Cinderella (telefilms)
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''Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella'' is a
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
written for
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
, but later played on stage, with music by
Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...
and a book and lyrics by
Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...
. It is based upon the
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
'' Cinderella'', particularly the French version '' Cendrillon, ou la petite pantoufle de verre'' ("Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper"), by
Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , also , ; 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was an iconic French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales ...
. The story concerns a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother and self-centered stepsisters, who dreams of a better life. With the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella is transformed into a princess and finds her prince. ''Cinderella'' is the only Rodgers and Hammerstein musical written for television. It was originally broadcast live in color on CBS on March 31, 1957, as a vehicle for
Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
, who played the title role. The broadcast was viewed by more than 100 million people. It was subsequently remade for television twice, in 1965 and 1997. The 1965 version starred Lesley Ann Warren and Stuart Damon. The 1997 version starred
Brandy Norwood Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layer ...
in the title role, with
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
as the fairy godmother. Both remakes add songs from other Richard Rodgers musicals. The musical has been adapted for the stage in a number of versions, including a London West End
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
adaptation, a New York City Opera production that follows the original television version closely, and various touring productions. A 2013 adaptation on Broadway starred
Laura Osnes Laura Ann Osnes (born November 19, 1985) is an American actress and singer known for her work on the Broadway stage. She has played starring roles in '' Grease'' as Sandy, '' South Pacific'' as Nellie Forbush, ''Anything Goes'' as Hope Harcourt, ...
and
Santino Fontana Santino Fontana (born March 21, 1982) is an American actor and singer. He has received a Tony Award, two Drama Desk Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, Lortel Award, Obie Award, and Clarence Derwent Award in a mix of straight plays and musica ...
, with a new book by
Douglas Carter Beane Douglas Carter Beane is an American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Beane now lives in New York. His works include the screenplay of ''To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! J ...
.


History

In the 1950s, television adaptations of musicals were fairly common. Broadcast versions of '' Annie Get Your Gun'', '' Wonderful Town'', '' Anything Goes'' and '' Kiss Me, Kate'' were all seen during the decade.Hischak, Thomas
"Rodgers & Hammerstein Conquer a New Medium"
PBS Great Performances, 2004, accessed December 25, 2012
In 1955, NBC had broadcast the Broadway musical '' Peter Pan'', starring
Mary Martin Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on stage over her career, including Nellie Forbush in '' South Pacific'' (194 ...
. It was a hit, and the network looked for more family-oriented musical projects.
Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...
had previously supplied the
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-winning score for ''
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'', a documentary series about
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. NBC approached Rodgers and Hammerstein and asked them to write an original musical expressly for television (rather than merely adapting an existing one to the television special format), then a novel idea. The team decided to adapt the fairy tale ''Cinderella'' and, new to television, they sought the advice of an industry insider,
Richard Lewine Richard Lewine (July 28, 1910 – May 19, 2005) was an American composer and songwriter on Broadway as well as television producer. Biography Career Born in New York City, Lewine attended Columbia College before beginning his career as a compo ...
. Lewine was then the Vice President in charge of color television at CBS and a cousin of Richard Rodgers. He told Rodgers and Hammerstein that CBS was also seeking a musical project and had already signed
Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
, who was then starring in '' My Fair Lady'' on Broadway. Rodgers recalled, in his autobiography: "What sold us immediately was the chance to work with Julie." Rodgers and Hammerstein signed with CBS. Rodgers and Hammerstein retained ownership of the show and had control over casting, direction, set and costumes, while CBS controlled the technical aspects of the broadcast and had an option for a second broadcast. CBS announced the production on September 5, 1956. In adapting the famous fairy tale, "Rodgers and Hammerstein stayed faithful to the original
Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , also , ; 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was an iconic French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales ...
" version. Hammerstein was interviewed by the '' Saturday Review'' about the adaptation: "We want the kids who see it to recognize the story they know. Children can be very critical on that score. But, of course, their parents will be watching too, so we have tried to humanize the characters without altering the familiar plot structure." The musical had to fit into the 90-minute program with six commercial breaks, so it was divided into six short acts. In an interview with ''
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'' magazine, Hammerstein said that "It took me seven months to write the book and lyrics for ''Cinderella''". Rehearsals started on February 21, 1957. Emmy Award-winning director Ralph Nelson and choreographer Jonathan Lucas, who had choreographed for '' The Milton Berle Show'', were both experienced with musical material on television. Rodgers' friend,
Robert Russell Bennett Robert Russell Bennett (June 15, 1894 – August 18, 1981) was an American composer and arranger, best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, ...
, provided the orchestrations. Alfredo Antonini, a veteran with CBS, conducted. In early March, the company moved to CBS Television Color Studio 72, the first CBS-TV color studio in New York and the smallest color studio in the CBS empire at the time. The 56 performers, 33 musicians and 80 stagehands and crew worked crammed into the small studio together with four giant
RCA TK-40A The RCA TK-40 is considered to be the first practical color television camera, initially used for special broadcasts in late 1953, and with the follow-on TK-40A actually becoming the first to be produced in quantity in March 1954. The TK-40 was pr ...
color TV cameras, a wardrobe of up to 100 costumes, over half a dozen huge set pieces, and numerous props and special effects equipment. The orchestra played in a small room with special equipment to overcome the suppressed acoustics. CBS invested in a massive marketing campaign, as did the sponsors. Ed Sullivan also promoted the show, which would be seen in his usual Sunday night time slot, with an appearance by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II on the previous Sunday.


