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This year, Brewster High School put on a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella version from the 2013 Broadway revival. This version has an updated book and score from when it was first originally written in the 1950s, made for a TV musical in black and white. Though based on the original Disney Cinderella story, this production has its own story line that sets it apart from its famous inspiration. It has evolved over time as any piece of living art does. Another version came out in the 1960’s made by Leslie M. Warren in color. Then, the 1990s Disney’s version came out, and then in 2013 this version came to Broadway for the first time, with three movies and a Broadway production in total.
This revised version, with added music, characters, and subplots took the crowd by storm. The knights’ song was added along with a whole political subplot that focused on the disparity between the wealthy and the poor of the kingdom. A revolutionary of the town, Jean Michelle, was a character added in as a voice of the poor who are losing their land. They desperately need to remind the prince (with the help of Ella) that he fought for Democracy and became a leader but not a dictator. Douglas Carter Bean wrote the new revised book for this version. He fixed and cleaned up the script, from 60 to 120 minutes, and was Tony nominated for the work he did.
Going into Cinderella, I was extremely excited as this is a very well known musical and I’ve known it since my childhood. To say they nailed it would be an understatement. I felt like the acting was extremely passionate and everybody really devoted themselves to their roles through their facial expressions, mannerisms, and voices. The costumes looked extremely well made, altering the entire auditorium to become a part of the set, and ultimately the kingdom, through just the atmosphere.
My favorite part of the musical was definitely the music. I absolutely loved how into the music the pit got, they were passionate and devoted to every note throughout the entire musical. My favorite scene was definitely the scene where Prince Topher was trying to find Ella and they were racing through the woods. The music was fast and extremely challenging, as some members of the pit claimed it was the hardest song, yet they played it with such intensity that the audience had no choice but to be sucked into the music and scene.
All of the cast was so devoted to their roles, Ella (Emiko Dunn) really committed herself to the role, from her facial expressions, to her mannerisms, to her overall presence on stage, it felt extremely natural and completely transformed the overall perception of the musical. Prince Topher (Miguel Suarez) had a very commanding presence on the stage, one fitting of a prince, almost like his princely presence expanded onto the crowd. I feel like Madame (Kate Sullivan) really transformed the entire show, with her attitude and sassy gestures, she really fit her role perfectly. Crazy Marie (Mikaela Russano) was by far my favorite member of the cast. In the beginning of the play, her old lady voice and comedic lines really pulled me into the show, but then as she became the Fairy Godmother, her voice was very angelic and fit the role of fairy godmother perfectly, especially when she was flying. Jean-Michel (Solomon Betcher) was a role added by Douglas Carter, and one that was definitely worth it. His role involved a real world struggle in the play and gave it an underlying sub-plot which really added a new depth to Cinderella.
Overall, the entire production was really impressive and a lot of fun. Brewster theater always manages to impress, and the actors and craftspeople involved produce amazing and entertaining results. Thanks for such a good time!
