I have just watched the Glyndebourne production of Cendrillon (Massenet) on marquee.tv, starring Danielle de Niese as Cinderella and Kate Lindsey as Prince Charming.
Some observations:-
- this production is extra queer* and I approve of this so much.
- it is however also ambiguous and weird to the point of being just confusing and at times upsetting and I am not sure it actually worked that well as a production overall. But...
- the costumes were spectacular holy shit.
- the singing OH MY GODS THE SINGING HALP it was just spectacular, especially the two leads and Nina Minasyan as the Fairy Godmother.
- AAAAAAAAAAAAH I AM CRUSHING SO HARD ON KATE LINDSEY NOW AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.
- like I already was after seeing the Metropolitan Opera production of Agrippina (broadcast last year!) with her as Nerone. But now. HALP. I need to see her in all the things. I am so smitten.
- in a weird way she reminds me of Sebastian Stan. They don’t look alike, and they work in different fields, but they both have a mixture of extreme competence, of *incredible* intensity in intense roles, and breathtakingly cute smiles. Also reputations for being lovely in real life. A devastating combination frankly.
- I should really listen to more Massenet, and get to know the music of Cendrillon especially.
In short: really glad I watched this, but one day maybe Glyndebourne will have the courage to have queer intepretations of operas that are also classic and glossy and straightforward (and cute!). Which would, at this point in time, be actually more radical.
*I mean there are always queer implications when the leading male role is a britches role, but this one went further.