Synopsis


Act I

In the village square, the Town Crier proclaims: "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" to celebrate Prince Christopher's 21st birthday. The ladies of the kingdom are thrilled at the prospect of meeting him. Cinderella, whose father has died, takes care of the home of her ill-tempered and selfish stepmother and two stepsisters. She carries all of their shopping parcels for them, and when they return home, all three order Cinderella about. Left alone in her corner near the fire, she dreams of living an exotic life as a princess or anything other than a servant ("In My Own Little Corner"). Meanwhile, the King and Queen get ready for the big celebration ("Royal Dressing Room Scene") and the servants discuss the planning for the feast ("Your Majesties"). They hope that their son will find a suitable bride, but the Prince is a bit apprehensive about meeting all the eager women of the kingdom. The Queen is touched by overhearing the King's discussion with his son and tells him she loves him ("Boys and Girls Like You and Me" ometimes omitted, not sung in any of the telecasts. As Cinderella's stepsisters get ready for the Ball, hoping that they will catch the Prince's eye, they laugh at Cinderella's dreams. After they leave Cinderella imagines having gone with them ("In My Own Little Corner" (reprise)). Cinderella's Fairy Godmother appears and is moved by Cinderella's wish to go to the Ball. She transforms Cinderella into a beautifully gowned young lady and her little mouse friends and a pumpkin into a glittering carriage with footmen ("Impossible; It's Possible"); Cinderella leaves for the Ball.


Act II

Cinderella arrives at the palace at 11:30; before she enters, her Godmother warns her not to stay past midnight. The Prince is bored by the attention of all the young ladies with whom he has had to dance, including the stepsisters. Cinderella's grand entrance immediately attracts everyone's attention and intrigues the Prince. They dance together and instantly fall in love ("Ten Minutes Ago"). Seeing the Prince with a beauty whom they do not recognize, the stepsisters ask why he wouldn't prefer a "usual" girl like them ("Stepsisters' Lament"). As the Prince and Cinderella dance he declares his love for her ("Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"). As they embrace, the clock strikes midnight and Cinderella flees before the magic wears off, but in her haste she leaves behind a glass slipper.


Act III

The next morning, Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters reminisce about the Ball and find that Cinderella is very intuitive about what it must have been like going to the Ball ("When You're Driving Through the Moonlight") and dancing with the Prince ("A Lovely Night"). Meanwhile, the Prince is searching for the woman with whom he danced and who fled so quickly from the Ball. One of the royal guards tries the slipper on all the women of the kingdom ("The Search"). At Cinderella's house, the slipper will not fit any of the ladies. Cinderella's stepmother tries to steer the guard away from Cinderella, but she is not home; she is hiding in the Palace garden. The guard returns to the palace garden and informs the Prince that he has not found the missing girl. The guard then sees Cinderella hiding and places her under arrest. Prodded by the Fairy Godmother, he tries the slipper on Cinderella. It fits, and the Prince is called back to the garden where he recognizes his beloved ("Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (reprise)). Cinderella and the Prince marry.


