Cinderella
by Gioacchino Rossini
Fort Worth Opera

Bass Performance Hall, 26 April, 1, 9 May, 2009

Review by Dean Cassella

There is no doubt that Fort Worth Opera’s latest incarnation as a spring festival has come of age and warrants national attention by opera lovers,   and its current version of the Rossini’s classic is one of the finest productions I have had the pleasure of seeing. 

Guest conductor Scott Bergeson’s direction was light, delicate and lively from the opening bars of the overture, and sustained the viewers’ attention through a long (three hour) performance.

A real treat in this production is stage director David Gately’s delightful and often hilarious hijinx that match perfectly (in my opinion) with the spirit of the libretto. This includes a large number of carefully choreographed jokes, the most effective which is the old standby “slow motion” routine at the end of act one (used by FWO at the end of Act I of The Barber of Seville back in 2003). I have no idea where this device originated, but it always does the trick. Here, it is employed in the banquet scene, which includes the dreams of Cinderella’s stepsisters wherein the latter is carved up as part of the festivities.

In keeping with modern, Hollywood-influenced trends, the singers in this production have been carefully chosen to match the age and appearance expectations of current audiences. Although this can sometimes create compromises in vocal quality, this was a non-issue here, as all principals had outstanding voices. Prima donna Isabel Leonard, a petite darling of a thing, captivates with her voice from the first scene, and never lets go. On a few occasions her voice had trouble carrying over the orchestra. But generally she could more than carry her own.

Italian Michele Angelini was a perfect match for Leonard as lead tenor in the role of Prince Ramiro. His voice has that firm yet delicate quality that so well suits the “dreamy young man of marriageable age.” The pair’s voices blended perfectly from their first duet together in Act I.

Rod Nelman, in the buffo-bass role of Don Magnifico, the bumbling and cruel step-father, really came into his own in Act II. He did a brilliant job with the rapid-fire patter that is one of the hallmarks of opera buffa. Also worthy of note was the dashing, flamboyant singing of Andrew Garland as Dandini, the valet-turned-prince-for-a-day that helps to vet out prospective brides for his lord incognito. Brandi Icard and Alissa Anderson also sang well, and demonstrated genuine acting skill as the buffoonish, spoiled sisters who will stop at nothing to marry the prince. Finally, Derrick Parker as Alidoro, the prince’s tutor, was commendable both vocally and acting-wise.

The sets, borrowed from Kentucky Opera, and the costumes, borrowed from San Francisco Opera (and designed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, whose death over 20 years ago has had no effect on his career as a set and costume designer!), were quite beautiful, especially Cinderella’s black and silver ball gown.

For this production, I brought along a boy of 14 who has a modest interest in opera. He really appreciated the humorous and spirited stage direction, in particular the slow-motion dream sequence mentioned above, and Nelman’s boorishness as Don Magnifico.

All in all, signs point to a distinguished future for the Fort Worth Opera Festival. Kudos to Darren Woods and the whole company!

Next up: Dead Man Walking.