The Kennedy Center Presents Matthew Bourne's CINDERELLA

Following last season's acclaimed production of The Red Shoes, renowned British choreographer Matthew Bourne and his company, New Adventures, return to the Opera House stage with one of its most popular and beloved productions, Cinderella, January 15-20.

Bourne's vivid interpretation of the classic fairy tale-a thrilling and evocative love story-is set in London during the Second World War. In this reimagined version of the classic fairy tale, the revival of which premiered in London in December 2017, a chance meeting results in a magical night for Cinderella and her dashing young Royal Air Force pilot, together just long enough to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz. With Lez Brotherston's exquisite costumes and sets, lighting by Olivier Award-winning Neil Austin, and video and projection design by Duncan McLean, Cinderella features a specially commissioned recording of Prokofiev's magnificent score performed in surround sound and designed by Paul Groothuis.

Of choosing to set the production during the London Blitz in 1940, Bourne observed that Prokofiev actually wrote the score during World War II. "Was this dark period in our history, somehow captured within the music? I felt that it was, and the more I delved into the Cinderella story, it seemed to work so well in the wartime setting. Darkly romantic in tone, it speaks of a period when time was everything, love was found and lost suddenly, and the world danced as if there was no tomorrow."

The Saturday, January 19 matinee performance will include a pre-show mini-performance featuring young dancers from local schools performing as part of a Curtain Raiser. An educational program of New Adventures, Curtain Raisers give young aspiring dancers the opportunity to work with company dancers to create a short piece of original choreography as a response to the themes and movement discovered in Cinderella.

Bourne, the only British director to have won the Tony Award for both Best Choreographer and Best Director (Swan Lake), is known for mixing popular appeal with groundbreaking, unique theatrical language, and high-quality production values.

New Adventures is an iconic and ground-breaking British dance-theater company, famous for telling stories with a unique theatrical twist. For over 30 years Matthew Bourne and New Adventures have delighted, inspired and nurtured people of all ages and backgrounds: audiences, artists and the next generation. We create world class productions and engaging projects, reaching thousands worldwide every year. Under Matthew Bourne's inspired leadership, knighted in the 2016 New Years' Honors List for services to Dance, the Company has won the Manchester Evening News Dance Award four times and been given a Special Theatre Managers Association (TMA) award for its commitment to national touring and audience development. In 2015 Matthew Bourne received a special UK Theatre Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre and in 2015 the Company also won the Stef Stefanou Outstanding Company Award at the National Dance Awards. In 2017 New Adventures won The Stage International Award in recognition of taking Sleeping Beauty to audiences across Asia in 2016, accompanied by an extensive workshop and masterclass program. Over the past 30 years Matthew Bourne has created 10 full-length productions and a triple bill of short works. In 2016 Bourne created his award-winning 11th full-length production The Red Shoes, based on the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, with music by Bernard Hermann. It quickly became the company's fastest selling tour in history and won two Olivier Awards as well as five international award nominations for its USA tour. In 2019 the company will premiere its 12th full-length production, Romeo and Juliet.

Tickets start at $29. Tickets can be purchased on the Kennedy Center website, at the Kennedy Center box office or by calling Instant Charge at (202) 467-4600. Patrons living outside the Washington metropolitan area may dial toll-free at (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.