January 11, 2007 -

OTTAWA -- Audiences will re-live the fun and frivolity of the Fabulous Fifties when the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) performs its highly-acclaimed A Cinderella Story in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on January 25, 26, and 27, 2007 at 20:00. Scintillating Cinderella and charming Prince Bob strut, swirl, and slide to a jazzy all-Richard Rodgers score (including such hits as 'The Lady is a Tramp', 'Blue Moon', and 'Isn't it Romantic') in this specially commissioned retro re-telling of everyone's favourite fairy tale. Val Caniparoli's electric choreography, Sandra Woodall's sets and high-glam 1957 costumes, and a colour collage by lighting designer Alexander V. Nichols enhance a loopy love story that sizzles to a smooth and sassy syncopated beat. All performances feature the RWB Jazz Band, led by Ron Paley.

A Cinderella Story is part of the National Arts Centre's Canril Ballet Series, which is generously sponsored by Canril Corporation.

Val Caniparoli's story is set in 1957. It's the week before the television broadcast of a new musical version of Cinderella, featuring a score by one of the era's most popular songwriting teams, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. That program is the springboard for Caniparoli's singular vision, and the reason that the music of Richard Rodgers was chosen for the ballet. Most of the songs selected for this production were written by Rodgers with his first collaborator, the mercurial Lorenz Hart.

The creation of this ballet was initiated by RWB Artistic Director André Lewis. "Cinderella is a story that has universal connections with so many people," says Lewis. "We all hope for that significant other, if you will, to make that connection at least once in our lives. I've always been intrigued by the concept of Cinderella." When Lewis decided to commission a new full-length Cinderella (to be choreographed by Val Caniparoli) he was looking for a fresh musical approach. The result is a new score with themes by Richard Rodgers, arranged by pianist and bandleader Ron Paley. The fact that the Richard Rodgers Estate allowed Paley to rearrange Rodgers music was unprecedented. "The music of the 1950s – from jazz, to Latin, to Be-Bop -- was so adventurous in its experimentation at the time," says Paley. "And to be able to work in those styles with Rodgers' music as the basis was wonderful to arrange. I discovered some really wonderful songs."

PRE-SHOW CHAT
Join Artistic Director André Lewis and Gerard Roxburgh, Director of Touring and Company Operations, as they discuss the joys and challenges of creating a brand new ballet.

Saturday, January 27, 2007
19:00 ~ Le Salon
Admission is free

"RWB's swingin' take on a classic fairy tale is lavish, luscious and loads of fun. Even if you don't have a fairy godmother … you should make a wish to see the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's snazzy, spectacular
A Cinderella Story, a '50s-flavoured fairy tale that lights up the stage like a bright neon billboard. … this sassy blast to the past will shimmy its way into audience hearts with attitude and style to burn"
Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press, November 3, 2006

"…sparkling jewel-toned gowns and shiny props demand attention onstage in choreographer Val Caniparoli's delightful take on the tale, which veers from tradition only in its lack of glass slippers and its fondness for '40s and '50s pop culture."
Winnipeg Sun, November 3, 2006

"The world premiere of A Cinderella Story is a runaway hit. The delighted audience erupted in cheers after the first act with an ovation usually reserved for a curtain call. …Paley's score is fabulous…Sandra Woodall's superb set captures the fifties in all its high style …The ballet is a visual treat from beginning to end. There are some absolutely delicious moments in the ballet."
Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail, October 2004

"The sweetest, most infectious sound in town. A Cinderella Story takes its jazz seriously, but has a heck of a lot of fun along the way with the rhythmically rapturous choreography … a tremendously original achievement. Paley has done an awesome job of arranging … Rodgers tunes into a musical swirl of smooth and sassy jazz that evokes the playful, romantic and somewhat rascally zeitgeist of the '50s."
Winnipeg Free Press, October 2004

"Smart, togue-in-cheek … theatrical cleverness … delightful"
Michael Crabb, The National Post, October 2004

Public Ballet Class
for ballet students and dancers aged 14 and up taught by Royal Winnipeg Ballet dancer Jo-Ann Sundermeier

Saturday, January 27
Rehearsal Hall B ~ 10:30-12:00
Cost $15
Space is limited. Reserve a place by emailing soutter@magma.ca or leave a message in NAC voicemail box (613) 947-7000 ext. 588

A Cinderella Story (2004)
CHOREOGRAPHY Val Caniparoli
MUSIC Richard Rodgers
SET AND COSTUME DESIGN Sandra Woodall
LIGHTING DESIGN Alexander V. Nichols
LIBRETTIST Sheryl Flatow

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet performs A Cinderella Story in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on Thursday January 25, Friday January 26, and Saturday January 27, 2007 at 20:00. Tickets are $75, $71, $59, and $40 for adults, and $38.75, $36.75, $30.75, and $21.25 for students (upon presentation of a valid student ID card). Tickets are available at the NAC Box Office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at (613) 755-1111; Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC's website at www.nac-cna.ca. Same-day Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13-29) are $10 at the NAC Box Office between 14:00 and 18:00 on the day of performance only, upon presentation of a valid 'Live Rush' card. Groups of 10 or more save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices to all NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances; to reserve your seats, call (613) 947-7000 ext. 384 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca .

