Cinderella is magical event at Detroit Opera House
DETROIT, Mich.–Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the 2013 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical playing at The Detroit Opera House, is a delight not just for the (many) little princesses in the audience, but for viewers of all ages.
In this version, a 2013 update of the original 1957 show written for television, Ella captures the heart of the prince not only by being kind and beautiful, but by being brave, encouraging and socially conscious. Prince Topher (U of M graduate Andy Huntington Jones), who has been sheltered for years in private schools and sports a list of a dozen formal names, longs for a more meaningful existence than defeating menacing forest creatures and dragons. He encounters Ella (Kaitlyn Davidson) in the forest after such a quest, and is immediately enchanted by her great kindness in defending the tattered and eccentric “Crazy Marie” (Liz McCartney).
Optimist Ella is not without dreams of her own. She longs for adventure (“In My Own Little Corner”) even though she has accepted her role as servant to her cruel Stepmother Madame (Blair Ross), self-centered Stepsister Charlotte (Lulu Picart) and sympathetic Stepsister Gabrielle (Kimberly Faure) with hardly a complaint. Her kindness and caring show in all her interactions: she encourages the idealistic revolutionary Jean-Michel to stand up for the oppressed townspeople and peasants, and even encourages her own Fairy Godmother when she begins to doubt her own magical abilities (“Impossible/It’s Possible”).
At the ball, Ella changes the hearts of the other guests when she modifies the popular game of ridicule to a game of sincere compliments. Despite their attraction (“Ten Minutes Ago”), Ella is afraid to admit to Prince Topher that they’ve met before; instead, she takes the opportunity to open his eyes to the injustices being carries out on his people by his self-serving advisor Sebastian (Blake Hammond).
Ella even has the ability to elicit some pleasant moments in Madame and her Stepsisters, by getting them to recall the opulent ball (“A Lovely Night”), and she goes even further by making a touching connection with her Stepsister Gabrielle, encouraging her to follow her idealistic heart with Jean-Michel. In the end, Ella enables Jean-Michel and Prince Topher work together to enact meaningful change in the kingdom, and solidifies her place in the Prince’s heart when he realizes that it’s what is on the inside that makes someone beautiful.
This musical is a delight for the senses in many ways. William Ivey Long’s Tony Award for costume design is well-deserved. No discussion of this show would be complete without talking about the amazing costume changes! Cinderella leaves the audience in awe by magically whirling herself from servant gear to stunning ball gown. The Lords and Ladies of the Court wear just the right balance of velvet, brocade, satin, ruffles, sparkles and floaty layers to be opulent without being too gaudy—with the exception of Stepsister Charlotte, who is appropriately over-the-top. Even the peasants and townsfolk look down-to-earth without being shabby, in muted colors that happily depart from brown and gray.
The choreography (Josh Rhodes) makes beautiful use of the costumes, and is fitting in many ways, from the folk dancing of the townspeople to the lantern-lit search for Cinderella after the ball. The search also cleverly features the Fox/Footman (Michael Callahan) and Raccoon/Driver (Chip Abbott) in a humorous “acrobatic distraction” which allows Cinderella to escape. Other factors contribute to the overall magic of the show—the effect of transforming a pumpkin into a coach, and the fairytale feeling of the set design and lighting.
The entire cast impresses with solid vocals that are entirely in keeping with their characters, yet never cartoonish. Cinderella sounds young and optimistic, Prince Topher strong yet gentle, Madame and Charlotte demanding, Fairy Godmother wise and supportive.
This show is about much more than vocal performance, though. It is a magical combination of elements that transports audiences into a classic (though modernized) fairytale with a timeless theme that will touch young and old.
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a new book by Douglas Carter Beane and original book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is directed by Mark Brokaw. Music adaptation, supervision and arrangements are by David Chase and orchestrations are by Danny Troob. It will play at The Detroit Opera House for a limited engagement from February 16 – 28, 2016.