Review: Audiences Will Love 'Cinderella' Because It's Enchanting
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Revising a classic tale could mean utter disaster or a breath of fresh air. For the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts’ production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” – which had a script update in 2013 by Douglas Carter Beane when the musical was revived on Broadway – it’s the latter of the two. The story of a woman meeting her prince with the help of a fairy godmother is still intact, but now there’s also an underlying story of helping the poor and eliminating government corruption. And the Wagon Wheel actors and crew delivered an entertaining story Saturday night that all the little girls in the audience in their princess dresses could enjoy from start to finish. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical rendition of the classic fairy tale will be performed on weekends through Dec. 20 at the Warsaw theater. Performances on Fridays and Saturdays start at 8 p.m., while Sunday performances start at 2 p.m. After the opening musical prologue, the show starts with Ella (Jackey Good) coming on stage with her cart, picking up sticks. She then exits off stage as the prince, Topher (Jeremy Seiner), and his knights battle a giant (Artistic Director Scott Michaels), who looks like a tree character from “The Lord of the Rings.” They fight while singing “Me, Who Am I?” Topher just wants to be doing something more important with his life. The audience learns that Topher’s parents died when he was young, leaving him in Sebastian’s (Mike Yocum) care. Of course, Sebastian has been running the kingdom how he wants, not how the former king and queen did, and not telling Topher anything. Topher doesn’t really take interest in any of the kingdom’s business anyway until Ella manages to pique his interest. As Ella and Topher, Good and Seiner make an enjoyable, believable romantic pair. Both also are great singers and have strong presence on the stage. If you remember how fun “Catch Me If You Can” was a few years ago at the Wagon Wheel, you’ll probably recall how amazing Reiner was in the part made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio. While Sebastian and the rich are trampling over the poor, one rebel – Jean-Michel (Matthew Janisse) – is trying to get the attention of the prince and change the world. Unfortunately, he doesn’t quite succeed on his own and can’t get the people to really listen to him because Sebastian keeps the masses distracted with things like a ball. Imagine a country where the people don’t really get involved in their government because the government keeps them distracted with petty issues or entertainment – gladiator fights, Kim Kardashian, whatever – that’s Topher’s kingdom as controlled by Sebastian. This updated version of “Cinderella” is funnier, and Janisse helps bring the funny to it. Always an interesting and fun actor, Janisse really sells the audience to his cause and character. Bad government isn’t Jean-Michel’s only issue, though, as he’s in love with Ella’s stepsister Gabrielle (Ellen Jenders), who isn’t as bad as her sister or mother. Like any love story, Jean-Michel and Gabrielle are prevented from being together because the mother, Madame (Catherine DeLuce), won’t stand for it and she has other plans for her. Madame and Sebastian want Gabrielle to marry Topher. Until Ella spurs her on to rebel, Gabrielle just does what she is told and is afraid to confront her mom. Playing Madame, DeLuce doesn’t look old enough to be the mother, but she can definitely act the part. She’s got fire in her commands and anger in her ridicule, which make her the perfect actress for the role – you forget she doesn’t look old enough to play the mother. The other stepsister, Charlotte (Kira Lace Hawkins), is rude, snotty and not so bright but most everything that comes out of her mouth gives the audience a chuckle. And played by the Wagon Wheel’s megastar Hawkins, every gesture, facial expression and line delivered is fun to take in. If you’ve seen any shows over the past couple of years with Kristen Yasenchak in them – Ursula in “The Little Mermaid” to name but one role she’s played – you will clearly remember how awesome it is to watch her. As “crazy” Marie, her performance is a bit toned down from Ursula, but she’s just as memorable. Of course, like Seiner, Good and Hawkins, Yasenchak also has a beautiful voice that deserves to be heard. There’s plenty of sing-along songs in the show, too, which audiences may remember. Some of my favorite include “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible,” “It’s Possible,” “Ten Minutes Ago” and “Do I Love you Because You’re Beautiful?” Sung by the beautiful voices of this cast, it’s no wonder they’re Broadway classics. If you watched any of “The Hunger Games” movies, you may remember that the citizens of The Capitol wear very bright, decorative, slightly odd costumes. The women in “Cinderella” for Wagon Wheel’s production wear similar attire. Their dresses are louder than a monster truck show, and their hair is done up in such a way that suggests it is Weird Hair Day every day in the kingdom. Ella and Marie are the only woman in the kingdom who don’t look like they were at a slumber party on acid. But that works for this show, especially since it’s a fairy tale of sorts. As for the scenery and stage, it did seem rather bare. For a theater in the round, that can be beneficial as there’s nothing to block audience’s view of what’s going on the stage. However, when Cinderella goes to the palace for the ball and banquet, the minimal set is somewhat of a disappointment – a lavish scene would bring a bit more excitement to the show overall.My rating of “Cinderella” (out of 4): 3.5. Tickets are on sale at Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts and online at wagonwheelcenter.org Prices range from $14 for children to $32 for adults, plus a $3 processing fee. Those interested in more information may contact Wagon Wheel Theatre’s box office at 574-267-8041.