New! Dinner packages at Kinki, Social, and Meditheo are available with the purchase of tickets to any NAC Dance performance. Book your package by visiting Ticketmaster at one of the following links: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/promo/24375 , http://www.ticketmaster.ca/promo/24364 , or http://www.ticketmaster.ca/promo/b5kfde

Photos for all dance events can be viewed and downloaded at: www.nac-cna.ca/media/

- 30 -

Information:
Gerald Morris,
Marketing and Media Relations, NAC Dance Department
(613) 947-7000 ext. 249
gmorris@nac-cna.ca

CANADA'S ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET
Versatility, technical excellence and a captivating style are the trademarks of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, qualities that have garnered both critical and audience acclaim. These qualities keep the RWB in demand as it presents more than 150 performances every season. Founded in 1939, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet holds the double distinction of being Canada's premier ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America. In 1953, the company received its royal title, the first granted under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The RWB has grown and developed under Artistic Directors Arnold Spohr, Henry Jurriens, John Meehan, William Whitener and, since 1996, André Lewis. Lewis has revitalised the company's repertoire with the commissioning of new full-length ballets, such as Dracula and a Canadian-themed Nutcracker, and the RWB now takes its place among the world's internationally renowned companies. Today, the company spends 20 or more weeks a year on tour. The RWB repertoire embraces a wide array of dance styles and includes classical story ballets and an intriguing collection of shorter dances. A fine balance is achieved between the classical traditions of Europe and the boldness of contemporary ballet, which in turn has produced a style unique to the RWB.

VAL CANIPAROLI, Choreographer
Val Caniparoli's versatility has made him one of the most sought-after American choreographers in the United States and abroad. He has contributed to the repertories of more than thirty-five dance companies, including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet West (Resident Choreographer 1993-97), Washington Ballet, Israel Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, State Theatre Ballet of South Africa and Tulsa Ballet, where he has been Resident Choreographer since 2001. When Boston Ballet danced the company premiere of Caniparoli's full-length Lady of the Camellias in 2004, the critic for the Boston Herald wrote, "Why have we had to wait so long to see a ballet by this gifted choreographer?"

Caniparoli is most closely associated with San Francisco Ballet, his artistic home for over thirty years. He began his career under the artistic directorship of Lew Christensen, and in the 1980s was appointed Resident Choreographer of San Francisco Ballet. He continues to choreograph for the company under Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson. Caniparoli has created a body of work that is rooted in classicism but influenced by all forms of movement: modern dance, ethnic dance, social dancing, even ice skating. His extensive knowledge and appreciation of music is reflected in the range of composers who have inspired his choreography: Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (BÈla BartÛk), Gustav's Rooster (Hoven Droven), The Bridge (Dmitri Shostakovich), boink! (Juan Garcia Esquivel), Aria (George Frederic Handel), Open Veins (Robert Moran), Prawn-watching (Michael Nyman), Torque (Michael Torke), Jaybird Lounge (Uri Caine), Hamlet and Ophelia, pas de deux (Bohuslav Martinu), Bird's Nest (Charlie Parker), Death of a Moth (Carlos Surinach), Going for Baroque (Antonio Vivaldi), Aquilarco (Giovanni Sollima), Book of Alleged Dances (John Adams), Aubade (Francis Poulenc), Slow (Graham Fitkin), Djangology (Django Reinhardt), Vivace (Franz Schubert), and one of his most performed works, Lambarena (Johann Sebastian Bach and traditional African rhythms and music), which is performed by sixteen companies and has become an international sensation.

Lady of the Camellias, choreographed in 1994 and co-produced by Ballet Florida and Ballet West, was Caniparoli's first full-length work. He has also choreographed The Nutcracker (2001) for Cincinnati Ballet, and A Cinderella Story, danced to themes by Richard Rodgers, for Royal Winnipeg Ballet (2004).

