FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2002
CONTACT: Mark Fleisher:
Festival Ballet Providence, 401.353.1129
Festival Ballet Providence brings a heart-warming Cinderella to VMA
for Valentine's Weekend!
Co-founder Winthrop Corey returns to Providence to Celebrate 25th
Anniversary Season.
Providence, RI - Winthrop Corey, Artistic Director of Mobile Ballet, returns to Providence to set his lavish Cinderella on Festival Ballet Providence, the company he co-founded in 1978 with Christine Hennessy. The three performances will take place at the VMA Arts & Cultural Center on Valentine's Day weekend, February 14-16, 2003 making this performance the perfect treat for romantics of all ages.
Since its Rhode Island premiere in 1985, Winthrop Corey's Cinderella has entertained and enchanted thousands of theater-goers, and is an excellent way to introduce new audiences to the ballet. For children and adults, what could be better than this familiar and adored love story, with no violence!
Festival Ballet Providence artistic director Mihailo Djuric is thrilled to bring this wonderful production back into the company's repertory, and is pleased to have Mr. Corey return to help celebrate the company's 25th Anniversary Season. As Mr. Djuric notes; "Winthrop's choreography, staging, lavish costumes and story-telling will capture the imagination of every romantic in the audience and delight audiences of all ages. Audience members are still talking about Mr. Corey's Dracula staged here three years ago. Cinderella is a favorite of mine, perhaps from that Eastern European sensibility I refer to as "happy/sad", or what you might call bittersweet, where you enjoy the experience of alternating tears and laughter."
Mr. Corey's Cinderella features all the elements of the classic fairy tale: romance, humor, magic, good vs. evil, transformation, and a happily-ever-after ending.
Dominated by her Evil Stepmother and garish Ugly Stepsisters, our down-trodden, mistreated, misunderstood heroine shakes off the ashes of a life of drudgery, and is magically transformed (with the help of a little fairy dust from her Godmother) into a ravishing princess. The striking beauty attracts the interests of the kingdom's prize bachelor, Prince Charming, and it's love at first sight for both. All goes well until the strike of midnight, when Cinderella must make a hasty retreat, leaving behind her glass slipper, with carriage turning back into pumpkin, and love turning to a fond but impossible memory.
Along the way we are treated with comedic aplomb to the foibles of vanity, egocentrism, selfishness and many bad fashion choices. And lots of beautiful, inspired dancing to Sergei Prokofiev's brilliant 1945 score.
Tickets are now on sale, with prices ranging from $12 to $40. Advanced reserved tickets may be purchased by contacting Festival Ballet Providence at 401.353.1129, ordering online, or through Ticketmaster outlets at 401.331.1122. The VMA box office will be open the week of the performances for additional ticket sales.
Festival Ballet Providence's 2003 production of Cinderella is supported in part by the generous support of NBC10, the Providence Tourism Council and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.
Festival Ballet Providence will continue a 5-year tradition by hosting The Glass Slipper Ball, a fund-raising Gala event associated with the production. Gala guests will be treated to a 6:00 pm pre-performance cocktail reception, and post performance dinner with wine, dessert and dancing with the cast members. Tiara-optional. The space under the theater will be magically transformed by Festival Ballet Providence's own Fairy Godmother into the Royal Ballroom of Prince Charming's castle. Individual tickets including prime orchestra seating and gala reception and dinner are available at $150 each. Gala corporate tables for ten are $2,500, while patron tables are priced at $1,500. Contact Festival Ballet Providence for more information at 401.353.1129. The date of the event is Saturday February 15th
For more details about Festival Ballet Providence and the performance season, please contact us at:
Festival Ballet Providence
825 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906
401.353.1129
info@festivalballet.com
