PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
This Chicago-centric retelling of the Cinderella story is staged by HPSD Founding Artistic Director August Tye, ballet mistress and choreographer at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Amira is the story of a young girl forced to leave her native country without her mother, arriving in Chicago and struggling to make a home in Hyde Park. The narrative follows the events of the traditional Cinderella story, leading to a Masked Ball in Hyde Park and a young man who becomes smitten with Amira. When she runs away at midnight, he and his friends search various Chicago neighborhoods trying to find her—Little India, downtown, Pilsen, Chinatown, Bronzeville, and Hyde Park—until they meet at a place that is special to both of them.
“Amira: A Chicago Cinderella Story celebrates Chicago’s South Side and its diverse neighborhoods, as well as the perseverance of immigrants to make a home in a new place,” commented Tye. “We also hope to provide positive images of young girls as strong, smart, and capable.”
The cast includes approximately 130 dancers age seven to adult. To create Amira, which premiered in 2018, Tye directed the production and collaborated with seven HPSD faculty members on the choreography. Tye also worked closely with Costume Designer Jacquelyn Sanders on this modern Cinderella story and professional photographer Damien Thompson to design projection scenery featuring the neighborhoods of Chicago. Amira: A Chicago Cinderella Story is set to Prokofiev’s lush, jubilant score.
