Rossini's Cinderella: a whirlwind masquerade at the Opéra Royal de Versailles

From October 11 to 18, 2025, the Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles presents Rossini's Cinderella, a colorful stage recreation directed, choreographed and dressed by Julien Lubek and Cécile Roussat. This lyrical version, lasting three hours including intermission, transforms the classic tale into a lively, stylized farce.

Devoid of marvelous elements, this adaptation breaks away from Perrault's story to become a comic parable about illusion, truth and social role-playing. In this version, Cinderella has neither fairies nor glass slippers, but human stratagems, disguises and a narrative mechanism based on misunderstandings and disguises.

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The staging draws on the aesthetics of Commedia dell'arte to enrich the performance of the performers. The characters evolve in a set in perpetual motion, a revolving stage where places and identities are constantly redrawn. Alidoro, the philosopher and moral guide of the plot, orchestrates this shadowy masquerade, symbolizing rational ideals in the face of social disorder.

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This show will appeal as much to Baroque opera fans as to those curious about creative scenic forms. The choice of a comic and carnivalesque register, supported by an abundant visual device, makes this an accessible entry into the operatic repertoire for a wide audience. Those who prefer more romantic readings or classical stagings may, however, be put off by this playful approach.

Rossini: Cinderella reveals a vision of theater as a game of masks and a mirror of social conventions, where truth finally emerges from a world of pretence, in music.

This article is written from information available online and is not based on a viewing of the show.

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