Musical numbers

The original version contains the following songs: ; Act I * "Overture" – Orchestra * "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" – Town Crier and Chorus * "Cinderella March" – Orchestra * "In My Own Little Corner" – Cinderella * "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" (reprise) – Chorus * "Your Majesties" (Royal Dressing Room Scene) – King, Queen, Chef and Steward * "In My Own Little Corner" (reprise) – Cinderella * "Impossible; It's Possible" – Cinderella and Fairy Godmother ; Act II * "Gavotte" – Orchestra * "Ten Minutes Ago" – Prince and Cinderella * "Stepsisters' Lament" – Stepsisters * "Waltz for a Ball" – Chorus * "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" – Prince and Cinderella * "Never in a Thousand Years" (eventually omitted from the production) ; Act III * "When You're Driving Through the Moonlight" – Cinderella, Stepmother and Stepsisters * "A Lovely Night" – Cinderella, Stepmother and Stepsisters * "The Search" – Orchestra * "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (Reprise) – Prince * "Wedding" – Orchestra * "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (Reprise) – Chorus In some productions, additional numbers added include "Loneliness of Evening" (cut from ''
South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
'' and introduced in the 1965 broadcast), a song for the prince; and "Boys and Girls like You and Me" (cut from '' Oklahoma!'' and subsequently other shows), for the queen and king (in the Royal Dressing Room Scene), which appears in the show's published vocal score. The 1997 TV adaptation added " Falling in Love with Love" for the Stepmother, " The Sweetest Sounds" for Cinderella and the Prince, and "There's Music in You" (written for ''
Main Street to Broadway ''Main Street to Broadway'' is a 1953 American romantic musical comedy-drama film by independent producer Lester Cowan, his final credit, in collaboration with The Council of the Living Theatre, which provided tie-up with a number of well-known ...
''), for the Fairy Godmother.Fink, Bert
"Background on Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Cinderella'"
rnh.com, accessed November 13, 2013
The 2013 Broadway production was performed in two acts and included the songs "Me, Who Am I?" (cut from ''
Me & Juliet ''Me and Juliet'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The sixth stage collaboration by Rodgers & Hammerstein, it tells a story of romance backstage at a long-running musical: assistant stage ma ...
''), "Loneliness of Evening" and "Now Is the Time" (cut from ''South Pacific''), "The Pursuit", and "There's Music in You".


Television productions


1957 original production

The original 1957 broadcast was directed by Nelson with choreography by Lucas and musical direction by Antonini. It starred Andrews in the title role and Jon Cypher as The Prince. It also featured Howard Lindsay as The King,
Dorothy Stickney Dorothy Stickney (June 21, 1896 – June 2, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actress, best known for appearing in the long running Broadway hit ''Life with Father''. Early years Stickney was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, but ...
as The Queen, Edie Adams as the Fairy Godmother, Kaye Ballard and Alice Ghostley as stepsisters Portia and Joy, Ilka Chase as the Stepmother, and
Iggie Wolfington Ignatius Wolfington (October 14, 1919 – September 30, 2004) was an American actor. He was the youngest member of the prominent Wolfington family of Philadelphia, operators of a carriage business early in the 20th century and brother of the foun ...
as The Steward. Joe Layton appeared uncredited in the ensemble. On March 31, 1957, at 8:00 pm Eastern time, ''Cinderella'' was broadcast live in the Eastern, Central and Mountain time zones in both
black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
and
compatible color Color television or Colour television is a television transmission technology that includes color information for the picture, so the video image can be displayed in color on the television set. It improves on the monochrome or black-and-white t ...
; the West Coast received a delayed black and white-only broadcast starting at 8:00 pm Pacific time. Beyond the United States, it was carried by CBS affiliates in the U.S. territories of
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
and
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
; in Canada it was broadcast on CBC. It was produced for $376,000 and was heavily promoted by its sponsors,
Pepsi-Cola Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...
and the Shulton Company (then maker of Old Spice). The Nielsen TV rating for the program was 18,864,000 "homes reached during an average minute" of the broadcast. More than 107 million viewers saw the broadcast, and Andrews was nominated for an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for her performance. One of the four color TV cameras failed during the live telecast, adding to the production's technical difficulties. A black and white
kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940 ...
of the March 17, 1957, dress rehearsal survives and has been issued on DVD. There is no evidence that ''Cinderella'' was recorded on
videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocassett ...
, which CBS used at that time only to time-delay news programming for the stations on the West Coast. The equipment was not yet capable of recording color video.


