Play Suggestions: Cinderella ...... what do you think?

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Cinderella ...... what do you think?

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Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
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Topic: Cinderella ...... what do you think?

Posted By: Karin
Subject: Cinderella ...... what do you think?
Date Posted: 10/22/08 at 8:15am

I am thinking about Cinderella for our spring musical. This is our 5th year of a middle school theatre program and expectations are high. Nearly 1000 in our community come out to see our production. Wizard of Oz.... Alladin.... and especially Grease were performed to sold out crowds. For those who have directed Cinderella in the past, was it a success or were there other musicals or full length plays that you favored. Thanks in advance for your help.

Replies:

Posted By: belle
Date Posted: 10/23/08 at 8:59am

Cinderella is a wonderful show. I've directed it twice and helped with set design once. People love it because the story is timeless. The music is very familiar from the Disney cartoon versions. I would highly recommend it.

The humor is wonderful, too.

There are lots of good roles for women with songs. Only a couple of men (king and prince) are needed as the herald and cook can be women if necessary.

The magic tricks are a bit of a challenge but a magic shop can help or people here. We did the flowers and fire. We used a 2 dimensional pumpkin/coach.

I did write a director's note about the inadvisability of waiting for one's prince to come and of thinking that all step-sisters were horrible.

Posted By: iamadramanerd
Date Posted: 12/26/08 at 11:17pm

Hi Karin,
   I just finished Cinderella in May. It was a huge success! The little girls in the audience came dressed as princesses. So much fun. I am not sure what belle is talking about because the music in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is not the disney version.
    We are a theater in the round so the magic was tricky but do-able. We had Cinderella transform into her ball gown on stage and it always got a gasp and applause. It warmed my heart.
    Good luck!
    Oh I also cast a man as one of the stepsisters. He stole the show.

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Wove, true Wove.

Posted By: Helena
Date Posted: 12/27/08 at 3:04pm

I directed Cinderella for our community theatre two years ago, it was a huge success! We also has little girls who came to see the show dressed up as Cinderella and wanting our Cinderella's autograph after the performance.

Our cast ranged in age from 12 to 80.... and I had a wonderful time.

Our pumpkin coach transformation and mice into horses were a bit hit and got applause ever night.

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"..that's farce, that's theater, that's life"

Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 12/27/08 at 7:46pm

A friend of mine is currently producing R&H's "Cinderella" but doing it in an Asian style costume, set and movement - and using Kabuki-esque stage hands in black on stage at all times to change settings (mostly triptychs) and hand props, costume pieces etc. to the actors. Although still in rehearsal, it looks positively magical ... mysterious and fantastic. The cast seems to be loving every second of it.

Posted By: Karin
Date Posted: 12/29/08 at 11:27am

Thank you for sharing your comments. I am intrigued by your casting of a male stepsister. Can you clarify if the male dressed as a woman and acted in the female role or if he dressed and acted as a male. Please share more if you can.

Thanks again for taking time to share your success!

Karin

Posted By: KEB54
Date Posted: 12/29/08 at 1:20pm

Originally posted by Karin

Thank you for sharing your comments. I am intrigued by your casting of a male stepsister. Can you clarify if the male dressed as a woman and acted in the female role or if he dressed and acted as a male. Please share more if you can.

Thanks again for taking time to share your success!

Karin

Productions I've seen, both step sisters were male ... that is, the actors were male. They dressed female and portrayed females. I agree, they stole the show.

However, you're talking about a middle school production (right?). I don't think it would be appropriate for that. The productions I saw were adults performing.

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KEB

Posted By: iamadramanerd
Date Posted: 12/29/08 at 6:58pm

Hi Karin,
My production was the same. He dressed and acted like a girl. He spoke and sang in falsetto until Lovely Night. I gave him the solo "Darling I love you." Which he sang in bass and the whole house was laughing. Tons of fun.
Audrey

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Wove, true Wove.

Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 1/01/09 at 6:04pm

We also just finished our run - four weeks, with additional shows and a 99% sell out - we totally sold out our last weekend and people were actually willing to SRO for it. So much so that we put the entire in storage to do it again in three years.

Not only did it sell out, but our sustaining membership contributions have gone through the roof - as did our season ticket sales. I would love to do a show like this every year.

We had talked about doing one of the step-sisters in drag, but end up with two wonderful ladies both of whom brought down the house.

Great show, great music - done well, R&H always delivers.