Organization

Pärnu International Opera Music Festival

Conductor

Erki Pehk

Stage director

Jüri Nael

Choreographer

Set designer

Madis Nurms

Costume designer

Lighting designer

Anton Kulagin

Singer

Soprano

Zuzanna Nalewajek

Cinderella

Mezzo-soprano

Jomante Šležaite

Madame de la Haltiere

Abi Levis

Prince Charming

Eszter Zemlényi

The Fairy

Bass-baritone

Laimonas Pautienius

Pandolfe

Gabrielė Bukinė

Noemie

Ieva Goleckytė

Dorothee

Baritone

Vladimiras Prudnikovas

The King

Chorus master

Rasa Vaitkevičiūtė

Video designer

Liudas Svirskas

Repetiteur

Dainius Bervingis

Spoken

Olivier van den Hende

The herald

Kaunas State Musical Theatre

Orchestra

Others

Choir of the Kaunas State Musical Theatre

French

Cendrillon -  (Cinderella)

Pärnu

Estonia

Endla Theatre

Kaunas

Lithuania

Cendrillon Massenet

Public

Private

English

Estonian

Approved

Visiting Kaunas State Musical Theatre to transfer the designs of upcoming production of "Cendrillon" (Cinderella).  "Cendrillon" is an opera described as a "fairy tale in music" by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Caïn based on Perrault's 1698 version of the Cinderella fairy tale.

Massenet's "Cendrillon" underway. Video by Olya Dmitrijeva

Jüri Nael has extensive experience in the musical theater genre, both as a choreographer and as a director. His imagination and material sensibility are the qualities why Nael has been invited to direct this project. Jüri Nael: “Our stage version is about the virtual world and how developing technology allows us to escape into parallel realities, where everyone can create the desired version of themselves and be either Cinderella, the Prince, a supermodel, or a guest of the president on the red carpet. Of course, we do all this in a (spectacular) playful way, letting Massenet’s fantastic music sound in all its beauty and enchantment.”

Director Nael’s stage version is enhanced by the scenography of set and costume designer, Madis Nurms. In addition to the “Cinderella” fairy tale, the design of “Cendrillon” is inspired by iconic internet memes, fashion industry products, and fine crime comedies of the 60s and 70s. The stage design consists of multifunctional crystals that change the stage space by constantly moving.

Jules Massenet was the most popular French composer of the end of the 19th century, a real man of the people, who liked to offer the audience what the Paris audience in 1899, standing on the threshold of the developments and discoveries of the new century, wanted – something familiar and soothing. This is exactly what Massenet offered them in the charming musical entertainment of “Cendrillon”. “Cendrillon” is not an ordinary opera, where all the emphasis is mainly on music, but as the composer himself calls it, it is an Opéra féerie – a musical fairy tale that also combines song and dance into a visually striking whole.

Those who have been familiar with PromFest activities before know that what makes PromFest productions special are the young singers who participate in the Klaudia Taev Competition. Last year’s winner of the Competition, Polish mezzo-soprano Zuzanna Nalewajek, should be thanked for the fact that a special French opera will be staged in Estonia for the first time – this opera is her choice. According to the regulations of the Klaudia Taevi Competition, the winner can choose the opera production of the next festival and her/his role in it. Musical director Erki Pehk: “And if there’s something to be really pleased about, or even proud of, it’s the fact that all the main parts are sung by previous laureates, and for a long time the Estonian singer, the incomparable Kadi Jürgens, is also among them.” It’s also kind of unique that Massenet wrote “Cinderella” for four mezzo-sopranos and there isn’t actually a single tenor on the stage!
Musical theater lovers have something to discover!

Cinderella by Massenet, From (2023/2023), Directed by Jüri Nael,, Conductor Erki Pehk, Kaunas State Musical Theatre, Kaunas, Lithuania

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Co-Producer

Program, About & Synopsis

Videos

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues