Opera reimagines classic French tale

A classic Disney princess received an extravagant French makeover in IU Opera Theater’s “Cendrillon” this past weekend.

Though Jules Massenet’s 1899 opera is based on 17th-century author Charles Perrault’s version of Cinderella and not the animated film, the core story remained the same.

Hard-working, unappreciated Lucette, referred to affectionately as “Cendrillon” by her father, lives with her abrasive stepmother and stepsisters with nothing but housework to keep her occupied.

Her dream of attending the king’s ball comes true when her Fairy Godmother, or “La Fée,” appears.

She provides Cendrillon with a beautiful gown and a horse-drawn carriage.

At the palace, she meets Prince Charming, they fall in love and the rest is history.

The opera added some flair to the fairy tale.

Set pieces were intricately designed and frequently moving.

With every scene change or adjustment, new set pieces flew in and old ones flew out.

But the set pieces weren’t the only things flying. La Fée floated onstage suspended by cables.

She waved her wand and ushered in a whole children’s chorus of additional fairies and elves. They danced amidst a sea of fog so thick it spilled over the edge of the stage into the orchestra pit.

Stars displayed behind the actors placed them in what looked like the center of the universe.

The entirety of the opera was in French with English supertitles, but the supertitles were not needed to enjoy the more humorous scenes of the production.

Audience members roared with laughter as the daughters of nobility fought to stuff their oversized feet into Cendrillon’s glass slipper, much to the dismay of the palace guards.

Massenet called “Cendrillon” not merely an opera but “conte de fées – a fairy tale,” according to the program.

IU Opera Theater’s production certainly expounded upon the simple story in its technical aspects. However, there was no escaping the predictability of an age-old plot.

Despite this obstacle, freshman Stephanie McQueen said she loved “Cendrillon.”

“The set was amazing, really good effects, awesome lighting,” she said. “Everything was awesome.”

Senior Miles Johnson also enjoyed the production.

He is fluent in French and was able to understand some of the arias, one of the reasons he liked it, Johnson said.

“The comedic aspect they brought to it made it enjoyable for everyone,” he said. “It’s always fun to bring back some Disney.”