Meet the Characters

It tells the same story we know and love, but Rossini’s Cinderella, with its libretto by Jacopo Ferretti, does have a few twists. Read on to get to know all the players, as represented by a selection of colorful costume sketches from Joan Guillén, the set and costume designer for this production:  

Angelina  

She’s a charming beauty in a shabby dress—also known as Cinderella, because she’s always covered in cinders—but in Rossini’s opera, her character's given name is Angelina. Put to work in her own household, Angelina serves as maid to her two stepsisters. Despite being treated poorly, she is goodness personified, prizing kindness above all else, quick to forgive others, and always ready to help another in need. But that doesn’t stop her from liking a good party: like her stepsisters, she’s dying to go to the prince’s ball. 

Don Magnifico 

In most retellings of the story, our heroine has a wicked stepmother. In this one, the wine-swilling, down-on-his-luck baron Don Magnifico, Angelina’s stepfather, steps into that role. He orders Angelina around, tries to stand in the way of her attending the ball, and schemes to secure a royal marriage for one of his biological daughters, Clorinda and Tisbe. But Magnifico is more a buffoon than anything, constantly getting tricked, making it tough to truly despise him. 

Alidoro 

There’s no magic-wielding Fairy Godmother in Rossini’s opera either. Instead, there’s Alidoro, the court philosopher and tutor to Prince Ramiro, who observes Angelina’s goodness (and her stepsisters’ rottenness) when he visits their home on the prince’s behalf, disguised as a beggar. Magic or no, Alidoro’s an excellent ally, whisking Angelina off to the ball—and working behind the scenes to ensure she gets her happy ending.

Dandini 

Prince Ramiro’s valet, Dandini, is delighted by the chance to impersonate the prince. At the ball, he tests the true character of Don Magnifico’s daughters and helps the prince find his true love. 

Tisbe 

Don Magnifico’s eldest daughter, Tisbe, competes with her sister Clorinda for Prince Ramiro’s affections. Of course, the two are actually flirting with the valet-in-disguise, Dandini—who soon falls in love with Angelina himself! 

Clorinda 

Like Tisbe and Don Magnifico, the younger stepsister, Clorinda, is unkind to Angelina. Clorinda tries to make her case to the “prince,” explaining to Dandini that she should be selected because she’s younger so will die later and, also, doesn’t wear rouge. But the real prince has eyes for another… 

Prince Ramiro 

All these disguises have been put in place so that the handsome Prince Ramiro—seeking to be loved for himself, not his noble position—can find a suitable bride. Ramiro, too, impersonates someone else, pretending to be his valet to observe how he’s treated in a servant role. From the start, he’s mesmerized by the sweet, kind Angelina, but thanks to her family’s deception, doesn’t know her identity. At the ball, instead of leaving a slipper, Angelina gives Ramiro one of her bracelets, telling him that when he finds the matching one, he’ll find her. 

The Rats 

There are no rats in Rossini’s opera, but, perhaps inspired by the Disney film, the creator of this production, Joan Font, has added them. The rats are supernumeraries, or extras with no lines to speak or sing, and they surround Angelina, adding to the comedy of the story and supporting our soon-to-be princess until she gets her prince and, at opera’s end, reminds us all of the healing power of forgiveness.