Meet the cast of La Cenerentola (Cinderella)
Now rehearsals have started for Royal Northern Sinfonia and Nevill Holt Opera‘s new production of La Cenerentola (Cinderella) this summer, we caught up with the cast to ask them a few questions about the show and their musical inspirations…
Grace Durham - Angelina
Tell us a bit about your character
I’ll be playing Angelina, which is the name Rossini gave to his Cinderella. This Cinderella is a wonderful, human character. She’s kind, generous and sensitive, but she’s also down-to-earth, lovably awkward and witty – there’s a lot more to her than one might expect! I can’t wait to sing Rossini’s brilliant music, which just fizzes with joy and excitement.
What led you to becoming a singer?
I had wonderful teachers at school who encouraged my love of singing, went on to do a degree in languages which was my other great love (and very useful for working in opera!), and gradually decided that I wanted to combine the two and train as an opera singer.
What’s your all-time favourite piece of music?
Don’t make me choose, that’s an impossible question! My “favourite” pieces tend to be music that I not only love, but have had great experiences working on – Ravel’s sumptuous orchestral song-cycle Shéhérazade comes to mind, or Handel’s opera Ariodante, and now of course La Cenerentola… I fall in love with almost everything I enjoy working on.
What would you say to someone who’s looking to try opera?
This really is the perfect first opera! For a start, everyone knows the story (though beware, Rossini’s version comes with a few twists along the way…). And this production will be joyous, with colourful sets and costumes, brilliantly camp choreography, singing that sounds (and feels!) like a high-wire act, and tunes that you’ll be humming for weeks afterwards.
Trevor Eliot Bowes - Alidoro
Tell us a bit about your character
Alidoro (or in English, Golden Wings) is an enlightened philosopher and a member of the royal household. In Disney terms, he is the fairy godmother. He serves the Prince as a sort of matchmaker and, when he meets Cenerentola, sees that she is the right person to marry the Prince. He is a benevolent puppetmaster who uses his position to promote kindness.
What led you to become a singer?
I was always fascinated by music, ever since being captivated by Peter and the Wolf as a child. That took me on a vivid rollercoaster of emotions and led me to play the flute. I joined a choir at the age of 8 and when my voice changed I met an extraordinary teacher who helped me fall in love with the complexity of singing and encouraged me to work hard. When I realised that text, mood, acting and movement add extra dimensions to music, there was no turning back!
What’s your all-time favourite piece of music?
I can’t choose! The Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde, Mahler’s Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen, The Death of Boris Goundunov and “Move On” from Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George all come close.
What would you say to someone who’s looking to try opera?
Opera brings you to emotional heights that are impossible to describe. The synthesis of music, drama and in this case, comedy will have you grinning from ear to ear. At the end of Cenerentola, I feel so proud of her that I just want to cry tears of joy and shout out, “you go, girl!!” If you’ve never been to the opera, make this your first. It will make you feel the world is a better place!
Aaron Godfrey-Mayes - Prince Ramiro
Tell us a bit about your character
In Rossini’s version of La Cenerentola Prince Ramiro is being forced to choose a wife or he will lose his inheritance and throne. A true romantic, he hates the idea of being married purely for status and therefore disguises himself as a servant so that he can better discover the motives of his potential wives. I think this shows that Ramiro has true intentions and like anyone, wants to find real love. Throughout the show Ramiro is very open with his emotions, sometimes even to a fault when Don Magnifico, Clorinda and Tisbe are unkind to Cenerentola. Thankfully, Cenerentola always sees the best in people and stops him from doing something rash.
What led you to become a singer?
My passion for music began at a very early age in musical theatre and classical crossover. In particular, I loved listening to Andrea Bocelli and Il Divo and musicals such as Les Miserable and Phantom of the Opera. Although I always enjoyed listening to opera, it was not until I joined the Junior Royal Academy of Music as a teenager that I fell in love with opera as an art form and decided that I wanted to pursue a career in opera and not musical theatre. From then on there really was no going back!
What’s your all-time favourite piece of music?
This is an extremely hard question, but if I have to choose then I would pick Di rigori armato il seno from Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. In particular, I never get tired of listening to Luciano Pavarotti’s recording of this aria. Also, my favourite piece of non classical music has to be Vincent by Don McLean.
What would you say to someone who’s looking to try opera?
La Cenerentola is the perfect first opera because it is a story that we all know and love. This combined with Nevill Holt Opera’s colourful and exciting production you are guaranteed to laugh and experience some of the best operatic music ever written.
Don’t miss La Cenerentola (Cinderella) at Nevill Holt Opera from Thursday 22 June and at Sage Gateshead on Sunday 2 July. Get your tickets here.