Cinderella Is Met Opera's Jan. 1, 2022, Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Cinderella is Met Opera's Jan. 1, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as the fourth Saturday matinee opera broadcast in the 2021-2022 season.

Laurent Pelly, director of Massenet's Cendrillon at Met Opera, also designed the production's costumes: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook April 7, 2018

Massenet's Cinderella is Met Opera's Jan. 1, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, scheduled as the 2021-2022 season's fourth Saturday matinee opera broadcast.

Cinderella, Met Opera's newly abridged, English language version of Cendrillon by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912), receives eight performances in the 2021-2022 season. The opera's first four performances took place Friday, Dec. 17, at 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 19, at 3:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 22, at 11:00 a.m.; and Friday, Dec. 24, at 11:00 a.m. The opera's fifth through eighth, closing performances are scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 28, at 11:00 a.m.; Thursday, Dec. 30, at 11:00 a.m.; Saturday, Jan. 1, at 1:00 a.m.; and Monday, Jan. 3, at 7:00 p.m.

The Metropolitan Opera premiere of Cendrillon took place Thursday, April 12, 2018. Cendrillon was performed with the opera's original French libretto. Cendrillon received eight performances in the 2017-2018 season.

The production was directed by Laurent Pelly as his original Santa Fe Opera staging. The French opera and theatre director had made his Met Opera debut Monday, April 21, 2008, as director and costume designer, in the opera company's 89th performance of La Fille du Régiment by Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

In the 2021-2022 season, Pelly's Cendrillon production premieres as an abridged, English language version that continues Met Opera's tradition of creating family-friendly holiday presentations, such as The Magic Flute, the abridged, English language adaptation of Die Zauberflöte by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791). American librettist, translator and dramaturg Kelley Rourke is credited with Cinderella's English libretto.

Emmanuel Villaume is Cinderella's conductor. The French conductor had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2004, in the opera company’s 789th performance of Madama Butterfly by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Isabel Leonard appears in the title role of Cinderella, whose Fairy Godmother waves a charmed life for her, in the opera's first two and fourth through eighth, closing performances. The American operatic mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2007, as Stéphano in the opera company’s 312th performance of Roméo et Juliette by 19th-century French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Cinderella numbers as the first of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Isabel Leonard. She sings the Composer in the March 12 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Ariadne auf Naxos by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949).

Isabel Leonard shares the role with Julie Boulianne, who sings Cinderella in the third performance, Wednesday, Dec. 22. The French-Canadian mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, as goddess Diane (Diana) in the opera company's 14th performance of Iphigénie en Tauride by 18th-century German classical composer Christoph von Gluck (July 2, 1714-Nov. 15, 1787).

Emily D'Angelo originally was scheduled to sing the trouser role of Prince Charming in the opera's first two Dec. 17, 19) and fourth through eighth, closing performances (Dec. 24, 28, 30; Jan. 1, 3). The Canadian-Italian mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, as the Second Lady, in The Magic Flute, in the opera company's 443rd performance of Die Zauberflöte.

Emily D'Angelo shares the role with Samantha Hankey, who originally was scheduled to sing Prince Charming in the third performance, Wednesday, Dec. 22. The Canadian-Italian mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, as Pantalis in the opera company's 68th performance of Mefistofele by Italian composer and librettist Arrigo Boito (Feb. 24, 1842-June 10, 1918).

The Metropolitan Opera announced, via Twitter Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, that Samantha Hankey would sing Prince Charming also in the fourth through sixth performances (Dec. 24, 28, 30).

Jessica Pratt sings the Fairy Godmother in the opera's first two and fourth through eighth, closing performances. The English-born Australian operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, as the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, in the opera company's 426th performance of Die Zauberflöte.

Jessica Pratt shares the role with Brandie Sutton, who sings the Fairy Godmother in the third performance, Wednesday, Dec. 22. The American lyric soprano had made her Met Opera debut Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, as Clara in the opera company's 69th performance of Porgy and Bess by American composer and pianist George Gershwin (Sept. 26, 1898-July 11, 1937).

Stephanie Blythe sings Madame de la Haltière, Cinderella's stepmother. She reprises the role that she created in Cendrillon's Metropolitan Opera premiere in the 2017-2018 season. The American mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, April 14, 1995, as the Voice in the opera company’s 273rd performance of Parsifal by 19th-century German composer and librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Stephanie Blythe originally was scheduled for all eight performances as Cinderella's stepmother. The Metropolitan Opera, however, announced via Twitter Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, that Eve Gigliotti would sing Madame de la Haltière in the evening's performance. The American mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, April 28, 2010, as Mercédès in the opera company's 958th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Laurent Naouri sings Pandolfe, Cinderella's father. He reprises the role that he created in Cendrillon's Metropolitan Opera premiere in the 2017-2018 season. The French bass-baritone had made his MetOpera debut Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, as Sharpless in the opera company’s 838th performance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

Director Laurent Pelly amplified his creative influence on his Cinderella/Cendrillon production by designing the opera's costumes. His production team comprises Barbara de Limburg, set designer; Duane Schuler, lighting designer; and Laura Scozzi, choreographer. Belgian set designer Barbara de Limburg made her Met Opera debut in Cendrillon's Metropolitan Opera premiere Thursday, April 12, 2018. American theatrical lighting designer Duane Schuler had made his Met Opera debut Monday, March 21, 1994, in the opera company's 268th performance of Otello by 19th-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). France-based, Italian choreographer Laura Scozzi had made her Met Opera debut Monday, April 21, 2008, alongside Laurent Pelly, in his new production of Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment.