1965 version

After the musical's success in London and elsewhere as a stage production, the network decided to produce another television version. The 1957 premiere had been broadcast before color videotape was available, so only one performance could be shown. CBS mounted a new production in 1965, with Richard Rodgers as Executive Producer and written by Joseph Schrank. The new script hewed closer to the traditional tale, although nearly all of the original songs were retained and sung in their original settings. A new sequence opens the story: the Prince stops at Cinderella's house with his retinue for a drink of water after returning from his travels. Cinderella, home alone, and not knowing who the handsome traveler is until a page utters the words "Your Highness", kindly gives the Prince water from the well. After the Prince leaves, he sings "Loneliness of Evening", which had been composed for ''South Pacific'' in 1949 but not used in that musical."Richard Rodgers recreates a ''Cinderella'' to be remembered", ''San Mateo Times'', February 19, 1966, "TV Week" section, p. 54. Cinderella sings "In My Own Little Corner" before there is any mention of the prince giving a ball. The names of the stepsisters were changed from the original production, and the ''Royal Dressing Room Scene'' was omitted. The 1965 version was directed by
Charles S. Dubin Charles Samuel Dubin (February 1, 1919 – September 5, 2011) was an American film and television director. From the early 1950s to 1991, Dubin worked in television, directing episodes of ''Tales of Tomorrow'', '' Omnibus'', '' The Defenders'', ...
with choreography by
Eugene Loring Eugene Loring (August 2, 1911 – August 30, 1982) was an American dancer, choreographer, teacher, and administrator. Biography Eugene Loring was born as Le Roy Kerpestein, the son of a saloon-keeper, grew up on a small island in Wisconsin's M ...
and recorded on
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(at
CBS Television City Television City, alternatively CBS Television City, is an American television studio complex located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of Fairfax Avenue. Designed by architect William Pereira and Ch ...
in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
) for later broadcast. The cast featured Ginger Rogers and Walter Pidgeon as the Queen and King; Celeste Holm as the Fairy Godmother; Jo Van Fleet as the Stepmother, with
Pat Carroll Patricia Ann Carroll (May 5, 1927 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress and comedian. She was known for voicing Ursula in ''The Little Mermaid'' and for appearances in CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show'', ABC's ''Laverne & Shirley'', and NBC' ...
and Barbara Ruick as her daughters Prunella and Esmerelda; and Stuart Damon as the Prince. Lesley Ann Warren, at age 18, played the title role. The film also features rare on camera appearances by dubbers
Betty Noyes Elizabeth Noyes Hand (October 11, 1912 – December 24, 1987) was a singer and actress best known for dubbing two of Debbie Reynolds' numbers in the 1952 film '' Singin' in the Rain.'' Today, this is a well-known example of dubbing in a film mu ...
and Bill Lee, who play a couple that briefly sing about their daughter (played by Trudi Ames). The first broadcast was on February 22, 1965, and it was rebroadcast eight times through February 1974. The 1965 debut had a Nielsen rating of 42.3, making it the highest-rated non-sports special on CBS from the beginning of the Nielsen ratings until 2009, and the 50th highest-rated show of any kind during that period.


