Wednesday, February 20, 2013

LA Opera Talk: Cinderella



SUNDAY, March 17th 2:00 p.m.
Rossini’s Cinderella

In her impoverished stepfather's castle, a kindhearted girl dreams of escaping the tyranny of her vain stepsisters. When the prince announces that he will choose his bride at a glamorous ball, she seizes the opportunity to take control of her own destiny. Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, but Gioachino Rossini's warmhearted retelling is a delightful romantic comedy. LA Opera will bring it to life with dazzling vocal fireworks of an exciting young cast and a production new to Los Angeles.

In the meantime, everyone is invited to Crowell Library where Community Educator DIANE BELTOYA will play excerpts and highlight different aspects of the opera with her expertise. Learn about the variants of this particular version of the Cinderella story: some mice but no bippity, boppity-boo, just to name two. La Cenerentola was composed when Rossini was 25 years old, after his magnificent Barber of Seville. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the fairy tale Cendrillon by Charles Perrault. The opera was first performed in Rome's Teatro Valle in 1817.

This introduction to opera at Crowell Public Library is absolutely free. It will undoubtedly inspire one and all to make a trip to the Los Angeles Music Center for a real opera experience.