"Many of the characters are very over the top but, the prince and Cinderella have to be real," Helton said. "They have to represent something real, but they both get their moments to be funny."

The reality of the characters is shown in their relationship with one another. In this retelling, Cenerentola doesn’t lose a slipper and have to be found. She challenges the prince to find her and see if he really still cares once he finds out that she’s simply a house maid. One of the characters the prince must deal with is the "evil" father, portrayed by music performance graduate student Jamie Eagle and music performance doctorate student Jiahao Fu.

"This is the first character I’ve had to play that’s objectively just, like, mean," Eagle said. "Figuring out how to balance that has been a process…Where do I need to feel more of this more serious mean stuff and where can I be a little bit more silly?"

Reminding the audience of the silliness of all of the characters was not just done by the singing, it was also demonstrated through the body language and actions of the performers. Dandini, the prince’s servant, is one of the characters whose body language did a lot of the talking. Sliding across the stage on his knees and trying on Cenerentola’s crown before she marries the prince are just some of the ways he emphasizes the humor of the show. Dandini was played by music performance doctorate students Yilin Chen and Pengyu Chen.

"He never cares about (if) the prince gets true love or not, he never cares about (Cenerentola’s father) and the two daughters," Yilin Chen said. "He just (has) fun."

"La Cenerentola" is a prime example of what Helton and the cast want the public to see about opera. Typically, opera is not thought of as an event just anyone can attend, but this show's humor and accessibility set it apart.

"There can be this conception of operas being very lofty," Eagle said. "I think we have one that is very accessible. You can come to this show because it’s a comedy and just laugh."

Welcoming to everyone, the show had attendees ranging from older ladies on a night out to families with young children. Even the Italian singing wasn’t a language barrier, due to the subtitles just above the stage. Psychology senior Katherine McCabe attended the show on March 30.

"Everything is just amazing," McCabe said. "I’m so blown away. The singing is so incredible, but the humor is really getting me. They’re so good at just doing physical comedy and funny staging."

McCabe, having attended operas in the past and enjoying singing herself, has a real appreciation for something that is often deemed as higher brow. Helton wants all students to give opera the same chance, even if they’re not necessarily inclined to singing.

"It’s something you haven’t done," Helton said. "I really would encourage people to try it out."

Helton said going to an opera can be the perfect date night, and a good reason to go out and get dressed up. Next season’s shows will feature Rossini and Ricky Ian Gordon’s "The Grapes of Wrath."