1997 version

The 1997 television remake was adapted by
Robert L. Freedman Robert L. Freedman (born July 27, 1957) is an American screenwriter and dramatist. He is best known for his teleplays for '' Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella'' (1997) and '' Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows'' (2001), and for his Tony ...
and directed by
Robert Iscove Robert Iscove is a Canadian film and television director, television producer and a choreographer. Filmography * ''Love and Larceny (1985 film), Love and Larceny'' (1985, TV) * ''The Lawrenceville Stories'' (1987-1989, miniseries) * ''Shattered ...
, with choreography by Rob Marshall. It was produced by
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
and
Debra Martin Chase Debra Martin Chase (born October 11, 1956) is an American motion picture and television producer. Her company, Martin Chase Productions, is affiliated with Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal Television Group. It was affiliated with ...
for Walt Disney Television and aired on November 2, 1997. This version featured a racially diverse cast, with
Brandy Norwood Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layer ...
as Cinderella,
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
as Cinderella's fairy godmother, Bernadette Peters as Cinderella's stepmother,
Paolo Montalbán Paolo Montalban (born May 21, 1973) is a Filipino-American actor and singer best known for his performance in the 1997 Disney television film, '' Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella'' as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella. He repris ...
as the prince, Whoopi Goldberg as the queen, Victor Garber as the king and
Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' Se ...
as Lionel, the herald. Several songs were added, including " Falling in Love with Love" from the musical '' The Boys from Syracuse'', sung by the Stepmother; " The Sweetest Sounds" from the musical '' No Strings'', sung by Cinderella and the Prince; and "There's Music in You", written for the 1953 film ''
Main Street to Broadway ''Main Street to Broadway'' is a 1953 American romantic musical comedy-drama film by independent producer Lester Cowan, his final credit, in collaboration with The Council of the Living Theatre, which provided tie-up with a number of well-known ...
'', sung as the finale by the Fairy Godmother. Sixty million viewers watched the broadcast. Changes to the Hammerstein plot in this version include the following: The Fairy Godmother begins the story, explaining that nothing is impossible. The stepsisters' names are changed to Calliope and Minerva. Disguised as a peasant, the Prince (feeling isolated in the castle) wanders in the marketplace (worrying his herald, Lionel), meets Cinderella, and they find each other charming. At the ball, embarrassed by questions about her family and background, Cinderella escapes to the garden in tears, where the Fairy Godmother appears for moral support. After her stepmother returns from the ball and is particularly cruel, Cinderella packs her belongings to run away from home. Her Fairy Godmother advises her to share her feelings with the Prince. After trying the slipper on all the other maidens, the Prince and Lionel overtake Cinderella on her journey to freedom. Meeting her gaze, the Prince recognizes her and places the slipper on her foot. At their wedding, the Fairy Godmother blesses the couple.


