Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella is a musical in two acts with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Douglas Carter Beane based partly on Hammerstein's 1957 book. The story is derived from the fairy tale Cinderella, particularly the French version Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre, by Charles Perrault. The story concerns a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother. She dreams of a better life, and with the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella is transformed into an elegant young lady and is able to attend the ball to meet her Prince. In this version, however, she opens the Prince's eyes to the injustice in his kingdom.
Rodgers and Hammerstein originally wrote the songs for a 1957 television broadcast starring Julie Andrews, and it was remade twice for television and adapted for the stage in various versions prior to the Broadway production. The 2013 adaptation was the first version of Cinderella with the Rodgers and Hammerstein score mounted on Broadway. The new book by Beane introduces several new characters and a sympathetic stepsister, and the score features several additional Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. The production originally starred Laura Osnes in the title role and Santino Fontana as the Prince and ran for 770 performances. It was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning one, for Best Costume Design. US national tours and international productions followed.
Background
The original 1957 broadcast starred Julie Andrews as Cinderella and Jon Cypher as the Prince. More than 107 million viewers saw the broadcast. The musical was staged at the London Coliseum in 1958 in a holiday pantomime adaptation that also used songs from Me & Juliet. Rodgers and Hammerstein signed with CBS. Stage versions began to appear in U.S. theatres by 1961.
After the musical's success in its initial broadcast and as a stage production, and since the original TV version had not been filmed for rebroadcast, CBS mounted another production in 1965 with a new script that hewed closer to the traditional tale, and nearly all of the original songs. Lesley Ann Warren played the title role. The New York City Opera produced the musical in 1993 and revived it several times. A United States tour played from 2000 to 2001, stopping at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. A 1997 television re-make, adapted by Robert L. Freedman and directed by Robert Iscove, was choreographed by Rob Marshall. Its racially diverse cast featured Brandy as Cinderella, Whitney Houston as her fairy godmother, Bernadette Peters as her stepmother, and Paolo Montalban as the Prince. Several songs were added. A 30-week Asian tour starred Lea Salonga, beginning in 2008, and an all-female production of the musical in Japan in 2008 featured J-Pop group Morning Musume and veteran members of the Takarazuka Revue.
In Douglas Carter Beane's version of the story, Cinderella opens Prince Topher's eyes to the injustice in the kingdom. The Prince's parents have died, leaving the kingdom in the hands of a villainous prime minister, who has been the Prince's mentor and has duped his young charge into approving oppressive legislation. The rebel Jean-Michel, a new character, and stepsister Gabrielle are in love, and the two seek to overthrow the government. The score includes the best-known songs from the original version and features four songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalog, including "Now Is the Time", cut from South Pacific. The show was given workshop productions in 2012.
Productions
The musical's first Broadway production began previews on January 25, 2013 and opened on March 3, 2013 at The Broadway Theatre. Mark Brokaw directed the production, with Josh Rhodes choreographing, and the original cast included Laura Osnes in the title role, Santino Fontana as the Prince, Victoria Clark as Crazy Marie/the Fairy Godmother, Harriet Harris as Ella's stepmother, Peter Bartlett as Sebastian, The Prime Minister, Ann Harada and Marla Mindelle as stepsisters Charlotte and Gabrielle, and Greg Hildreth as the rebel Jean-Michel. Designers included Anna Louizos (sets), William Ivey Long (costumes), and Kenneth Posner (lighting). The show's initial reviews were mixed.