The takeaways for Cinderella as Met Opera's Jan. 1, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast are that Massenet's fairy tale opera airs as the fourth Saturday matinee opera broadcast in the 2021-2022 season; that Cinderella's premiere in the 2021-2022 season continues Met Opera's tradition of creating abridged, English-language, family-friendly operatic adaptations as holiday presentations; that Kelley Rourke's English libretto translates the original French libretto from the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Massenet's Cendrillon in the 2017-2018 season; that Stephanie Blythe and Laurent Naouri reprise the roles, as Cinderella's stepmother and father, respectively, that they had created in Cendrillon's Metropolitan Opera premiere; and that Cinderella numbers as the first of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Isabel Leonard.

detail of costume designed by French opera and theatre designer Laurent Pelly for his production of Massenet's Cendrillon at Met Opera: Maestro Arts @MaestroArts, via Facebook April 10, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Laurent Pelly, director of Massenet's Cendrillon at Met Opera, also designed the production's costumes: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook April 7, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10160390108810533/

detail of costume designed by French opera and theatre designer Laurent Pelly for his production of Massenet's Cendrillon at Met Opera: Maestro Arts @MaestroArts, via Facebook April 10, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MaestroArts/posts/1650894778329481/

For further information:

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"Debut: Samantha Hankey." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357046 Mefistofele {68} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/08/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357046

"Debuts: Brandie Sutton, Christian Mark Gibbs." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357407 Porgy and Bess {69} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/04/2020.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357407

"Debuts: David Leigh, Petr Nekoranec, Lianne Coble-Dispensa, Sara Heaton, Christina Thomson Anderson, Rosalie Sullivan, Barbara de Limburg." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356946 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Cendrillon {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/12/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356946

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“Debuts: Jessica Pratt, Sarah Mesko, Misha Grossman, Dylan Hansen Hamme.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356569 Die Zauberflöte {426} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/20/2016.
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"Debuts: Laurent Pelly, Chantal Thomas, Joël Adam, Laura Scozzi, Agathe Mélinand, Donald Maxwell, Marian Seldes, Jack Wetherall." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352500 New Production La Fille du Régiment {89} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/21/2008.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352500

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Maestro Arts @MaestroArts. "Added a new photo." Facebook. April 10, 2018.
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The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Beautiful and good-natured, Cendrillon (Cinderella) must labor as a servant in the household of her demanding stepmother, Madame de la Haltière. Massenet's take on the timeless fairy tale comes to the Met stage for the first time April 12 starring Joyce DiDonato in the title role. Tickets: bit.ly/2pXiMwK Costume designs by Laurent Pelly." Facebook. April 7, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/cruel-and-vain-madame-de/10160390108640533

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Beautiful and good-natured, Cendrillon (Cinderella) must labor as a servant in the household of her demanding stepmother, Madame de la Haltière. Massenet's take on the timeless fairy tale comes to the Met stage for the first time April 12 starring Joyce DiDonato in the title role. Tickets: bit.ly/2pXiMwK Costume designs by Laurent Pelly." Facebook. April 7, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/cruel-and-vain-madame-de/10160390108600533

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Cendrillon's magical protector, the fairy godmother, sung by Kathleen Kim, watches over her goddaughter and Prince Charming, helping them achieve their own happy ending. Massenet's take on the timeless fairy tale comes to the Met stage for the first time April 12 starring Joyce DiDonato in the title role. Tickets: bit.ly/2pXiMwK Costume sketches by Laurent Pelly." Facebook. April 7, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/cruel-and-vain-madame-de/10160390108835533

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Cruel and vain, Madame de la Haltière, sung by Stephanie Blythe, spoils her own daughters while forcing Cendrillon to live as a servant. Massenet's take on the timeless fairy tale comes to the Met stage for the first time April 12 starring Joyce DiDonato in the title role. Tickets: bit.ly/2pXiMwK Costume sketches by Laurent Pelly." Facebook. April 7, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10160390108810533/

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "For this evening’s performance of Massenet’s Cinderella, the role of Madame de la Haltière will be sung by Eve Gigliotti, replacing Stephanie Blythe. #CastChange." Twitter. Dec. 30, 2021.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1476623212876558336

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "For the upcoming performances of Massenet’s Cinderella December 24–30, the role of Prince Charming will be sung by Samantha Hankey, replacing Emily D’Angelo. #CastChange." Twitter. Dec. 23, 2021.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1474059575812927490

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Prince Charming, sung by Alice Coote, falls in love with Cendrillon at first sight and desperately tries to discover her true identity. Massenet's take on the timeless fairy tale comes to the Met stage for the first time April 12 starring Joyce DiDonato in the title role. Tickets: bit.ly/2pXiMwK Costume sketches by Laurent Pelly.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/cruel-and-vain-madame-de/10160390108625533

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