Stage productions


1958 to 2008

The musical was first performed on stage at the London Coliseum in 1958 in holiday
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
adaptation that also used songs from ''
Me & Juliet ''Me and Juliet'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The sixth stage collaboration by Rodgers & Hammerstein, it tells a story of romance backstage at a long-running musical: assistant stage ma ...
''.
Harold Fielding Harold Lewis Fielding (4 December 1916 - 27 September 2003) was an English theatre producer. Fielding was one of Britain's foremost theatrical producers who produced several musicals, including ''Mame'', '' Charlie Girl'', ''Half a Sixpence'', ...
produced this version, which opened on December 18, 1958, and played through the holiday season. Yana (Pamella Guard), played Cinderella, with
Tommy Steele Sir Thomas Hicks (born 17 December 1936), known professionally as Tommy Steele, is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star. After being discovered at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London, Steele reco ...
,
Jimmy Edwards James Keith O'Neill Edwards, DFC (23 March 19207 July 1988) was an English comedy writer and actor on radio and television, best known as Pa Glum in ''Take It from Here'' and as headmaster "Professor" James Edwards in ''Whack-O!''. Early lif ...
, Kenneth Williams and Betty Marsden. Stage versions began to appear in U.S. theaters by 1961. The New York City Opera produced the musical in 1993 and 1995, with the Fairy Godmother being played by Sally Ann Howes and the Stepmother by Nancy Marchand and Jean Stapleton. It revived the production in 2004 with
Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...
as the Fairy Godmother and Dick Van Patten as the King, among other television stars. A United States tour played from November 2000 through 2001 and starred Kitt as the Fairy Godmother,
Deborah Gibson Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Gibson released her debut album '' Out of the Blue'' in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple plati ...
and later Jamie-Lynn Sigler and
Jessica Rush Jessica Rush (born December 23, 1980) is an American actress and singer. She won the Joseph Jefferson Award in 2014 for her performance in ''Gypsy'' at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Early life Born in Beaumont, Texas, the daughter of perform ...
as Cinderella,
Paolo Montalbán Paolo Montalban (born May 21, 1973) is a Filipino-American actor and singer best known for his performance in the 1997 Disney television film, '' Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella'' as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella. He repris ...
as the Prince, and a gender-bending Everett Quinton as the Stepmother, stopping at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in 2001, where Sigler played the title role."It's Possible!": Cinderella, With Laura Osnes, Victoria Clark and Santino Fontana, Premieres on Broadway Jan. 25
, playbill.com January 25, 2013
A 30-week Asian tour of ''Cinderella'' starred
Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyin ...
and Australian Peter Saide. The production was directed by Bobby Garcia, with choreography by Vince Pesce. Costume design was by
Renato Balestra Renato Balestra OMRI (3 May 1924 – 26 November 2022) was an Italian fashion designer, the founder of the Balestra brand and company. Life and career Early life Born in Trieste, Renato Balestra grew up immersed in the Mid-European cultura ...
, with sets by David Gallo. The tour started in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, Philippines, on July 29, 2008. The show then went on to several cities in China, including Xian, Zhengzhou, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Gunagzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. It then toured in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, and Japan. A cast album was issued in 2008. An all-female production of the musical in Japan in 2008 featured
J-Pop J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
group Morning Musume and veteran members of the
Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals and stories adapted from films, novels, manga, and Japane ...
. The production ran throughout August 2008, at
Shinjuku Koma Theater The was a major theatre in the Kabukichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo. The theatre opened in 1956 and it had a capacity of 2,088 seats. It was demolished in 2009. The Tokyu Kabukicho Tower currently stands on the theater's former grounds. Past shows *K ...
in Tokyo. The lead roles of Cinderella and the Prince were performed by Morning Musume members Ai Takahashi and Risa Niigaki.


