“Long ago and far away, a young girl named Cinderella is living a sad and miserable life, at the mercy of her abusive stepmother and her equally cruel stepsisters. A simple and beautiful girl – with a pure and equally beautiful heart – Cinderella is the object of her family’s envy and has been reduced to the role of a scullery maid in the household, in an attempt to belittle her obvious beauty and grace.
Reynard Kristoffer Reyes and Regine Magbitang as the Prince and Cinderella.
Unaffected by the envy, Cinderella works hard to care for her family, and fate rewards her long-suffering patience, diligence, and goodhearted kindness …”
But of course, Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters.
Philippine Ballet Theatre’s (PBT) “Cinderella” makes use of this original story of Nikolai Volkov, set to a popular melody by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. Composed sometime between 1940 and 1944, Cinderella premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1945.
The ballet is known for its breath-taking sets, scenes and joyful music, along with the explosive comic roles of the stepmother and stepsisters. Adding more twist to this production, the aforementioned roles will be performed by male dancers dressed as women.
This season’s Cinderella is skillfully choreographed and presented by PBT’s artistic director, Ronilo Jaynario to appeal to Filipinos’ knack for finding humor and goodwill in the most bleak of circumstances, and injecting comedy into the whimsies of everyday life.
The ballet calls upon a veritable arsenal of dancing skills, that is exquisite classical ballet technique, with a side of character dancing, mime, and theater acting. Reynard Kristoffer Reyes, a dynamic danseur and Ballet Master from the Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet Theatre in California, performs the title role of the Prince, partnering two of PBT’s ballerinas, Veronica Atienza and Regine Magbitang.
Ably performing a highly entertaining antagonist is PBT alumnus Marvin Arizo as Cinderella’s stepmother. Another alumnus, Rolby Lacaba and company artist Jimmy Lumba show off their versatility and acting chops as the stepsisters. Indeed, great character acting is a big part of dancing too.
Don’t miss the last chance to watch Cinderella today, 3 p.m. at Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. For tickets and inquiries, call 632 8848 or email secretariat@pbt.ph.
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