Caniparoli has choreographed operas for three of the USA's major companies: Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera. In addition, he has worked on several occasions with the San Francisco Symphony, most memorably on the Rimsky-Korsakov opera-ballet Mlada, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, a major success of the 2002 Russian Festival. In 2005, he received rave reviews for his choreography in Carey Perloff's new production of A Christmas Carol at San Francisco's esteemed American Conservatory Theatre.

The recipient of ten grants for choreography from the National Endowment for the Arts, Caniparoli was also awarded an artist fellowship from the California Arts Council in 1991. He has twice received the Choo-San Goh Award from the Choo-San Goh and H. Robert Magee Foundation: in 1994 for Lambarena, choreographed for San Francisco Ballet, and in 1997 for Open Veins, created for Atlanta Ballet. Lambarena was also nominated for the Benois de la Danse Award from the International Dance Association at a gala at the National Theater of Warsaw, Poland, in 1997. Dance Bay Area acknowledged Caniparoli's contributions to the local dance scene with an Isadora Duncan Award (or Izzy) for Sustained Achievement in 1996. In addition, he has twice won Izzies for Outstanding Choreography. He was also honoured to have been selected to choreograph a pas de deux for Evelyn Hart and Rex Harrington for the 2002 Golden Jubilee Gala for Queen Elizabeth II in Toronto.

Born in Renton, Washington, Caniparoli opted for a professional dance career after studying music and theatre at Washington State University. In 1972, he received a Ford Foundation Scholarship to attend San Francisco Ballet School. He performed with San Francisco Opera Ballet before joining San Francisco Ballet in 1973. He continues to perform with the company as a Principal Character Dancer.

RICHARD RODGERS, Composer
Richard Rodgers' contributions to musical theatre were extraordinary, and his influence is legendary. His career spanned more than six decades, and his hits ranged from the silver screens of Hollywood to the bright lights of Broadway, London and beyond. He was the recipient of countless awards, including Pulitzers, Tonys, Oscars, Grammys and Emmys. He wrote more than 900 published songs, and forty Broadway musicals.

Rodgers (1902-79) began his professional career in 1920 with a series of musicals for Broadway, London and Hollywood, written with lyricist Lorenz Hart. Among their greatest: On Your Toes (1936), Babes In Arms (1937), The Boys From Syracuse (1938), and Pal Joey (1940). The Rodgers & Hart partnership came to an end with the death of Lorenz Hart in 1943, at the age of 48. Earlier that year Rodgers had joined forces with lyricist and author Oscar Hammerstein II, whose work in the field of operetta throughout the '20s and '30s had been as innovative as Rodgers' own accomplishments in the field of musical comedy.

Oklahoma! (1943), the first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, was also the first of a new genre, the musical play, representing a unique fusion of Rodgers' musical comedy and Hammerstein's operetta. It also marked the beginning of the most successful partnership in Broadway musical history, and was followed by Carousel (1945), Allegro (1947), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Me and Juliet (1953), Pipe Dream (1955), Flower Drum Song (1958) and The Sound of Music (1959). The team wrote one movie musical, State Fair (1945; adapted to the stage, 1995), and one for television, Cinderella (1957; remade in 1965 and 1997). Collectively, the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals earned 34 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes and two Grammy Awards. In 1998 Rodgers & Hammerstein were cited by Time Magazine and CBS News as among the 20 most influential artists of the 20th century, and in 1999 they were jointly commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp.

Despite Hammerstein's death in 1960, Rodgers continued to write for the Broadway stage. His first solo entry, No Strings in 1962, earned him two Tony Awards for music and lyrics, and was followed by Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim), Two By Two (1970, lyrics by Martin Charnin), Rex (1976, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick) and I Remember Mama (1979, lyrics by Martin Charnin and Raymond Jessel). Richard Rodgers died at home in New York City on December 30, 1979 at the age of 77. On March 27, 1990, he was honoured posthumously with Broadway's highest accolade when the 46th Street Theater, owned and operated by the Nederlander Organization, was renamed The Richard Rodgers Theater, home to The Richard Rodgers Gallery, a permanent exhibit in the lobby areas presented by ASCAP which honours the composer's life and works.

In 2002, the Richard Rodgers Centennial was celebrated around the world, with tributes from Tokyo to London, from the Hollywood Bowl to the White House, featuring six new television specials, museum retrospectives, a dozen new ballets (including Val Caniparoli's No Other), half a dozen books, new recordings and countless concert and stage productions (including three revivals on Broadway), giving testament to the enduring popularity of Richard Rodgers and the sound of his music.

