Lyric Opera 2018-2019 Issue 6 Il Travatore

Godmother’s is shimmering. Massenet justifies the latter’s added prominence in the tale by giving her utterly bewitching music, requiring real quicksilver in the voice and stupendous technique. A fairytale come to life with matchless elegance, wit, and sheer imagination, Cendrillon is simply a joy. We can expect the long-awaited Lyric premiere to be one of the great highlights of Chicago operagoing this season. Roger Pines , dramaturg of Lyric Opera of Chicago, has appeared annually on the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts’ “Opera Quiz” for the past 12 years and also contributes regularly to opera-related publications and recording companies internationally. He taught a seminar, “ e Glory of Great Singing,” last spring at Chicago’s renowned Newberry Library. Modern Match – Cendrillon What makes Cinderella’s tale a captivating story for so many? Is it the magic and glamour of fairy godmothers and pumpkin carriages? Is it the rags-to-riches premise that everyone secretly wishes they could live themselves? Indeed the most admirable trait of Cinderella – a. k. a. Cendrillon in Massenet’s opera – is her maintenance of her values even as she finds fantastical new worlds. Celebrities who remain true to their humble beginnings are called Cinderella stories. ese days, the public is witnessing the rise of Chicago’s own “Cinderfella,” Chance the Rapper. Before he was a Lollapalooza headliner, Chance grew up in a middle-class home on Chicago’s South Side. His Grammy-winning album, Coloring Book , conveys his experiences using Chicago-based artists. In his own words, the album explores the themes of “God, love, Chicago, and dance.” Cendrillon’s values were also formed during her upbringing. ough her father is loving and supportive, Cendrillon endured an often-hostile environment in her stepmother’s home. rough it all, she found kindness, love, and hope within herself, values that serve her throughout the story. But where would Cendrillon be without her fairy godmother? Despite her strength of character, Cendrillon does not rise to the top on her own – she benefits from divine intervention. Chance received a little divine intervention of his own from self-proclaimed god Kanye West. West, who also hails from Chicago, was already a successful hip-hop artist and producer by the time he met up-and-comer Chance. Recognizing his talent, West invited Chance to collaborate on his new album, e Life of Pablo , introducing Chance to a wider audience. Just like the moment Cendrillon walks into the prince’s ball, Chance had arrived wearing a snapback cap in place of glass slippers. Cendrillon’s moment in the spotlight is brief: at midnight, she rushes home. She doesn’t let her whirlwind experience at the ball compromise her central values of love and kindness. She sees that her father struggles, finding his daughter’s treatment at the hands of his new wife very painful. Not wanting to see her father in pain, Cendrillon feels compelled to act by going out on her own rather than cause more grief. Seeing the struggles of his hometown, Chance feels that same compulsion. On his track “Angels,” he discusses Chicago’s rate of gun deaths, saying “It’s too many young angels on the southside / Got us scared to let our grandmommas outside.” Chance uses his platform and understanding of Chicago to promote campaigns against gun violence, many of which have had a measurable impact on the community. Chance has also made major financial contributions – for example, donating $1,000,000 to Chicago Public Schools in 2017. Cinderella stories have captivated audiences for centuries; everyone can see themselves in the character. Cendrillon and Chance the Rapper remind audiences of the ability of everyday people to overcome enormous odds, achieve success with a little help from friends, and still retain the values that they found in their humble beginnings. ey are role models for communities and for audiences.  Meg Huskin e writer, an intern in Lyric’s marketing and communications department in spring 2018, is currently the relationship marketing associate at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Isabel Leonard as Rossini's Cinderella (Lyric, 2015/16); and a modern-day Cinderfella," Chance the Rapper. December 1, 2018 - January 20, 2019 | 33 Cendrillon (Joyce DiDonato) goes to the ball in Laurent Pelly’s production at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Cendrillon (Rinat Shaham) and her family, pictured in Laurent Pelly’s production at the éâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. JOHAN JABOBS/LA MONNAIE DE MUNT TODD ROSENBERG