Having presented Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical version of Cinderella in 2022, Opera Australia decided that Massenet’s operatic version of the same story would make the perfect opening production for the 2025 season.
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.
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.
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.
Another newcomer, Ashlyn Tymms is teamed with OA regular, Jennifer Black as one of Cinderella’s stepsisters, who together with the marvellous Angela Hogan as their haughty mother, Madame de la Haltiere, managed to generate a few obvious laughs. However more astute direction might have provided them with more visual physical comedy ideas to fully realise the opportunities inherent in their roles.
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.
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 the opera purists may have been satisfied, having experienced the main course rather than an entrée.
Cinderella (Cendrillon)
Joan Sutherland Theatre – Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Performance: Thursday 2 January 2025
Season continues to 28 March 2025
Information and Bookings: www.opera.org.au
Image: Emily Edmonds as Cinderella and Emma Matthews as Fairy Godmother in Cinderella (Cendrillon) – photo by Rhiannon Hopley | Margaret Plummer as Prince Charming in Cinderella (Cendrillon) – photo by Rhiannon Hopley | Ashlyn Tymms as Dorothée, Angela Hogan as Madame de la Haltière and Jennifer Black as Noémie in Cinderella (Cendrillon) – photo by Rhiannon Hopley | Ashlyn Tymms as Dorothée, Angela Hogan as Madame de la Haltière, Jennifer Black as Noémie, Emily Edmonds as Cinderella, Margaret Plummer as Prince Charming, Shane Lowrencev as The King, Richard Anderson as Pandolfe and Opera Australia Chorus in Cinderella (Cendrillon) – photo by Rhiannon Hopley
Review: Bill Stephens OAM