Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” has made its way to the Boston Opera House while on its national tour, and the Office of Student Involvement organized a trip for students to go watch the musical last Friday.
The musical is a very new production — it began in 2013, based on the 1957 television movie with Julie Andrews — so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the show. Entering the opera house is always an experience, even when you’ve been many times, as scale of the room is incredible. A forest decorated the stage with dark blue, green and purple hues. As we settled down, the lights dimmed and the show began.
The cast itself was wonderful, and included Paige Faure as Ella, Andy Huntington Jones as Topher and Liz McCartney as the Fairy Godmother. The actors brought their characters to life, which made the production that much more exciting. The ensemble cast only added to the excitement, with their nonstop singing and dancing and seemingly endless energy. During the ballroom scene, Cinderella and Prince Topher meet at the ball and sing “10 Minutes Ago” while waltzing to the music, with the rest of the company dancing around them. It’s a longer scene, but it’s a moment that captivates because of the artistry and graceful execution.
The dialogue, apart from the musical numbers, was witty and quite clever at certain points in the musical. Prince Topher’s existential crisis about who he is and what he wants to do with his life struck home with us college students in the audience. Memorable lines included: “But I went to an all-male school in the middle of the woods, I don’t know any girls!” and “He’s the next ruler of this kingdom? But he’s actually kind, and sweet, and has a soul.” The musical played with real issues while still keeping the show lighthearted and family-oriented.
Ultimately, the focal point of this rendition of “Cinderella” is the costume and set design — lavish costumes and detailed sets made the stage come alive. Transitions were seamless, particularly during Cinderella’s transformation scenes. The audience gasped as she twirled around the stage in a musical sequence of “Impossible,” her shabby dress magically unraveling into a glittering white ball gown. This scene was definitely one of the highlights of the show.
The show lulled at a few points in the middle, but kept its spirit and ended strong, with several fun musical numbers that had little girls in princess dresses chiming in while watching. And I know that as busy college students, we definitely enjoyed the trip to Cinderella’s corner as well.
Photo by Lia Wang ’16, Assistant Arts Editor
