Cast & Characters

The Cast

The Child: Danielle de Niese
Fire: Olga Makarina
The Princess:: Ruth Ann Swenson
The Nightingale: Youngok Shin
The Armchair: John Del Carlo
Conducted by: James Levine

The Characters

Child (mezzo-soprano; trouser role) – A young boy of six or seven years old. His mother punishes him for his poor behavior by making him stay in his room until dinnertime. When he throws a tantrum, the inanimate objects in his room come to life and scold him for his disobedience.

Squirrel (mezzo-soprano) – The Squirrel escapes the Child’s room after spending years there in a cage. The Child bandages the Squirrel’s injured paw as a sign of repentance.

Black Cat (mezzo-soprano)

Armchair (bass) – A piece of furniture in the Child’s room, the Armchair refuses to be sat in by the naughty boy, and instead dances with another chair.