pollster2 said: "I saw the show tonight and while I might not be adding anything new, I must concede that “Bad Cinderella” might be one of the worst shows I have ever seen.
Let’s start with my biggest issue: the music and lyrics. Some of the melodies are absolutely gorgeous; I could hear some Phantom and Sunset at times. But the lyrics are downright embarrassing. Never before have I really noticed such a difference between music and lyrics but it was very apparent to me tonight. I also do not think each of the characters needs multiple solo ballads throughout the show. It became very repetitive (and frankly, boring).
Next, the book. It is very messy and disjointed. However, I think it is fixable should the creative team want to fix it.
Some issues I have:
Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content-What makes Cinderella “bad”? She’s an outsider sure, but is that it? I realize the town is very vain and materialistic, but nothing about the character as written felt like she deserved the treatment is getting.
-Cinderella and the Godmother spend too much time focusing on the importance of the locket. Well, by the time the curtain falls, we never find out why it mattered. Was it purely sentimental? Probably. That’s fine, but I felt like it was supposed to lead to something more profound and it did not.
-Give the Godmother something to do. She’s there for what, two scenes?
-Marie was sure quick to turn on her mother, right?
-What is the Queen’s secret that the Stepmother holds over her? I thought we would get some sort of reveal but nothing.
-What is the point of everything related to Prince Charming? I feel like that entire subplot could be cut.
Regarding the sets and costumes. I did not hate them (particularly the costumes) as much as some other posters. But the sets were a big letdown. I did like the cathedral set though.
The cast is doing its best.
Carolee Carmello deserves to be the show’s sole representative during awards season. She was genuinely excellent. Grace McLean was nearly on par with her.
I was disappointed by the rest of the principals. I loved Jordan Dobson in “A Beautiful Noise.” He was probably one of the highlights in that show for me. But tonight, I felt like he really struggled. He sounded amateurish and frankly, he couldn’t seem to hit many of the notes throughout his songs.
As for Linedy Genao, at no point did I ever feel like she was the star. She sounded like a talented college student trying to impersonate Mimi from “Rent.” Her vocals just were not there and her star quality was lacking. She never made Cinderella feel like the protagonist. Part of that issue stems from the book, but a lot of it was also hers.
As you can probably tell, I did not enjoy the show. But maybe I am not the target audience for it. I hope you take the time to see this if it piques your interest. Perhaps you will like it more than I did. And if my comments dissuade you from seeing this, just know that there are many other excellent shows currently playing across New York."
Agreed with all of this—Carolee Carmelo should get some kind of humanitarian award for the aid she delivers to this production. Grace McLean also shines. Casting is not this show’s issue (except for poor Jordan Dobson who really seems to be struggling with the music). The problem is that ALW is lacking in taste and there is no one who can say no to him. Every song is too long and many feature reprises that happen seconds after the song itself has ended. Drop all the reprises, cut two or six choruses out of every song, remove some of the out of place blue humor (truly a lot of handjob jokes), and you would vastly improve the show.
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