Opera Company of Philadelphia - Cinderella!!

Bravo, brava, bravissimo!

Every year Phyllis and I go to a nice opera with a couple friends. They have a box right next to the stage. It's so close I could literally leap to the stage from my seat. Friday night it was Opera Company of Philadelphia's - Cinderella at the Academy of Music.

It was a lot of fun. Rossini's score does not have the melodious, tear-jerking kind of arias that you end up humming for days. But everything about this show was just fun. The set was Andy Warhol/Roy Licktenstein pop-art. The family pet was a vacuum cleaner operated via remote control from off-stage. The Fairy Godmother (Alidoro) is sung by a bass-baritone man (beautifully sung by Richard Bernstein). The carriage is a motorcycle with a sidecar. And Cinderella's gown for the ball is a sparkling gold, pantsuit looking like something a starlet would wear to the Canne film-festival.

I loved the 60s-retro choreography; the campy step-sisters (huge roles here); and all of the singing.

If this show has a highlight it was the wonderful Kevin Glavin (Bass) as Cinderella's step-father. But all the roles were well sung.

I know that from my description it sounds a bit silly for the investment of time and money that an opera takes - but it was worth it.