Coppelia
Coppelia is a ballet based on "The Sandman" by ETA Hoffmann, with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and music by Léo Delibes.
Franz is preparing for his wedding to his sweetheart, Swanhilda, when he glances into the upper story windows of the house of the reclusive Doctor Coppelius. Inside, he sees the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on -- Coppelia, the doctor's daughter, and falls at once in love. Forgetting Swanhilda, he sneaks into the Doctor's house to woo his new love. However, Coppelius has more than a few secrets hiding in his home... and Swanhilda is by no means going to take her lover's abandonment lying down!
Tropes used in Coppelia include:
- Become a Real Boy: What Doctor Coppelius attempts with Coppelia. Needless to say, it fails miserably.
- Brainless Beauty: Coppelia is a literal example
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Swanhilda, somewhat
- Crosscast Role: In the original production, the role of Franz was played by a woman in drag.
- Girl Posse: Swanhilda has one
- Grumpy Old Man: Doctor Coppelius
- Lighter and Softer: The ballet is a light-hearted comedy, whereas the original ETA Hoffman story is a horror story and a tragedy.
- Love At First Sight: Franz, for Coppelia. Evaporates when he finds out that she's just a doll.
- Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: Coppelia
- Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate: Dr. Coppelius, a hermit who slaves over his dedication to his perfectly lifelike dolls, and bringing his "daughter" to life -- at any cost. He is, however, far far nicer than his incarnation in the original Sandman, where was (probably) the Sandman himself, and liked nothing better than to drive men mad and rip out the eyes of children.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Swanhilda successfully impersonates Coppelia by simply swapping clothes with her.
- Plucky Girl: Swanhilda.
- Pygmalion Plot: Arguable, but Coppelius seems to be quite infatuated with his creation.
- Robot Girl: Coppelia
- Robotic Reveal: Inverted and then played straight: at the end of Act II, Swanhilda reveals her true identity to Coppelius; then she pulls out the real Coppelia from behind the curtain, showing Franz that his recent infatuation is only a doll.
- Slap Slap Kiss: Swanhilda and Franz have a rather... lively relationship.
- Tsundere: Swanhilda
- Youth Is Wasted on the Dumb: most notably when Swanhilda and her friends all dare each other into sneaking into Coppelius's house and messing around with his stuff.