Matthew Bourne and New Adventures‘ Cinderella hit the Kennedy Center like a bomb. The adaptation, which places the classic folk tale in London at the height of the Blitz, is as dark as it is romantic and as luxurious as it is gritty. Over the two and a half hour ballet, the Kennedy Center Opera House was transformed into a British mansion, a bombed out street, a Parisian disco and a tube station, complete with a working train.
The production, without question, included some of the most intricate set designs we’ve ever seen (at the Kennedy Center or otherwise), but they were not unmatched by the performances. Despite the dour twist, Cinderella made us laugh just as often as it made us gasp, which is quite the accomplishment considering it’s a story we all know by heart.
Watching a bedazzled Cinderella float on a sea of white clouds into a neon lit ballroom is an image we never want to leave our minds, but if you missed your chance to soak in all the magic, we have a gift for you. Scroll down and check out all the behind the scenes photos you could ever want. Thankfully, these won’t disappear at midnight.
all photos: Nicholas Karlin
