Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella @ Upright Theatre Company
Photos by Katie Moyes Williams
—Jan Farrington
I fell hard for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella when I first saw it on black-and-white TV (with Julie Andrews) as a little girl. Last night, I saw it with the granddaughters, in living color—and the magic held. It’s a sweet show, funny and romantic, and as tuneful as ever.
Upright Theatre Company’s ambitious and lively production (playing at the Palace Arts Center in Grapevine) comes with some fine voices and a big cast who sing, dance, somersault—and make lots of smaller parts come alive. They’re a credit to director Natalie Burkhart, music director Devon Harper, and choreographer Jennifer Leyva.
The stage of the Palace, a nicely re-done movie house, seems a bit shallow for ensemble dancing, and we worried about someone sailing over the edge mid-waltz. (Nobody did.) And there are a few sound problems. Some of the body mikes don’t perform well; if anything, they muddy the sound, at times making dialogue and lyrics hard to hear clearly. Still, R&H’s lovely tunes come through, as do the clever lyrics—added to by writer Douglas Carter Beane, who also tweaked the story line to include some rumbles in the kingdom about equal rights and social justice. (Think Cinderella with just a touch of Les Mis thrown in.)
The two seven-year-olds didn’t care much about that. They were there for the dresses, the dancing, the pumpkins, and Cinderella. One of them whispered that she knew all along that Ella’s fancy dress was hidden under her big “raggedy girl” skirts. They were both wide-eyed at the twirling (magical?) changes from one outfit to another, and by the pumpkin that really did (almost instantly) become a glam carriage. The show runs two hours and a bit, but they never once took their eyes off the stage.
Katie Moyes Williams makes a lovely, spirited Ella (her stepmother adds the “Cinder” to make fun of Ella’s seat by the fire), and her sweet soprano is a treat. She and the Prince (Heath Bromley) really seem to fall for each other in a heartbeat—lots of good chemistry there, and he can sing too! Noël Clark is a delight as Marie (aka, the Fairy Godmother), at first because she’s funny and mysterious, then because she lets loose with an opera-quality voice that makes us sit up in our seats.
The two “baddies” of the bunch are Ella’s meanie (but comic) stepmother (Stacey Calvert) and the evil Lord Protector (Brad Echols), both satisfyingly boo-able. The stepsisters surprise us: Charlotte (Megan Lagermann) is a hoot singing the “Stepsister’s Lament” (“Why would a fella want a girl like her?”), and Gabrielle (Natasha Braun) becomes Ella’s best friend—and has the sense to fall in love with the good-hearted reformer Jean-Michel (Tom Pinney’s strong voice is perfect for the part). Colton Walker sings the story’s big announcements, vibrating as he tries to reach the farthest corners of the kingdom with his “Hear, ye.” And Piper Daniel and Claire Summers do nice tumbling as they transform into the Coachman and Footman Cinderella needs to get her to…the Palace. (I thought we were already there?)
Writer Beane’s freshened-up story gives Ella more to do than “just” sing great songs. She champions people in need, promotes kindness, and helps her Prince become a ruler who cares about those things. The little girls, on “Team Cinderella” all the way, liked it that their girl was strong and smart—and that the Prince loved her for it.
A good old story, well told—and well sung.
WHEN: Through March 19
WHERE: Palace Arts Center, 300 S. Main St., Grapevine
WEB: uprighttheatre.org
