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Ithaca College Theatre and School of Music Will Stage Two French Operas
Ithaca College Theatre and the Ithaca College School of Music will celebrate
French 20th- century opera with productions of two musical dramas: Pauline Viardot’s
“Cendrillon” (Cinderella) and Maurice Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges” (The Child
and the Wild). Performances will be held at 8 p.m. on Feb. 17, 19, 21, 22, 25, and 27,
with a 2 p.m. matinee on Feb. 22. Conducted by Brian DeMaris and directed by David
Lefkowich, the performances will be held in the Hoerner Theater in Dillingham Center.
The production will be sung in French, accompanied by English supertitles.
Ticket prices range from $4.50 to $10 and can be purchased in person at the Ithaca
College box office in Dillingham Center or by calling the box office at (607) 274-3224.
Tickets may also be purchased by visiting the Ticket Center at the Clinton House or by
calling (607) 273-4497. In addition, tickets may be purchased by visiting
www.ithacaevents.com.
Viardot’s “Cendrillon” is a retelling of the familiar story of Cinderella, but this is
not your typical Disney fairytale. Written in 1904, “Cendrillon” was one of Viardot’s last
works. Composed as an intimate salon opera, the work was performed in the composer’s
own music parlor. The Ithaca College production will be presented in the salon opera
style in which Viardot created it.
“Stripping away the ‘grand opera’ aspects to the production, including costumes
and scenery and orchestra, has allowed the performers to discover the essence of the
piece and discover truth within a clichéd story without losing the integrity of the original
fairytale,” said director David Lefkowich. Producing “Cendrillon” gives Ithaca College
the rare opportunity to feature the work of a gifted female composer of opera.
Far from the salon opera of Viardot is Maurice Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les
Sortilèges.” Unlike other fairytales, this one is not about princes, or ponies, or faraway
lands. Instead, “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges” is a coming-of-age story in which a boy must
learn to deal with the consequences of his actions without the help of a fairy godmother.
“In contrast to ‘Cendrillon,’ ‘L’Enfant’ will be a full, grand opera production
where we have pushed the design of this show to new heights, in a multitude of ways,”
Lefkowich said. Collectively, the students will participate in over a hundred costume
changes, and selected performers will be flown through the air or perform on stilts.
Lefkowich acknowledged the pieces selected for this year’s opera are different
from one another, but added that the works are alike in that they are linked by the
common theme of challenging early 20-century French operas. “Both are initially
perceived as childish fairytales,’ he said, “though they both come with a much darker
underbelly.”
The cast of “L’Enfant et les Sortileges “includes Mallory Berlin ’09 as L’Enfant,
Hilary Bucell ’09 as Le Feu, Laura Intravia ’09 as La Princesse, Melanie Wade ’09 as La
Maman and La Tasse Chinoise, Carami Hilaire ’09 as La Bergère and L’Ecureuil, Omar
Najmi ’09 as Le Petit Viellard and La Rainette, John Stanton ’09 as La Théière, Garry
McLinn ’09 as L’Horloge and La Chat, Tom Lehman ‘10 as Le Fauteuil and L’Arbre,
and Sara Weaver ’10 as La Libellule.
“Cendrillon” will feature a cast including Kristen Gobetz ’09 as Marie
(Cendrillon), Tina Boosahda ’09 as La Fée, Erin Winker ’09 as Armelinde, Anne Byrne
’09 as Maguelonne, Daniel Bates ’11 as Le Comte Barigoule, Thom Furey ’09 as Le
Prince Charmant and Tom Lehman’10 as Le Baron de Pictordu.
The creative team includes conductor/musical director and assistant professor/music
director of opera and musical theater Brian DeMaris; scenic designer and assistant
professor Brian Prather; lighting designer and assistant professor and associate chair
Steve TenEyck; costume designer and associate professor Greg Robbins; technical
director and assistant professor Colin Stewart; and production stage manager Shayna
Petit ’09.
A nationally recognized professional theater training program, the Department of
Theatre Arts attracts students from across the United States. Through Ithaca College
Theatre and the production season, undergraduate students present all aspects of theater
in a professional model. Ithaca College Theatre has been a cultural resource for
Tompkins County and the region for more than 70 years.