Ferry riders seeking exposure to the “fairy” godmother may be dismayed by the latest production of classical dance in The City.
San Francisco Ballet’s 90th Anniversary Season continues with Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, set to Sergei Prokofiev’s score, running through April 8.
A fresh take on the iconic fairytale, Wheeldon’s Cinderella offers no fairy godmother or clock striking midnight.
Instead, Cinderella’s heroine is in control of her destiny, emerging from the death of her mother empowered by love. Inspired by the darker Brothers Grimm version of the tale, Cinderella includes set and costume designs by Tony Award-winning designer Julian Crouch and San Francisco-native puppeteer Basil Twist, who creates the tree that grows from Cinderella’s tears and directs the dazzling end of Act I, called a “triumph of fantasy” by The New York Times.
The production includes a staggering 197 roles and 370 costumes, including Cinderella’s gold gown detailed with computer-printed feathers.