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Cinderella
Cinderella with her stepmother and two step sisters
The Muny’s Cinderella Adds New
Whimsy to an Old Beloved Classic
By Pat Lindsey
“Leave the slipper! Leave the slipper!” is what the audience was secretly hoping Cinderella would do at the end of the first act of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, before they uneasily went to intermission. This is just one of the many departures this Cinderella takes from the Disney version of the beloved fairytale. Muny-goers should be prepared for a new take on an old classic that is filled with technicolored whimsy, enchantment, and social overtones.
Based on a new book by Douglas Carter Beane, the story opens in the woods where a giant as big as the Muny stage is slain by Prince Topher (Jason Gotay). The prince’s band of soldiers praise him for his bravery, but the prince thinks there must be something more that he could be doing with his life. He then breaks into his song, “Me, Who Am I?” in his beautiful tenor voice. The prince sets forth determined to find himself and his real purpose, while being unaware that his advisor, Sebastian (John Scherer) is manipulating his every move.
When Sebastian suggests to the prince that he should find a wife, the prince replies that he doesn’t know any women, because he went to an all boys school in the woods and then he went to an all-male university on an island… Another departure from the original script.
This new rendition of Cinderella might break tradition, but it’s filled with good messages that should resonate with the children. Charity and compassion, the rights of the people, bullying, political activism, friendship, love–even body image–are just some of the issues that are addressed front and center.
When the prince is about to banish a poor, stooped-over beggar in town, it is Cinderella (Mikaela Bennett) who defends her and gives her a coin for a hot meal. Cinderella’s kindness pays off when Crazy Marie (Ashley Brown) transforms into her fairy godmother before our very eyes. In a wink, her tattered rags become a beautiful white gown. As Cinderella marvels at her dress, Marie replies, “You’d be surprised how many beautiful gowns have crazy women in them!”
Cinderella is a kinder, more gentle interpretation of the traditional fairytale. The raspy-voiced mean stepmother, Madame (Alison Fraser), is still cold and condescending, but not as abusive as the original character. The stepsisters, Gabrielle (Stephanie Gibson) and Charlotte (Jennifer Cody), are also less punitive toward Cinderella and the relationship that Gabrielle and Cinderella eventually form speaks volumes about the importance of true friendship. To strengthen that friendship, Cinderella helps Gabrielle escape from her mother to be with her revolutionary boyfriend, Jean-Michel (Chad Burris).
Strong, gorgeous voices by Mikaela Bennett and Jason Gotay and the entire cast, singing the lovely melodies by Rodgers and Hammerstein are retained in this updated version that features some carnival-like characters dressed in bold, bright costumes (Robin McGee) that look like something straight out of “The Hunger Games.” There is still a ball at the prince’s palace, but don’t expect to see ball gowns waltzing around the dance floor. Cinderella still has a midnight curfew, but she takes the glass slipper with her. In the end, Cinderella finds her activist voice and we know that she and her prince are going to be a formidable team. It’s all about change, which makes this show rather unpredictable, but sealed with a happy ending.
Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge and her creative team have created Muny Magic with this Broadway version of Cinderella, which will be playing on The Muny stage for nine nights from now through July 16. Leave your old concepts of Cinderella and her blue ball gown behind and see it with an open mind! For tickets, go to muny.org or call 314-534-1111.
