By Jennifer Mustoe
I admit, I’ve always been kind of a Cinderella fangirl. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t start out a princess and instead is treated unfairly by the world’s meanest stepmother and stepsisters ever, dresses in rags and is befriended by animals. I am not going to share the story here. If you don’t know Cinderella by now, watch Disney and you’ll pick it up quick.
Chase Ramsey, the SCERA’s director for this production has done a fabulous job of keeping the show moving and this is important because there were a lot of kids who came to this show. I even saw a few with tiaras (and was sorry I hadn’t worn mine, if you want to know the truth.) The evidence of older children (and older than children types) was apparent when Cinderella and the prince kiss. Oops! Was that a spoiler? I hope not. But yes they do kiss (and way to go Cinderella in this scene!) and the crowd cheered and ooohed and I admit, it was pretty darling.
And that is really the best word I can come up with for this show: darling. The show starts with an introduction by the Fairy Godmother played by Lauren Wade. My image of Fairy Godmother is someone kind of pudgy and old. Ms. Wade is neither and she is awesome. She has a great set of pipes and throws some comedy into her role. Nice work.
Cinderella, played spunkily by Jaymie Lambson, was perfect. When she was the drudge stepdaughter, she complained (while singing) without whining, but this girl has some grit. Once she is in her ballgown, there was a collective sigh from the audience. We all couldn’t wait to see her sparkle.
The stepmother was one of my favorite characters. Kathryn Little has this throaty voice and such a way with her body language. I delighted in hating her. Her two horrible daughters are just as hate-inducing. The two wonderful brats are played by McKelle Shaw and Alana Jeffrey. I admit, I’d love to see a show with just these three as the main characters. I mean, if they can have a movie about Malificent, can’t they have a wicked stepmother and her horrible daughters show, too? The harmonies of these women’s songs were spot on. Cinderella joins these three for “When You’re Driving Through the Moonlight” and “A Lovely Night,” and these were my favorite numbers in the show. Seeing Cinderella finally accepted by her stepsisters and then completely thrust away again by the stepmother was painfully poignant and fabulous.
Billy Hagee’s Lionel was wonderful. I’ve seen Hagee in other productions and he is always great to watch–good timing, great voice, spot on acting. I actually would have preferred to see him as the prince, simply because he seemed a little older and therefore more mature. However, Parker Harmon’s Prince Christopher was very good. He has a nice voice and was definitely someone Cinderella could easily fall for.
The set by Shawn Mortensen was lovely, as all sets are at the SCERA. I haven’t seen a show there that doesn’t dazzle. The pumpkin carriage was adorable. Lighting by Michael Gray was quite good, though the spot didn’t always cover the people it was supposed to be lighting. Deborah Bowman’s costumes were delicious. Very royal and wonderful.
Director Ramsey also did most of the choreography and it was good–biggish cast and more women than men, as is the case with most summer musicals. He made good choices in that there was nothing too difficult. If there’s one thing I really don’t like, it’s a dance number where only some of the people get the moves right. This didn’t happen in Cinderella.
Music director Korianne Orton-Johnson brought her singers to life. Great harmonies, lots of volume. A very satisfying musical. Sound Engineer Kendall Bowman did well, too, though there was one missed cue. That will be fixed by tonight. But isn’t it nice to go to a theater where the actors are miked and there isn’t any static? If this is what you like, go to see this show. NO STATIC. Yay!
For those of you who’ve never been to the Outdoor SCERA Shell–a few tips. First, either buy the seats that have chairs or bring a blanket to sit on. You can also bring your own food, which is sort of cool. I saw picnicking going on and thought that was pretty neat. Also, if you do not want to be bothered by children who, even though they aren’t supposed to, run up and down the grassy hill, buy the more expensive seating with chairs, don’t do the grass seating. Finally, though I didn’t see any skeeters last night, spray yourself with bug spray. (I prefer Listerine and yes, you read that right. It works and isn’t poison. You smell a little mediciney but you don’t get bit.)
Also, the show runs until 10 PM. This may be a little late for some youngsters, but I saw a be-crowned and be-jeweled three-year-old pluckily trotting along with her mom after the show and she seemed just fine. Though I did not hear a lot of bored whiny children, unless your kids are REALLY into princess stuff, you may want to leave them home. There isn’t a whole lot of action in this show.
That being said, I would very much recommend the SCERA’s Cinderella. It’s the first summer show I’ve reviewed and it’s a good place to start. The weather was great, the show was great. It’s worth going to.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA is the opening musical of our 2014 summer season at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre. Don’t miss it under the stars June 6-21 on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8 PM. Call (801) 225-ARTS or www.scera.org for tickets and information. $10-$16
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