A CINDERELLA STORY SYNOPSIS
Time: 1957

ACT I
Prologue: The hum of the television is an almost constant presence and source of delight for Nancy, a solitary young woman whose mother has passed away and whose father is frequently gone on business. Although she is often alone, she is not lonely: she has the companionship of her faithful dog and the household staff, all of whom dote on her. And she spends hours in front of the television, which sparks her imagination – particularly the announcement of the upcoming broadcast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Scene I: The Family Estate
The servants busy themselves, happily preparing for the return of Nancy's father from his most recent trip. No one is more excited than Nancy, and her joy is evident when he walks through the door. But a chill descends when she discovers her father is not alone: he is accompanied by a new wife, her two daughters and her ever-present cat. The new family uneasily gets acquainted. Nancy discovers that her father must leave again on business, and they bid each other a bittersweet goodbye. The servants, having been inhumanely overworked by the stepmother, are so frazzled that they quit. Nancy is left with the responsibility of cleaning the house. Her stepsisters are enjoying the television, now in their control, when the program they are watching is interrupted with tragic news.

Scene II: The Family Estate – A Few Days Later
The stepfamily devises a plan to poison the dog, Nancy's steadfast companion. But the dog outsmarts them, and escapes. Nancy searches for him, to no avail. Her search is interrupted when the doorbell rings and a messenger appears with invitations to the big winter dance.

Scene III: Arthur Murray Dance Studio
The stepfamily heads off to a dance class, to brush up on their skills before the big event. The stepmother forbids Nancy from joining them, but after everyone has left, she defiantly follows. The class is in full swing when a handsome young man named Bob appears in the doorway. Every woman in the room is spellbound. All the women vie for his attention, none more so than Nancy.

Scene IV: The Family Estate
The stepmother and stepsisters primp and prepare for the big evening. As the three women are about to leave, Nancy emerges from her room, ready to accompany them. But her stepmother orders her to stay home and continue working. Left alone, Nancy cannot hide her desolation. In the depths of her misery, her godmother appears.

Scene V: A Garden
The godmother uses her special gifts to transport Nancy to a magical garden filled with enchanting creatures – all of whom look vaguely familiar. Together with the godmother, the animals lovingly transform Nancy into the belle of the ball. The godmother warns her that she must leave the dance before midnight, for at that time the magic will reverse itself. The girl happily agrees, and under the light of a blue moon, departs for the dance.

ACT II
Scene I: The Starlight Ballroom
The dance is in full swing when Bob makes his entrance; once again, he takes over the room. At last Nancy arrives, and time seems to stop. Everyone (except her stepfamily) is touched by her loveliness. She appears vaguely familiar to Bob, and as he gazes on her now, he is smitten. When at last they meet, they heat up the evening with a torrid pas de deux.
Nancy and Bob have eyes only for each other. Nancy loses track of time, and is shocked when she hears the first of twelve gongs counting down to midnight. She runs up the stairs for the elevator as Bob tries frantically, and unsuccessfully, to reach her. She realizes it would be wise to leave something behind – a clue that might lead Bob back to her. As Nancy contemplates what to leave, the clock ticks away. The last gong sounds, and she runs into the open elevator with Bob in pursuit.
Scene II: A Corner of the Estate / Somewhere in a Park
Unbeknownst to each other, Bob and Nancy simultaneously reminisce about the evening and their lost love.

Scene III: A Corner of the Estate
It's the day after the dance, and the stepsisters, consumed by jealousy, torment Nancy with renewed vigour. As the stepmother intervenes, they all stop to listen to a special television announcement about a handsome young heir who is asking his mystery woman to rendezvous with him that evening in the ballroom. And there's more social news: it seems a recent widow is about to discover that her late husband left her nothing in his will.
The stepmother and stepsisters have the same thought: they cannot let Nancy out of the house. Before the unsuspecting girl realizes what is happening, the stepfamily is upon her and ties her up. They believe that with Nancy out of the way, they have a chance with Bob. But after they leave, an old friend returns to set Nancy free.

Scene IV: The Ballroom
Bob is alone in the ballroom, when the elevator doors open and a mob of young women swoop down on him. Each girl has done her best to look like Nancy, in the belief that she can trick Bob into believing she is his lost love. But no one dances like his mystery woman. Suddenly the elevator doors open again and Nancy appears. They celebrate with their most romantic dance of the evening.

Scene V: A Garden
The godmother, with assistance from the animals, again transforms the surroundings into a magnificent outdoor setting. A gold moon shines down. The animals welcome Nancy and Bob, who sit down for a blissful evening of television amid their extended family. In the distance the stepmother and her daughters are seen leaving town. Nancy and Bob settle in to watch Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella as the curtain falls.
…And they lived happily ever after.

by Sheryl Flatow