Talk about a tale as old as time. The title character, who never gets any respect from her stepmother nor step-sisters, dreams of going to a ball to meet the prince. Of course there’s no way for that to happen. Until her fairy-godmother grants her wish but warns her the spell will wear off at midnight. She leaves a shoe behind and the prince goes on a mad search to find the mysterious young woman whose foot fits the slipper. Her name is, of course, Cinderella. And the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical has a brief stop at the Pantages Theatre this week.
If you are expecting to hear “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo” and other songs from the Disney animated film, you’d be mistaken. This show began its life as a television special starring Julie Andrews. It aired in 1957. It was a huge success seen by more than 100 million people.
It was remade in 1965 with Lesley Ann Warren and then again in 1997 with Brandy Norwood. Among the best known songs from this musical are “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible” and “Ten Minutes Ago.”
Tatyana Lubov plays “Ella” with Louis Griffin as “Topher” (aka The Prince.) Douglas Carter Beane, whose plays include Little Dog Laughed and As Bees In Honey Drown, updated the book. Mark Brokaw is the director.