“Cinderella” photography by Andrew Schwartz for Lyric Opera of Kansas City
The Lyric Opera’s season opener, a brand new production of Rossini’s “Cinderella” (“La Cenerentola”), is a triumph of artistry, storytelling and rollicking fun.
Steven C. Kemp’s stunning floral set and Driscoll Otto’s color-drenched lighting set the stage for a special evening. Under Michael Shell’s agile direction, the talented cast delivers. Their sparkling singing and vivid performances bring this “Cinderella” to life, giving this bonbon of an opera the confectionary treatment it’s been waiting for.
From the first petulant flounce and graceless pirouette of stepsisters Clorinda (MiKayla Lynn Hatfield) and Tisbe (Christina Grohowski), the audience is launched into giddy delight. Hatfield and Grohowski meld seamlessly in “No no non ve.” Though the joke’s on them as they boast “our charm and beauty are irresistible,” the charm and beauty of this “Cinderella” are irresistible.
As Angelina, Siphokazi Molteno impresses with the warmth of her mezzo-soprano and genuineness of her characterization. Her Cinderella is no pushover, but a real thinking, feeling woman. As her counterpart, Jack Swanson’s ringing tenor and attentive manner make him a Prince Ramiro to believe in. Their moral seriousness and emotional connection ground the story. But this is a comedy, and the crowd-pleasers are the comic roles, the sillier the better.
As Cinderella’s fatuously self-important stepfather Don Magnifico, Matthew Burns knows how to work a tasseled sleep cap and booming bass. Burns has a gleeful, barn-storming romp on “Miei rampolli femminini.”
Ian Rucker also goes for broke, as Prince Ramiro’s flamboyant valet Dandini, who gets the chance to pose as the prince and finds that he likes the role quite well indeed. Rucker’s robust baritone is enlivened by unrestrained comic commitment. He knows how to strike a pose and brings down the house with “Come un’ape ne’ giorni d’aprile.” Call him “Prance Charming.”
Like a grand ball, “Cinderella” is composed of ensemble numbers, and the cast melded gorgeously while nimbly intertwining overlapping lines, athletic ornamentations and Hamilton-speed patter, especially on the dizzyingly entertaining “Questo è un nodo avviluppato.”
The all-male chorus of bewigged, cream-suited retainers come in hot as a pile of fresh-baked pastries and steal every scene they’re in. They also provide excellent backing to Swanson’s masterful “Sì, ritrovarla io giuro.”
David Zimmerman’s cream puff pompadours atop Dandini and the baker’s dozen men-in-waiting practically deserve their own choreography. And the stepsisters’ gravity-defying, flower-bedecked cotton candy Marie Antoinette bouffants are works of wonder.
Michael Shell’s inventive direction is evident at every turn, a fairytale formula of precise staging and lighthearted touch. The personable cast responds with energy, enthusiasm and inspired performances. Rossini pushes his diaphragm-challenging rococo vocal flourishes to the point of ridiculousness, and these singers toss them off as the lark they are. In other words, they have a blast. And we do too.
As Deborah Sandler Kemper, General Director and CEO of the Lyric Opera, notes in her opening remarks, this is the rare opera that ends not in tragedy but in “Happily ever after.” Director Michael Shell, the spirited cast, and phenomenal creative team throw the ball of the season. This “Cinderella” is the happy story we all need right now.
Reviewed Friday, October 3, 2025
Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Cinderella
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 7:30PM
Friday, October 3, 2025, 7:30PM
Sunday, October 5, 2025, 2:00PM
