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K-State Today

November 10, 2022

K-State Music and Theatre announce 'Cinderella' the opera auditions

Submitted by Jerry Jay Cranford

K-State Music and Theatre will host auditions for "Cendrillon (Cinderella)" by Pauline Viardot, English translation by Rachel M. Harris and orchestrations by Charles Effler, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, in 105 McCain Auditorium. 

Please prepare 32 bars of a song of your choice or a full piece knowing you could be stopped. An accompanist will be provided. This production will be directed by Jerry Jay Cranford, with music direction by Reginald Pittman, and will be sung in English with an eight-piece ensemble accompanying.

In keeping with our season theme of featuring female playwrights and composers, "Cendrillon" deals with the Cinderella story in a simple and light-hearted manner with three brief acts adding up to about 76 minutes of music. In this version, she lives with her foolish stepfather the Baron de Pictordu and two vain, self-absorbed stepsisters, Maguelone and Armelinde. The story begins with Cendrillon reading a book about a prince seeking a princess as she comments on the preposterousness of such an event. Unlike darker versions of the tale, Viardot stays relatively true to Perrault's original fairy tale, creating a Cendrillon who is strong and confident. The cast features seven principals and an opera chorus performing as the various attendants and party guests. 

Rehearsals begin on Jan. 17, 2023, with performances in Chapman Theatre from March 2-5, 2023. For further information on character breakdowns, check the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance blog at kstatemtd.com