Does mom like opera? There’s a way to take her to New York’s Metropolitan Opera on Saturday and still sneak in a few hours at the fishing opener.
On Saturday, the Met concludes its “HD Live” season of simulcast operas with Rossini’s “La Cenerentola,” that Italian version of the Cinderella story. Simulcasts from New York will be shown on big screens in eight metro movie theaters, one in Mankato and one in Duluth. For locations, go here. (PDF)
“La Cenerentola” is one of Rossini’s most charming operas, though it depends heavily on a rare voice — namely, a coloratura contralto, or at least a mezzo. In her prime, the great Frederica von Stade was a notable interpreter. The Met’s version, which also concludes its 2008-09 season, features Latvian mezzo Elina Garanca, and she’s terrific. To watch her perform a concert excerpt from the opera, go here.
If you’ve never seen Rossini’s version, be prepared. There’s a fairy godfather instead of a fairy godmother, for instance, and Prince Charming (American tenor Lawrence Browlee) disguises himself as a servant. And the glass slipper? Sorry, substitute a bracelet.
Saturday’s performance starts at 11:30 a.m. local time and runs three hours, with one intermission. Tickets need to be purchased from the Met’s online box office. And if you can’t watch it live on Saturday, “Cenerentola” will be repeated at the same theaters on Wednesday, May 20, at 7 p.m.
