - Ashlyn Tymms (Dorathea) in Opera Australia's "Cinderella" |
Not only had Massenet’s version never been staged by Opera
Australia, but as almost all the principal roles in this version were written
for females, it provided a perfect opportunity to showcase the strength of its
local roster of female singers, as well as provide the opportunity to invite
three singers who’ve been forging impressive careers overseas, to make their
Sydney Opera House debuts in this production.
Originally conceived in 2006 by French director, Laurent
Pelly, as a four-act, French language production for Santa Fe Opera, this
version, which ran for 2 hours 30 minutes, was also presented in London’s Royal
Opera House, in 2011 under its original French title “Cendrillon”.
However, rather than present the original four-act French
language version, Opera Australia opted for an abridged English language version
of the same production commissioned and performed by The Metropolitan Opera in 2021,
which runs for just on one hour and fifty minutes including a twenty minute
interval.
No doubt the reasoning was that the shorter English language
version would be more attractive to first time opera goers, summer tourists and
even, perhaps, as an introduction to opera for children.
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| Ashlyn Tymms (Dorothea) - Angela Hogan (Madame de la Haltiere) - Jennifer Black (Noemie) Emily Edmonds (Cinderella) - Margaret Plummer (Prince Charming) -Richard Anderson (Pandolfe) Iain Henderson (Dean of Faculty) in Opera Australia's "Cinderella" |
But while this version has much to commend it, especially given
that it retains Pelly’s quite wonderful
costume designs and Laura Scozzi’s delightfully quirky choreography, both of which were much praised overseas for their originality
and sparkle, it is hard to escape the feeling that something crucial has been lost in the conversion,
particularly in relation to the storytelling.
Massenet’s melodious score is given a marvellous reading by
the Opera Australia Orchestra under the baton of American conductor Evan
Rogister, making his first Sydney Opera House appearances, and the production
is as beautifully sung as could be wished for.
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| Margaret Plummer as Prince Charming in "Cinderella" |
Making their first appearances in the Sydney Opera House, Emily
Edmonds is a delightfully wistful Cinderella, while Margaret Plummer is
convincing in the pants role as Prince Charming.
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| Ashlyn Tymms (Dorothea) - Angela Hogan (Madame de la Haltiere) - Jennifer Black (Noemie) in Opera Australia's "Cinderella". |
It was left to Emma Mathews, returning to the SOH stage
after a long absence, to inject excitement into the proceedings by glittering
and gleaming, both vocally and physically, on her every appearance.
Described in the publicity as OA stalwarts, Richard
Anderson, Shane Lowrencev, and Iain Henderson did exactly what they do best in
roles for which they are perfectly cast.
No doubt Pelly’s original direction and choreography from
the Metropolitan Opera’s 2021 English adaptation has been meticulously
reproduced by the Revival Director, Karine Girard, but direction and design which
may have appeared extraordinary in 2006, tends to look a little pedestrian in
2025, and certainly in need of some revision to allow it to achieve its
original affect, particularly as regards to the storytelling.
Even so, the design and choreography for the ball, and glass
slipper fitting scenes, exuberantly performed by the Opera Australia Chorus,
are still extraordinary and hugely enjoyable.
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| Emily Edmonds (Cinderella) - Richard Anderson (Pandolfe) in Opera Australia's "Cinderella". |
Regretfully though, any other magic appears to happen off-stage,
particularly for the crucial transformation scene. For this scene the Fairy
Godmother does her magic offstage while Cinderella is sleeping. Cinderella simply
reappears (unmagically) in her ball-gown. following which the coach drawn by
four cute white horses arrives and whisks her away to the ball.
When Cinderella arrives at the ball, it seems that the Fairy
Godmother had neglected to read the dress code because Cinderella is the only
one at the ball not wearing red, with her dress in a completely different style
to the rest of the guests.
More perplexing still is the slipper fitting scene. Earlier,
Cinderella, now back in her ragged kitchen waif attire, sings a solo recounting
her experience at the ball and reveals that she has the remaining glass
slipper. However, when she arrives to have her shoe-fitting she is costumed curiously
in all her ballroom finery.
Given that their courtship had been relatively cursory, the
audience is left wondering whether it was the gown or the girl that captured
the prince’s imagination.
Even Barbara de Limburg’s much lauded story-book setting
retains its original French text written all over walls and costumes. Given
that this version is sung in English, it might have reasonably been expected
that the text would have been changed to allow an English-speaking audience to
understand whatever messages it was meant to convey.
If, however, none of
this matters, why not just present the opera as Massenet intended? At least then the opera purists may have been satisfied, having experienced the main course
rather than an entrée.
All images by Rhiannon Hopley.
This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au
