This weekend, Boston Opera Collaborative is staging Rossini’s opera La Cenerentola (1817) at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester, MA, 1-4 August, 2013. The Strand Theatre is a magnificent old dame of a theatre that’s off the beaten path for many Boston area residents; after the end of major road construction on Mass Ave, it is surprisingly accessible by car, bike, and public transportation. The story of La Cenerentola is an Italian variation on the Cinderella story, featuring disguises and secret identities in place of fairy godmothers and enchanted mice. An unusual feature of this performance is its use of an orchestra playing on period instruments. Go see it!

You can read the Metropolitan Opera’s synopsis of the opera online.

Pronunciation Hint: Because the title of the opera is in Italian, the “Cen” in “Cenerentola” is pronounced like “Chen.” Say “Chen-ur-en-toe-luh” three times fast!

Chaim Potok’s classic novel The Chosen (1967) was adapted for the stage by the author and Aaron Posner a few years before Potok’s death; it now returns in a revised edition by Posner in a production by Barrington Stage. ArtsFuse has a glowing review.

The Chosen runs 18 July-3 August 2013 at the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage in Pittsfield, MA. Broadway World’s reviewer called it “one of the most memorable nights I have ever spent in the theatre.”