Broadway

Douglas Carter Beane Douglas Carter Beane is an American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Beane now lives in New York. His works include the screenplay of ''To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! J ...
wrote a new book for the musical's first Broadway production. In his plot, Cinderella opens Prince Topher's eyes to the injustice in the kingdom. The prince's parents have died, leaving the kingdom in the hands of a villainous minister who has been the prince's mentor and has duped his young charge into approving oppressive legislation.Brantley, Ben
"Gowns From the House of Sincere & Snark"
''The New York Times'', March 3, 2013
The rebel Jean-Michel, a new character, and stepsister Gabrielle are in love and seek to overthrow the government. The score includes the best-known songs from the original version and four more songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalogue.Hetrick, Adam
"Broadway-Bound ''Cinderella'' Will Get Workshop With Victoria Clark, Harriet Harris, Ann Harada, Peter Bartlett"
, Playbill.com, June 28, 2012
The show, produced by Robyn Goodman, began previews on Broadway on January 25 and officially opened on March 3, 2013, at the
Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
.Gardner, Elysa
"''Cinderella'' casts a new spell on Broadway"
''USA Today'', March 3, 2013
Mark Brokaw directed the production, with Josh Rhodes choreographing, and the cast included
Laura Osnes Laura Ann Osnes (born November 19, 1985) is an American actress and singer known for her work on the Broadway stage. She has played starring roles in '' Grease'' as Sandy, '' South Pacific'' as Nellie Forbush, ''Anything Goes'' as Hope Harcourt, ...
in the title role,
Santino Fontana Santino Fontana (born March 21, 1982) is an American actor and singer. He has received a Tony Award, two Drama Desk Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, Lortel Award, Obie Award, and Clarence Derwent Award in a mix of straight plays and musica ...
as the Prince, Victoria Clark as crazy Marie/the Fairy Godmother,
Harriet Harris Harriet Sansom Harris (born January 8, 1955) is an American actress known for her theater performances and for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on ''Frasier'' and Felicia Tilman on '' Desperate Housewives''. Harris won a Tony Award in 2002 as a F ...
as Ella's stepmother, Peter Bartlett as the Prime Minister, Ann Harada and Marla Mindelle as stepsisters Charlotte and Gabrielle, and Greg Hildreth as Jean-Michel. Designers included
Anna Louizos Anna Louizos (born June 24, 1957) is an American scenic designer and art director. She is known for her Tony Award-nominated sets for the musicals ''In the Heights'' and '' High Fidelity'', as well as the London, Broadway, Las Vegas, and touring p ...
(sets), William Ivey Long (costumes) and Kenneth Posner (lighting). The production was nominated for nine
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
s, winning one for Long's costume design. Reviews were mixed, with most critics praising Osnes's performance.Jones, Chris
"Heavy themes make this ''Cinderella'' too slippery"
''Chicago Tribune'', March 3, 2013
Keke Palmer was a replacement in the title role. A report in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' commented that "casting an African American actor as such an iconic – and typically pale – character is emblematic of the progress Broadway is making, slowly and haltingly, in employing actors of color in a broader array of parts." In September 2014, Lesley Ann Warren joined the cast during the curtain call to celebrate the 50th anniversary release of her 1965 television version. The production closed on Broadway on January 3, 2015, after 41 previews and 770 regular performances.Ng Philiana
"NeNe Leakes to Make Broadway Debut in ''Cinderella''"
''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', September 3, 2014
National tours and international productions have followed.


