Opera Modesto Celebrates CINDERELLA This January

Opera Modesto will host a magical, family-friendly weekend at The State Theatre of Modesto this month, featuring events January 16-18, 2026.

The festivities begin Friday evening with Cinderella's Ball, an event celebrating fairytales (especially Cinderella!) and the joy of reading. Guests are invited to dress up as their favorite fairytale character or princess to watch the 1950 Disney animated movie Cinderella. Harmonize with us to your favorite songs from the film, enjoy a photobooth, costume parade, free raffle hosted by Bookish Modesto, and snacks! Guests will take home the Stanislaus County Library's calendar of events, a commemorative sticker, and a special fairytale cookie.

Cinderella's Ball runs from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026 at the State Theatre of Modesto.

Tickets are $17 and are available at thestate.org/events/cinderellas-ball-012026

The weekend continues with Opera Modesto's fully staged production of Cinderella. Experience the enchanting tale of Cinderella reimagined as an operetta by French composer Pauline Viardot! This delightful show is based on the same fairytale that inspired Walt Disney and weaves a story of magic and love. With stunning music played by a 13-piece orchestra, opera singers from around the country, including local stars from right here in the Central Valley, beautiful costumes, and stunning animated projections that embed sung English text directly into the visual this is not a performance to be missed! From the mischievous stepsisters to the charming prince and the magical fairy godmother, Opera Modesto's Cinderella offers a delightful twist on the timeless story.

Performances of Cinderella take place Saturday, January 17th and Sunday, January 18th at 2:00 p.m. at the State Theatre of Modesto.

Tickets start at $29 ($19 student tickets available) and can be purchased at thestate.org/events/opera-modesto-presents-cinderella-012026/

Cinderella is part of Opera Modesto's Story Into-Song Literacy Initiative, an annual program that provides support for critically low literacy rates in the Central Valley. After the public performances on January 17th and 18th Cinderella will go on tour until the end of February serving over 10,000 students across the Central Valley.

This nationally unique initiative brings literature to life through live, fully staged operas based on books and stories that align with multi-disciplinary school curricula. Opera Modesto provides long-and short-form curriculum guides for teachers, enabling seamless integration into classroom instruction. Students TK through University experience world-class performers singing without amplification in theaters in their community and can hear firsthand about the singers' backgrounds, training, and personal paths, creating an invaluable opportunity for young people to witness human excellence, dedication, and achievable dreams.

Sacramento Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. LITTLE WOMEN THE MUSICAL (Sutter Street Theatre)

17% of votes

2. FUN HOME (Lyric Rose Theatre)

13% of votes

3. IN THE HEIGHTS (Broadway at Music Circus)

7.8% of votes

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