San Francisco celebrated the US premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s magical new production of Cinderella with an elegant cocktail reception in the lobby of the War Memorial Opera House. The ballet’s choreographer Christopher Wheeldon joined the designers of the production and leading figures from the dance world for a sumptuous dinner in a spectacularly designed tent by Riccardo Benavides in the courtyard of the opera house. Inspired by the Brothers Grimm and Perrault fairy tales, this wildly imaginative take on Cinderella (co-produced with the Dutch National Ballet) featured music by Prokofiev, spectacular sets and costumes by Julian Crouch (renowned for his designs at the Metropolitan Opera and in the Broadway musical The Addams Family), and ingenious puppetry by Obie Award-winner Basil Twist. Saks Fifth Avenue San Francisco also celebrated the premiere with an official Cinderella-themed ball. The evening featured a special look at the Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Collection No. 4.