Reception

The 1957 version of ''Cinderella'' was seen by the largest audience in history at the time of its premiere: 107,000,000 people in the US: fully 60% of the country's population at that time. ''Variety'' estimated that 24.2 million households were tuned into the show, with an average of 4.43 viewers each. Jon Cypher later remembered leaving the studio a few minutes after the broadcast had ended and finding the
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
streets deserted because so many had stayed in to watch the broadcast. A review in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' by
Jack Gould John Ludlow Gould (February 5, 1914 – May 24, 1993) was an American journalist and critic, who wrote commentary about television. Early life and education Gould was born in New York City into a socially prominent family and attended the Loomis ...
characterized the musical as "a pleasant ''Cinderella'' that lacked the magic touch." He wrote that the broadcast received an "extraordinary range of reactions; it was either unreservedly enjoyed, rather angrily rejected or generally approved, subject to significant reservations." He praised Andrews as a "beguiling vision" in "lovely color video". But he complained about the book ("What possessed Mr. Hammerstein to turn the stepsisters into distasteful
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
clowns?"); about errors in "the most elementary kind of showmanship;" about costume ("couldn't Cinderella have been dressed in a dreamlike ball gown of fantasy rather than a chic, form-fitting number?"); and the staging ("cramped ... excellent depth, but limited width marred the ballroom scene"). He judged the songs "not top-drawer Rodgers and Hammerstein" and "reminiscent and derivative of some of their earlier successes" but praised four of them and said: "In television, where original music is virtually nonexistent, these add up to quite a treat ... some current roadwaymusicals cannot boast as much melodically." The 1965 version was broadcast repeatedly. The 1997 production was the number one show of the week, with over 60 million viewers. It became the highest-rated TV musical in a generation. Although it was a hit with audiences, it received mixed reviews. Theater historian John Kenrick called it a "clumsy remake" of the musical but commented that Bernadette Peters' "shtick trying on the glass slipper is hilarious". ''The New York Times'' praised the performers (Montalban has "an old-fashioned luxurious voice"; Jason Alexander "provides comic relief"; Goldberg "winningly blends royal dignity with motherly meddling"; Peters "brings vigor and sly comedy") but commented that the musical "was always a pumpkin that never turned into a glittering coach ... the songs are lesser Rodgers and Hammerstein ... it doesn't take that final leap into pure magic. Often charming and sometimes ordinary, this is a cobbled-together ''Cinderella'' for the moment, not the ages." Other critics, however, praised the presentation. One reviewer wrote: "Grade: A, a version both timely and timeless." Another agreed: "this version has much to recommend it." An encore broadcast on Valentine's Night 1998 drew another 15,000,000 viewers. Reviews for the Broadway version were mixed. Ben Brantley of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called the 2013 Broadway production a "glittery patchwork of a show" that "wants to be reassuringly old-fashioned and refreshingly irreverent, sentimental and snarky, sincere and ironic, all at once." Brantley felt that the show "doesn't seem to know quite what" it wants to be. The ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' praised the cast, especially Osnes, the costumes and the choreography and opined that "the production is an absolute joy, marred only by occasional slowness of pace."
Richard Zoglin Richard Zoglin (born August 8, 1948) is an American journalist and author. Zoglin wrote about entertainment for ''Time'' for over 20 years. He is the author of ''Hope: Entertainer of the Century'', a 2014 biography of comedian Bob Hope. In 20 ...
, writing for ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine, noted that the new production is "brightly colored, high spirited and well sung", but compared it unfavorably with the "emotionally alive" 1957 broadcast. A reviewer from the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' wrote: "The fundamental problem with ... Beane's perplexing, wholly unromantic and mostly laugh-free new book ... is that it denies the audience the pleasure of instant reversals of fortune. ... This new version ends up collapsing the basic logic of the familiar story and tramples all over the musical soul of a score from another era". On the other hand, the reviewer from ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' liked the production, commenting that "Osnes and a gifted supporting cast make this fairy tale very much their own – a scrumptious trifle that, for all its hokey moments, will charm theatergoers of all ages." An
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
review praised Beane's script and wrote that it "crackles with sweetness and freshness, combining a little "''Monty Python's Spamalot''" with some "''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
''". It also found the cast "first-rate" and the overall story "quirky, yet heart filled".


Recordings

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
recorded the musical selections from the first telecast of ''Cinderella'' on March 18, 1957, nearly two weeks before the show aired, in monaural and stereophonic sound, releasing the mono version in 1957 and then the stereo version in 1958. The stereo version was later reissued on CD by
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
. The
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940 ...
recording made during the telecast was broadcast on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
in December 2004 as part of its '' Great Performances'' series. It was later released on DVD with a documentary including most of its original players, as well as a kinescope of Rodgers and Hammerstein's appearance on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...
'' the preceding Sunday, featuring Hammerstein reciting one of the songs to orchestral accompaniment. In 1959
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
released an abridged ''Cinderella'' with Mary Martin and The Little Orchestra Society, which was released on CD in 2010 (Sepia 1144). A cast
LP album The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of  rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...
of the 1965 telecast was also issued by Columbia Masterworks Records and on a Sony Masterworks CD. All three of the telecast versions of ''Cinderella'' have been released on DVD. A cast recording of the 2013 Broadway production was issued by Ghostlight Records in 2013.Hetrick, Adam
"Cinderella Cast Album, With Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana, Released Digitally May 7"
, ''Playbill'', May 7, 2013


Awards and nominations


1957 TV Special


1997 TV Special


References


External links


''Cinderella'' at Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatricals
;Television versions * * *

* ttp://www.curtainup.com/cinderella.html ''Curtain Up'' review, October 2005 ;Stage versions
Official Broadway production website
*

of the Broadway cast at TheaterMania.com, January 2013 *
archive




{{Authority control 1957 musicals 1957 television specials 1965 television specials 1997 television specials American musical films Broadway musicals CBS television specials American live television shows Musicals based on novels Musicals based on secular traditions Musicals based on works by Charles Perrault Musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical television films Musical television specials Plays based on fairy tales Television shows based on fairy tales West End musicals Works based on Cinderella