Over the last several years, fairy tales have been tweaked and re-imagined.
From books by Greg Maguire to movies "Shrek" and "Enchanted," characters in modern retellings are not so good or innocent anymore. Their flaws are shown, and their personalities are a little darker.But Wagon Wheel Theatre's production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella" keeps the innocence of the characters intact. Cinderella is still the sweet, innocent beauty most people remember. Good things still happen to good people, and bad people still get their just-desserts. There's no confusion as to who is actually the good or bad guys as there is in a show like "Wicked."
And if that's what you're looking for in a holiday show, then "Cinderella" is probably right up your alley. It has its funny moments, thanks largely to the stepsisters and the king, and it all ends "happily ever after."
Starring in the lead role of Cinderella is Jennie Sophia, who was featured in many of this year's past shows, including "Picnic." Sophia is perfectly cast as she is as musically talented and beautiful as one could want for the Cinderella role. There's no question that a prince would fall for her charms, or that her ugly stepsisters and stepmother would be jealous.
In Greg Maguire's book "Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister," Maguire wrote the "true" story of the stepsisters from the standpoint of one of the stepsisters. Until that story hits Broadway, like Maguire's book "Wicked" did, we have the standard story of the stepsisters - Portia (Lisa Liaromatis) and Joy (Carrie Weis) - who are bratty, lazy and bossy.
Weis and Liaromatis do an amazing job in their performances. Every time they appeared on stage, it was only seconds before I found myself either smiling or laughing. Joy constantly bats her eyes and almost tumbles when she tried to curtsy, which Weis did to perfection. Portia's knees creaked and the sound effect was right on cue. Together, Weis and Liaromatis are the perfect casting of the two stepsisters.
Alyssa Trasher is the stepmother in the Wagon Wheel production. She's not comical for the majority of the show, but Trasher really brings her to life. She is 100 percent believable as a wicked stepmother who'd probably be arrested for child abuse in modern society. She does have her wickedly funny moments though.
In addition to the stepsisters, The King as played by WWT veteran Mike Yocum also offers plenty of comedy. When audiences meet him, he's not quite fully dressed, leaving the audience with a hearty laugh until he puts his pants back on. The King has a lot of the zingers in the story, which Yocum delivers perfectly.
Serving as Queen to Yocum's King is Kira Lace Hawkins. She is the soft but firm hand in the Prince's life, keeping her husband aware of what is going on.
For the Prince (Jeremy Rill), his best moment of the show came at the start of the royal ball. Watch his facial expressions as he dances with each of the stepsisters and stepmother. Priceless.
There are a number of songs in "Cinderella" which can easily get stuck in your head. "The Prince Is Giving A Ball," "In My Own Little Corner," "Fol-De-Rol," "Impossible," "It's Possible," "Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" are all well-written melodies that you might end up humming as you leave the show. And the cast certainly sings them well enough.
In addition to the music, "Cinderella" also offers some entertaining dancing, enjoyable acting and all under two hours. Are there some flaws? Yeah, there are. But your young children won't notice during the family show.
My rating of "Cinderella (out of four): 2.75.
Tickets may be purchased by calling 574-267-8041, toll free 866-823-2618, or online at www.wagonwheeltheatre.com
