The Rodgers and Hammerstein ‘Cinderella’ musical is a rare production. This new Opera Australia and John Frost Production is being performed for the first time in Australia. It only debuted on Broadway for the first time in 2013.
The show itself was originally made for television in 1957 as a project for Julie Andrews. The TV version has been updated twice since including a 1997 production with Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother.
The new Australian production stars a stunning Shubshri Kandiah in the title role, along with Ainsley Melham as the Prince, Tina Bursill as the Stepmother, Todd McKenney as Sebastian and Silvie Paladino as the Fairy Godmother.
The stage visuals use mainly old school physical sets (a lot of productions today use digital sets) and it is amazing how seamless the set changes are. So to with the costume changes with Cinderella changing costumes right before our eyes.
While the production is based on the 1957 television event, the moderisation comes via the adaptation based on the recent book by Douglas Carter Beane. Beane has also moderised ‘Xanadu’ for the stage and wrote the screenplay ‘To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar’.
In this production the Prince is a lost soul unaware of the dastardly deeds of his sidekick Sebastian. Cinderella is the one who opens his eyes and changes his life and the lives of the community. Beane has added the element of empowerment to the story making it fit more with audiences today.
Perth’s Shubshri Kandiah is best known to Australian theatre goers as Princess Jasmine in Aladdin the Musical. Ainsley Melham was also in Aladdin and was once a member of children’s group Hi-5.
Tina Bursill is best known for her long career in television and movies including 109 episodes of Skyways, 23 episodes of Home and Away and roles in Prisoner, A Country Practice and All Saints. Todd McKenney and Silvie Paldino are both veterans of the theatre circuit. Todd has starred in The Boy From Oz, 42nd Street and Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical, Silvie in Mamma Mia, Cats, Chess and The King and I.
‘Cinderella’ has enough wit for adults and adventure for kids. This really is a family show.
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ is now playing at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne.
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