Cinderella Broadway tour hits Wharton Center with storybook delight
The national tour of the Tony Award-winning (costumes) Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella seemed to delight every tiara-wearing child in the audience at The Wharton Center in East Lansing, as well as their parents and grandparents who sprung for the tickets.
And why not. Besides the solid tunes by the great composers, there is plenty of magic taking place on stage in instant costume changes that turn characters from rags to riches and beauty in the blink of an eye. On top of that, there are plenty of tweaks to the script to bring the 1950s story a bit up to date in both language and humor references.
Paige Faure, as “Ella,” played the lead role on Broadway. She is forthright and strong in bother her singing and acting, and sets up the character well for some of the modern changes to our heroine, like when she decides to give her glass slipper to Prince Charming rather than letting him find it. Instead of cooing to Topher in her gown to keep him guessing and interested, she implores him, “You need to open your eyes to what’s happening in your kingdom.”
University of Michigan graduate Andy Huntington Jones plays a solid and earnest Prince Topher. Topher? Really? This is an example of the writers trying to repaint the story, though the production’s attention to lavish costumes and set design that looks like they came out of the best pop-up story book ever keeps it grounded in what it is—a fairy tale.
The plot of the current iteration of the story is that Cinderella (Ella) opens Prince Topher’s eyes to the injustices in the kingdom. The prince’s parents are dead, and the Prince’s future is being charted by a nasty minister who has duped his charge into approving oppressive legislation. The rebel from the rabble Jean-Michel, a new character in the story, and stepsister Gabrielle are in love and seek to overthrow the monarchy. The score includes the best-known songs from the original version from the 1950s, as well as four songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalogue.
Kaitlyn Davidson as Gabrielle and Aymee Garcia as step-sister Charlotte are actually bigger and better characters than those who played the roles in the original Broadway production, which did not want to make the sisters too, well, ugly. There was a lot “PC” about the original. But Ms. Garcia is appropriately ghastly in her ridiculous hair. And her comedic timing is spot on and gets a lot of laughs.
The messages of self-esteem and kindness are at their best at moments like when the court starts a familiar parlor game the object of which is to deliver the wittiest cutting insults at another. When Cinderella is invited to play, she changes the game to delivering the best, sweetest compliments. It’s a funny sequence that helps build Cinderella’s cred as she puts those in the court back on their heels.
Beth Glover is saucy and sinister, and funny as she cat-scratches her way through the show as Cinderella’s step-mother who married Cinderella’s father for his money. Liz McCartney as Marie, Cinderella’s fairy godmother, is also solid with a terrific voice. No surprise as she has numerous Broadway credits in demanding shows like Phantom of the Opera and Mama Mia and Les Mis.
Cinderella is a hit with the kids, especially the girls from 6-12, but there is really something for everyone here. It might be tough to get a lot of the older adolescent boys to the show. But besides the enjoyment of the show, there is a lot of stagecraft to see and learn from.