‘Cinderella’ an opera for all ages

Talk about a timeless tale. With origins dating back to ancient Greece, in which a slave girl marries the king of Egypt, “Cinderella” has been told and retold in about every way imaginable. And it continues to spark imaginations today, as a commoner charms a charming prince, trading her cinder-smudged rags for riches.

This time, it’s Daniel Kleinknecht, founder and music director for Cedar Rapids Opera, waving his magic wand over Jules Massenet’s 19th century French opera “Cendrillon.” The title translates to “Cinderella,” and the familiar fairy tale is springing to life in English at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids on Jan. 17 and 19, 2025.

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“This story is especially attractive for children,” Kleinknecht said in a mid-December Gazette interview with key players, via Zoom.

Just don’t let the words “opera” and “French” scare you. This one is family-friendly, and is pared down from four acts to two, spanning two hours and 45 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission nestled in between.

“Having a French story that they’re very familiar with, told in English, with English super titles, really does take down a lot of those barriers to entry, and that’s our goal,” noted Tad Ennen, the opera company’s general director.

Dennis Jesse stands by as costume manager Joni Sackett makes adjustments during a costume fitting on Jan. 2, 2025. Jesse will play the role of Pandolfe, Cinderella’s father, in the Cedar Rapids Opera’s presentation of “Cinderella” Jan. 17 and 19. The opera is a retelling of the classic fairy tale by Jules Massenet’s French opera “Cendrillon,” but will be sung in English. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

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Joni Sackett makes adjustments during a costume fitting on Jan. 2, 2025, for Cedar Rapids Opera’s presentation of “Cinderella.” (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

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Costume manager Joni Sackett (right) talks with Sophia Formella (left) during a Jan. 2, 2025, costume fitting in Cedar Rapids. Formella will sing the role of Noemie, one of the stepsisters, in the Cedar Rapids Opera’s presentation of “Cinderella” set for Jan. 17 and 19 at the Paramount Theatre. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

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“Young people are going to really know the story,” Kleinknecht said. “They’re going to be attracted by the characters. And I think the more young people we can get in the doors, the opera bug may bite. …

“Don’t underestimate children,” he added. “They’re brighter than we think they are. They can absorb more than we think they can. I’ve seen 2-, 3-year-old children being taken to the symphony, and they’re quiet. They’re absorbed. They’re engaged by the activity, by the dazzling, in this case, the ceiling of the Paramount, the sides of the Paramount.

“Just being in the beauty of the theater is thrilling,” Kleinknecht said. “And then to be able to put your attention with your eyes on what’s going on stage, and your ears with the orchestra and the singing, I would say this is a great thing for children.”

Adults who may be new to opera shouldn’t be reluctant, either, to try on Cinderella’s slipper.

“This is dazzling music,” Kleinknecht said. “ … It is one of the most beautiful scores that I’ve ever touched, and that surprises me, in a way. … There is sophisticated artistry going into this piece that will come out of the music — satisfying to people of any age, because it’s just very well-constructed music.”

Performers

Iowa City natives Abigail Rethwisch and Laura Krumm can’t wait to step into their roles.

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Rethwisch, a soprano now living in Cedar Rapids, portrays Cinderella, and Krumm, a mezzo soprano now based in San Francisco, plays the Prince. Both have performed with Cedar Rapids Opera before, and recently were in “Romeo and Juliet” together in Los Angeles.

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Both also have lots of family and friends coming to “Cinderella.” Rethwisch is especially happy for her young nieces and neighbor children to dress up, come and have a ball.

While it might seem like an odd choice for the Prince to be played by a woman, Krumm said that’s not unusual.

“I would say that the large majority of the roles that I do as an opera singer are where I’m playing young men, so it’s not something that I’m unfamiliar with,” she said. “A lot of repertoire, and very popular repertoire, is written for a mezzo soprano to play a young man.”

Intimacy isn’t an issue for the main characters, since they have small, private conversations with each other while the chorus swirls through the ball scene. The cast includes about 50 performers, with a mix of the opera company’s Young Artists and about 25 adult community voices, all performing with a large ensemble from Orchestra Iowa.

As usual, the Stepmother and Stepsisters provide the comic relief, and Cinderella’s father is part of this story, too, providing the glue and the low notes among the principals, Kleinknecht said.

“The father is still in the picture in this version, but you definitely get that over-the-top comedy from the Stepmother and the Sisters, which will all be Young Artists. I’m excited to see what they’ll do with it,” Rethwisch said.

The role of Cinderella also provides a vocal stretch for her.

“It definitely sits a bit lower in my range,” Rethwisch said. “I tend to be a pretty high soprano, so it’s been a great challenge to just really sit in that middle part of my voice. I think that it really brings out her humanity. She’s not singing up in the stratosphere all the time — she’s just living in the world of spoken text, in many ways. And I think it helps with the storytelling and with the honesty.”

Krumm has sung enough works by Massenet that she’s comfortable with the repertoire, so the challenge comes in stretching her interpretation.

“I think this really allows me to lean into my strengths, actually, which is long, lyrical, beautiful singing, and long line,” Krumm said. “This really fits my voice, like hand in glove, so I’m really looking forward to expressing that.”