Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful... "Cinderella" at the Paramount!

If you haven't seen the new twist on the classic Rodger's + Hammerstein's Cinderella, you're missing out! The colors, the set, the costumes! The powerful voices and superb acting! It was an enchanting few hours (literally!) and I had so much fun!
I invited my mom, since she loves musicals but doesn't enjoy going by herself. Plus I didn't want to have to cajole my own kid into going (even though I knew she'd love it) and make her stay up late on a school night.

[I was provided with complimentary tickets. All opinions are my own]

I hadn't liked the original 1965 movie version, since they cast their Cinderella based on her dancing ability, rather than her voice. That's a major pet peeve of mine. (I'm looking at you, Russell Crowe in Les Miz!) Well, this director did not make THAT mistake, let me tell you! And while I wasn't sure how I felt about the "cheeky new script" during the first few scenes, by the first dance number for "The Prince is Giving a Ball," they won me over! Choreographer Josh Rhodes did not "play it safe" with the dances. I have watched every season of So You Think You Can Dance, so I have pretty high standards for choreography. They did some amazing tricks and lifts!

The sets were so beautiful and full of detail, and the costumes were colorful and very well done. So amazing, in fact, that costume designer William Ivey Long won a Tony Award for them! An honor well deserved! I'm pretty blase about stuff like that usually, but even I was impressed!

And that was BEFORE I saw the transformation scenes! Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother literally transform right before your eyes! No double hiding offstage switching places during a puff of smoke or a flash of light. A twirl and a tug, and rags turn into a beautiful ball gown! Shoulder-length ringlets and a head scarf become an updo and a tiara in the blink of an eye! I saw it happen and still couldn't tell you how it was done. Truly incredible!

While I was delighted by the gorgeous costumes and sets, and loved the beautiful singing, it was the character dynamics of the stepmother and stepsisters that kept me entertained the whole show. The sarcasm, the attitude, and the "asides," all had me chuckling in my seat, and it's hard to get me to laugh out loud.

I had someone ask me if this show would be appropriate for kids, and I'd have to answer with an emphatic YES! (Obviously, depends on your kids though, and whether they can sit still-ish through a show without too much fidgeting or talking.) I got to witness this first-hand, since even though I opted to bring my mom instead of my own 6-year-old, I happened to be seated right next to a girl around the same age. There was only the normal amount of fidgeting as she tried to stay comfortable and see while sitting on the "booster cushion" provided at the Paramount. And I think I whispered more to my mom throughout the show than this kid did with hers!
The costumes and sets gave enough to occupy the senses during any dialog that went above their heads, and the humor and delivery were perfect, making things fun even if you didn't "get" the joke. Plus the woodland creature puppets in a few scenes would have been my girl's favorite parts! I saw dozens of little princesses in a variety of ages all up past their bedtimes, and they all behaved smashingly well!  This would be the perfect Mommy and Me experience, no matter how old you are!

Cinderella is currently playing in Seattle (it's not too late! More details below, or click here to get tickets!) But for those of you who don't live near me, they're only on the third stop on their tour, so be sure to hurry and get tickets near you!

THE 2013 TONY® AWARD-WINNING BROADWAY MUSICAL

                                   

COMES TO THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE

FROM FEBRUARY 24 –MARCH 1, 2015

RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA, the 2013 Tony® Award-winning Broadway musical from the creators of South Pacific and The Sound of Music, will play The Paramount Theatre for a limited engagement from February 24 – March 1, 2015. Tickets are available on-line at stgpresents.org and tickets.com, by calling 877-STG-4TIX (784-4849) or in person at select Ticketmaster locations and at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm).

With its fresh new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA combines the story's classic elements – glass slippers, pumpkin, and a beautiful ball along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is a contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting. She is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn't let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a better place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too. 

CINDERELLA has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a new book by Douglas Carter Beane and original book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is directed by Mark Brokaw and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. Music adaptation, supervision and arrangements are by David Chase and orchestrations are by Danny Troob.

One of Rodgers + Hammerstein's most popular titles, CINDERELLA was written for television -- debuting in 1957 starring Julie Andrews. In 2013, the show made its long-overdue Broadway debut. Along with CINDERELLA, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's legendary musicals include OKLAHOMA!, Carousel, The King and I, South Pacific and The Sound of Music.

Mr. Beane's book for CINDERELLA blends masterfully with the musical's cherished score with songs including "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible/It's Possible," "Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"

The creative team includes scenic design by Tony® Award nominee Anna Louizos, costume design by six-time Tony® Award-winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony® Award-winner Kenneth Posner and sound design by Tony® Award nominee Nevin Steinberg.

The CINDERELLA tour is produced by Robyn Goodman, Jill Furman, Stephen Kocis, Edward Walson, Venetian Glass Productions, The Araca Group, Caiola Productions, Roy Furman, Peter May, Sanford Robertson, Eric Schmidt, James Spry and Blanket Fort Productions.

CINDERELLA will be at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre for 8 performances. The schedule for the Seattle engagement is:

Tuesday, February 24                        7:30 pm
Wednesday, February 25                   7:30pm
Thursday, February  26                      7:30pm
Friday, February 27                            8:00pm
Saturday, February 28                        2:00pm and 8:00 pm
Sunday, March 1                                1:00pm An ASL / AVIA Interpreted performance

6:30pm – An Open Caption performance

*For tickets to the ASL- Open Caption performances, call the TTY line at 888-331-6774.

Tickets for CINDERELLA start at $25 and are available on-line at stgpresents.org and tickets.com, by calling 877-STG-4TIX (784-4849,) or in person at select Ticketmaster locations and at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm).

CINDERELLA is part of the 2014/2015 KeyBank Broadway at The Paramount series, presented by Seattle Theatre Group, with support for the fifth year from KeyBank as the series title sponsor. Brotherton Cadillac is the official auto sponsor, The Roosevelt Hotel is the official sponsor hotel and Alaska Airlines is the official sponsor airline of KeyBank Broadway at The Paramount.

For more information please visit www.CinderellaOnBroadway.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/CinderellaTheMusical

Twitter: @CinderellaBway