If you missed it in June, you’ve got a second chance. The Met is streaming Jules Massenet’s “Cendrillon” for 24 hours, beginning this evening at 6:00 EDT.
While I concede that Massenet may not be at the top of every opera-lover’s wish list, this production is a gem, and not to be missed.
Massenet’s Cinderella springs from the page, with literal writing on the wall and a team-and-carriage rendered in typeset. Also, a playfully-imagined gallery of fairy tale grotesques in the supporting cast. There is a charm to Laurent Pelly’s staging that I find particularly refreshing, in an era when the thinking seems to be that everything has to trend toward the dark.
If you’re a fan of classic children’s book illustrations, don’t miss this one. With Joyce DiDonato in the title role – and Stephanie Blythe as the wicked stepmother – it’s difficult to resist.
To learn more, visit metopera.org.

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