I blame William Wegman’s dogs!
Chaltin has no interest in seeing this opera with me. Her only reason is that the Weimaraners really turned her off. The Met has a giant dog dressed like Cinderella hanging on its facade and inside the gallery is also full of his dogs dressed up like other characters from Cinderella. “The dogs aren’t actually singing,” I implore, but she remains unmoved. I never got the full story but something about that banner really, really put her off seeing Cendrillon with me.
Is kitsch a crime?*
I wish she came. The singing turns out glorious, and the production is so much fun! It literally brought the story we all know to life with copious amounts of humor and costume.
The costumes remind me of balloon animals and reinforce the ridiculous behavior of the characters. Joyce DiDonato as Cinderella and Kathleen Kim as the godmother balance it with so much heart and sincerity. As a bonus, this is my first time hearing Stephanie Blythe who plays the step mother Madame De La Haltiere. I love her voice and comedic timing so much. After tonight every time I see her name on the playbill my voice goes up an octave in delight. “Ooooh! Stephanie Blythe is playing!”
So what is Cendrillon all about? It begins with Cendrillon’s father Pandolfe. He has married Madame de la Haltiere who has two daughters Noemie and Dorathee. It might be too strong to call his new family ‘evil,’ but they are definitely, bossy, spoiled, and selfish. When they hear that Prince Charming is looking for a wife they plot to win his hand in marriage, but do not include their kind and subjugated step-sister Lucette (Cinderella). Who will win the Prince’s hand I wonder???
Notes: There is magic on the stage when the fairy godmother visits Lucette.
Like the father and daughter from Luisa Miller the two talk about leaving and going back to the country. It is a trope in stories and real life of going back to the safe and familiar. Civil war soldiers even carried letters asking to be brought back home in case the worse happened.
The set was a giant book with text on the walls and literally brought the story to life.
Costumes were ridiculously fun like inspired by balloon animal shapes and the chorus really hammed it up and got into the characters.
Joyce Di Donato brings so much genuineness to her character
Stephanie Blythe is marvelous (She is consistently marvelous)!
*William Wegman’s dogs? I don’t have any problem with Wegman’s art, but I do in this venue. Opera is so entrenched in its tradition, that theaters should be finding ways to engage the public in a conversation that bridges the past and present. To push boundaries a little. This felt way too safe and the Met does this often with its art pairings, missing an opportunity, in my opinion, to broaden the conversation of operas continuing relevance to the express the human condition. The MET is a bastion of tradition that I believe is a necessary service to society, these operas should continue to be seen forever. But to bring in newer and younger audiences I’d like to see contemporary bridges with a little risk of offending the older crowds sensibilities.
The facade of the Met is beautiful like a modern cathedral. I don’t know why they’re working so hard to cover it up. They have moved on from this single banner to now adding a gaudy ostentatious golden bust (by George Condo, who I love) at the entrance flanked by two banners that consequently block the Marc Chagall murals. I also question the Met’s very transparent in-crowd of artists they choose from. It makes for a small and boring conversation.
I’m an old man shouting at clouds here for sure but I love the building on it’s own and if your going cover it up at least make it meaningful. Maybe I’m just sad that turning the Met into coffee table book led to me sitting alone for Cendrillon.
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Notes on the Production:
Composer……………………….…. Jules Massenet
Lucette……………………………….. Joyce DiDonato
Pandolfe…………………………….. Laurent Naouri
Madame De La Haltier………. Stephanie Blythe
Noemie………………………….….. Ying Fang
Maya Lahyani…………………… Dorothee
The Fairy Godmother……….. Kathleen Kim
Prince Charming…………..….. Alice Coote
The King…………………………… Bradley Garvin
Conductor…………………..……. Bertrand de Billy
The Metropolitan Opera
5/3/18