The captivating fairy tale of a young poor girl who becomes a princess is slightly changed in this performance - Cinderella lives with her adopted father and his daughters. The kind fairy who is responsible for all the wonderous transformations and who entire generations of children know and love is gone. Instead of her, Alidoro: prince Ramiro’s advisor, propels the story forward. The story unfolds on the edge between being serious and funny: at times, openly so, and at other times, half-hidden or just through a slight nod to the audience. Vera Petrova’s masterful directorship makes the audience smile and lifts the mood even in those places where we’re supposed to feel slightly sad, according to the libretto. “I very much enjoy this take on Cinderella where the character is active, cheerful and full of joy”, Petrova claims. The audience will have the opportunity to hear Maria Radoeva perform as Angelina (Cinderella).
Maria Radoeva has won prizes in many Bulgarian music contests (“Svetoslav Obretenov”, “Georgi Zlatev-Tcherkin”, “Lyubomir Pipkov” etc.). She has also won a special award from the chamber music contest in Marl, Germany. In 2011, she was chosen among more than six hundred other candidates to participate in the prestigious singing contest (“Cardiff Singer of the World”). She debuted at the Sofia Opera in 2010 as Musetta in “La bohème” by Pouccini. She debuted in Italy with the same role in 2012: at Teatro Communale in Modena.
Because of her big vocal range and her varied musical interests, she was chosen to perform a soprano part in Gustav Maler’s Second symphony with the French national orchestra of Loire (“Orchestre National de Pays de la Loire”) under the directorship of Isaac Karabchevski. She enjoyed success with performing Requiem by Verdi with the King’s philharmonic at the Royal Festival Hall in London. In 2013, the first compact disc which included her performances was released: („Petite Messe Solennelle“) by Rossini.
In 2021, Maria debuted as Elena in the opera “Lady of the Lake” by Rossini. The piece was performed for the first time in Bulgaria, at the Sofia Opera and Ballet with acad. Plamen Kartaloff helming the production.
Maria Radoeva
Boryana Angelova’s scenography for “Cinderella” is unusual but harmonizes completely with the director’s take on the piece. Huge colorful eggs make for performing spaces for the actors as well as rooms, a chariot and a flower garden. The bright and fresh feel brought by these original decors is enhanced by Hristiyana Mihaleva-Zorbalieva’s costumes, purposefully designed on the edge between being beautiful and kitschy.
Even though everyone knows Cinderella’s story concludes with a happy ending, there is more to it than that. Rossini has borrowed the happier ending from Charles Perrault‘s work where Cinderella nobly defends her evil and envious sisters. Intertwining the themes of love and forgiveness, humbleness and dreams which come true, makes this production of the Sofia Opera and Ballet so intriguing and liked. Many months of hard work by the entire ensemble remain hidden behind the curtains: all the doubts and toils for finding the correct decisions on how to overcome the many obstacles in the way in order to “translate” Rossini’s piece into a more contemporary 21st century version.
Among its many other merits, “Cinderella” breathes courage and optimism into the very troubled times we live in. Today, two whole centuries after the opera was written and first performed, it’s as if we see Rossini encouragingly smile at us.
Conductor – Zhorzh Dimitrov
Starring:
Angelina (Cinderella) – Maria Radoeva
Prince Ramiro – Hrisimir Damyanov
Dandini – Atanas Mladenov
Alidoro – Stefan Vladimirov
Clorinda – Maria Pavlova
Don Magnifico – Nikolay Petrov
Tisbe – Blagovesta Mekii-Tsvetkova
Production team:
Conductor – Zhorzh Dimitrov
Director – Vera Petrova
Scenographer – Boryano Angelova
Costume designer – Hristiyana Mihaleva-Zorbalieva
Lighting artist – Andrew Haidinyak
Choreographer – Maria Loukanova
Choir conductor – Violeta Dimitrova
*******************
Article author: Olya Al-Ahmed
https://safenews.bg/pepelyashka-na-dzhoakino-rosini-prikazka-s-usmivka/