Mainstage to perform Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Caleb Amick, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·2 min read

Jul. 10—ANDERSON — The prince is giving a ball and everyone's invited, including Cinderella, but something's standing in her way — her stepmother, stepsisters and most importantly, herself.

These adversaries do everything they can to stand in the way of her dreams.

Despite such adversity, the forces of destiny are working in her favor.

More details will be revealed during performances of "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," July 20 and 30 weekends at Mainstage Theatre.

Co-director Brian Shetterly cautioned audiences to not expect the Disney version as differences abound, beginning with the songs.

Instead of "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," audiences will hear "Impossible," "In My Own Little Corner," and "Ten Minutes Ago."

This production will differ from previous iterations of the R&H classic. It will be following the Broadway version reimagined by Douglas Carter Beane, according to Shetterly.

In Beane's version, elements of the story were modified for a more modern take.

Shetterly said establishing justice for the poor will be Topher's priority, instead of finding the woman of his dreams.

The kingdom has been left in the hands of Sebastian, an evil man who exploits the poor and downtrodden.

The prince returns after being absent for a long time but is largely blind to the injustices. This is where a village rebel comes in.

"He's just trying to get the prince to see that people are getting their land taken away from them by the rich, that the prince needs to pay attention to his subjects," said co-director Sara Wilkinson.

Shetterly said the prince then decides to take his kingdom in a more democratic direction.

The 31-person cast will be listed among many memorable iterations, including the 1957 adaptation featuring Julie Andrews and the 1997 version with Brandy and Whitney Houston.

The latter turned Wilkinson into a fan. Wilkinson remembered watching it with her mother and being in awe.

Wilkinson said she's excited to co-direct this play.

"It has been a dream of mine to work on Cinderella for years. I love this musical," she said.

"It's fairy tales and fun, it's all about the nice person getting a happy ending at the end."

Shetterly said the play's theme is: nothing is impossible or as one song puts it, "impossible things are happening every day."

Follow Caleb Amick on Twitter @AmickCaleb. Contact him at caleb.amick@heraldbulletin.com or 765-648-4254.