Teachers' Resources

Your first lesson should always be the Mandatory Lesson or a review of that lesson.

If you have time for only one other lesson, please make that a review of the story (or plot line) of the play. Cinderella is singing theater. For the history of this art form, go to this link. There is a synopsis provided for your use.

Language Arts
This is another Cinderella story. Read and review with your class the classic story from Grimm's fairy tales or the most familiar CharlesPerrault version. This Cinderella is distinctly different. The villain of the piece is the step-father Don Magnifico, the Baron of Montefiascone. Have your class write a compare and contrast paper, using the opera Cinderella and another version. Cinderella, is singing theater and may lend itself to a comparison with the Disney movie. Depending on the level or your class and the books available, you might consider using a variety of other versions such as The Rough-Faced Girl, Cinderfella, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, etc. If you visit this website, you will find nine pages of different multicultural Cinderella stories to choose from. They range in reading difficulty from pre-K through Grade 6. http://www.ala.org/ala/booklinksbucket/multicultural.htm

The Grimm and Perrault versions of Cinderella contain all of the elements of a fairy tale. Have your students list all of them and how they are presented in the version you use. Have your students decide which of these elements are present in the Rossini/Ferretti version. Is this still a fairy tale? Why or why not? If you decide it is not, what is it?

After you have read several version of Cinderella, have your students write their own version. Be sure to set up guidelines for them, preferable with them included in the process. Must this be a fairy tale? If so, what elements are critical to have present? What time frame is allowed? Must it be set in the distant past or is the present and/or future acceptable, as well. Must everyone live happily ever after? How many characters are needed? Etc.

Choose one of the characters in the story. Decide how you would change that part if you were asked to rewrite the story. Would you give that person a bigger role? a smaller one? make them nicer? meaner? When you have decided, write one scene with your "new, improved" character. Have your class help you to decide if your rewrite would help the story.

Write a newspaper column as the theater critic. Tell your readers what was good and not so good about the performance you viewed. Be sure to support your opinion with evidence from the performance. Before you begin this assignment, be sure to read several actual newspaper reviews. You do not need to imitate the style of the newspaper critic, only provide the same kind of opinion and support for that opinion.

The song My Feminine Offspring (Don Magnifico's aria) is a patter song. Have your students study it and get familiar with how that kind of song "works." Then, have them write one of their own. It can be about this story or any other story or incident that they are familiar with.

This version of Cinderella was composed by Giochino Rossini. Research his life and write a biography about him. Depending on your students' level, you may require several sources including one or more from the internet. Have your students help make a rubric telling what information would be needed to do justice to this subject. They will include such things as his location and date of birth, his family status, financial information about his early life, etc. The report must include information about his compositions, of course. You may wish to ask for certain specifics, such as how many operas, operettas, etc. he composed. Your students should also note which of his pieces are well know today. (William Tell Overture, for example.) Be sure to let them include historical items of interest, such as his favorite foods, etc..

Technology and Math
Cinderella has had many names over time, including Tattercoats, Ashpet, Catskins, Cap O'Rushes and many more. Have your students research these names and report on the versions they find. As a class, determine which is your collective favorite. During math time, have your students create a graph showing the ranking of the stories.

Have your students research on the internet and see how many versions of Cinderella they can find. How many are named some version of Cinderella? How many have other names such as The Princess and the Golden Shoes? Decide what other kinds of variations you are interested in as a class and search for them, also. For example, how many have step-sisters, how many have ugly step-sisters, step-mothers? Etc. Determine the best way to show your results, by graphs, charts, etc..

Music
Rossini's Cinderella is an opera. It is sung in English in our performances, although the original is in Italian. What makes this an opera? An Italian opera? What effect does the music have on the story? Compare and contrast the behavior of the audience in Rossini's time to the behavior of the audience at an opera today. Compare and contrast the behavior of the Italian opera goer in Rossini's time to the behavior of a rock concert attendee today.

Cinderella in Rossini's Cinderella, is sung by a coloratura soprano. What makes that voice special? While attending the play, listen for those characteristics of the voice of our leading lady. Where in the play does her voice "show off" at its very best? (Note to teacher: you may use any of the voices in the play. Having several students each looking at a different voice would give your class an opportunity to decide who they thought was the better singer, performer, actor/actress, etc.. You should give this assignment before attending the play so they can be especially observant of "their" performer. They should provide specifics to support their opinion.)

Rossini has produced several very well known pieces of music, including The Barber of Seville with Figaro's well known aria. They should also all recognize the overture from his opera William Tell. (The William Tell Overture is the theme song for The Lone Ranger.) Play these pieces for your class and have them listen for similarities in the music. See if they can develop and "ear" for his style, especially the crescendo. Identify one or more other composers you would like your class to recognize and help them to "listen" for style to begin to understand each composer's personal "signature."

Art
Closely observe the sets for Cinderella. Write a paper describing your opinion of the scenery as presented. Be sure to provide evidence to support your opinion. As a follow-up activity, have students design one set they would like to see used for this production. Have them tell why they think the set they have designed would improve it.

Closely observe the costumes for Cinderella. Write a paper describing your opinion of the costumes as presented. Be sure to provide evidence to support your opinion. As a follow-up activity, have students design costumes for one scene they would like to see used for this production. Have them tell why they think the costumes they have designed would improve it.

Have your students create a playbill to advertise this opera. Decide in advance if they should use the performance you are to attend (or have attended) or if they should create one from the time of Rossini, a possible date in the distant future, or other options. Another option would be to create a handbill.

Social Studies
Compare and contrast the role of royalty and nobility in two of the countries that have Cinderella stories. Does the story from that country reflect the role of royalty accurately? Do you think that the role of royalty/nobility is accurately portrayed in this version of Cinderella? Which of the characters is portrayed in a sympathetic way? Is that person or persons of noble birth? What does that say about the feelings of people about their noble neighbors? Is this a generalization? What is the danger of generalizing?

Theater has often been used to poke fun at social problems or to criticize public figures such as the nobility or politicians. Discuss what plays and stories your students know that have a social message included. Look at this version of Cinderella, subtitled Goodness Triumphant, and help them find the social problems addressed and the "message" of this story.

Career and Technical Education
There are many people other than performers involved in this kind of production. There are two links to help you here. The first link will tell your students about creating the performance itself. There are numbers of people who are involved in this process. The second link will provide you with the people who are rarely, if ever, seen. Have your students look at this list and determine an area that interests them. Have them research the opportunities in that area and write a report on it.

Return to Cinderella Home Page

Revised 2005
Please credit Lyric Opera San Diego when using this material.