There are approximately 3,000 different versions of the Cinderella story from many cultures worldwide, dating back over 2,000 years with roots in ancient Greece and China. In fact, it follows one of the seven major basic story arcs: “rags to riches.” In this archetype, described in a book by Christopher Booker, the protagonist is poor, in that they lack wealth, beauty, love, or power. They find what they seek, lose it, and then gain it back again. In the case of the Cinderella story, the society within which the story is set is defined by a social stratification that [...]

The halls of BLO’s rehearsal space have been filled with music and laughter since our cast and creative team arrived, and we can’t wait to share La Cenerentola with you! Rossini’s sparkling music requires immaculate comic timing and vocal fireworks from the entire cast, and our singers are up to the challenge. A true ensemble cast, this team of internationally acclaimed artists will wow you with their voices, make you laugh, and warm your heart. Let’s meet them! Cecelia Hall as Angelina (Cinderella) Cecelia Hall sings leading roles as a member of Oper Frankfurt's prestigious ensemble and appears regularly [...]

The cast and creative team of La Cenerentola are hard at work, and our rehearsal halls are filled with laughter, high notes, and sparkling coloratura. There’s nothing not to like about spending a month with the music of one of opera’s greatest stars: Gioachino Rossini.  Rossini is most known for his operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. Though he retired from large-scale composition while still in his thirties - at the height of his popularity - his work set many standards for both comic and serious opera. Opera fans know [...]

We’re still riding high on the success of our Butterfly, but there’s no rest for the weary in opera! We’re already hard at work on our next production: Rossini’s charming take on Cinderella, La Cenerentola.  The story of Cinderella has inspired writers, poets, artists, playwrights, and composers for thousands of years. The story of Rhodopis, recounted by the Greek geographer Strabo sometime between 7 BC and AD 23, about an enslaved Greek woman who marries the king of Egypt, is usually considered to be the earliest known version of the Cinderella story. The Chinese fairy tale Ye Xian, in which the main character [...]