CINDERELLA Previews Thread. — Page 21
#502
Posted: 3/3/13 at 1:18am
Saw this tonight and, for the most part, I really loved it. Osnes is wonderful and even Santino grew on me by the end. I guess the expectation of having a Prince Charming like actor is a bit of a let down at first but the way the character is written, Santino does a very nice job with it. The sets, costumes, music and singing are just fabulous. My one complaint, as many others have stated before, the banquet was not necessary and the whole election thing was ridiculous since that subplot never went anywhere. Could have been a few minutes shorter, but I was never bored. Very happy to see one of my faves, Robert Hartwell doing his usual solid job in the ensemble. Well done!
The only review of a show that matters is your own.
#503
Posted: 6/4/13 at 2:25pm
I'm bumping this thread because I finally found the Wall Street Journal article that was written during previews about what sets the step-family apart from most versions.
Quote:
As a 90-minute TV special, "Cinderella" was roughly two-thirds as long as the usual Rodgers and Hammerstein show, and accordingly took them seven months to write instead of the usual nine or 10. In many ways they used Disney's animated "Cinderella" (1950) as a template of what not to do—starting with the heroine's "wicked stepmother" and "ugly stepsisters"; in most adaptations, including Disney's, the step-relatives are described as "cold and cruel." But Hammerstein wanted Cinderella's foils to be more human and three-dimensional.
"I was thrilled when they contacted me," says Kaye Ballard, on the phone from her home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. "Of course, I was slightly insulted at first—they wanted me to play an ugly stepsister! But I had a great rapport with Alice Ghostley [who played "Joy" alongside Ms. Ballard as "Portia"], and we made them funny rather than mean."
End Quote
That Flexible Fairy Tale
Quote:
As a 90-minute TV special, "Cinderella" was roughly two-thirds as long as the usual Rodgers and Hammerstein show, and accordingly took them seven months to write instead of the usual nine or 10. In many ways they used Disney's animated "Cinderella" (1950) as a template of what not to do—starting with the heroine's "wicked stepmother" and "ugly stepsisters"; in most adaptations, including Disney's, the step-relatives are described as "cold and cruel." But Hammerstein wanted Cinderella's foils to be more human and three-dimensional.
"I was thrilled when they contacted me," says Kaye Ballard, on the phone from her home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. "Of course, I was slightly insulted at first—they wanted me to play an ugly stepsister! But I had a great rapport with Alice Ghostley [who played "Joy" alongside Ms. Ballard as "Portia"], and we made them funny rather than mean."
End Quote
That Flexible Fairy Tale
#504
Posted: 10/22/14 at 11:15pm
I saw this tonight, and boy was it a doozy. There were maybe like 150 of us in the mezz total. And so many empty seats down below.
The show was just a bore. The songs are great, but no one really shined. Joe Carroll was a fine prince. He didn't really have any sparks, but he wasn't bad. He was just kind of there. Keke Palmer didn't really have any shades as Ella. There was no big journey for her character development. Shepard as the Stepmother was all over the place. She was best when doing her sort of "Ghetto" talk thing.
The show is just padded and boring. Too much filler. The dancing is, like everyone, serviceable. Nothing amazing, nothing bad. The set was fine. The whole just felt very cheap and less than.
I can see why it's closing. There's no real magic or spark. The costumes are great, but all the kids seemed pretty bored.
The show was just a bore. The songs are great, but no one really shined. Joe Carroll was a fine prince. He didn't really have any sparks, but he wasn't bad. He was just kind of there. Keke Palmer didn't really have any shades as Ella. There was no big journey for her character development. Shepard as the Stepmother was all over the place. She was best when doing her sort of "Ghetto" talk thing.
The show is just padded and boring. Too much filler. The dancing is, like everyone, serviceable. Nothing amazing, nothing bad. The set was fine. The whole just felt very cheap and less than.
I can see why it's closing. There's no real magic or spark. The costumes are great, but all the kids seemed pretty bored.
#505
Posted: 10/23/14 at 1:43am
I hope someone explained to degrassifan that "Say a Prayer for Me Tonight" was written for My Fair Lady, where Eliza sang it while getting ready for the ball. It was cut out of town for reasons of length, as were all the numbers regarding Eliza's transformation for the ball.
"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium." - Patti LuPone, a Memoir
#506
Posted: 10/23/14 at 9:57pm
Sally Durant Plummer, that was pretty random. What are you referring to? I already knew that the song was written for My Fair Lady and was later cut, as well as Come to the Ball, Eliza's Getting Ready for the Ball Ballet, and so on.
#507
Posted: 10/23/14 at 10:21pm
"
"(Would any producer bring in numbers from GIGI to improve a My Fair Lady revival?)"
Actually, I wouldn't mind Eliza singing "Say a Prayer for Me Tonight" in a My Fair Lady revival as she gets ready for the Embassy Ball."
I was just reading the thread and saw you posted this on page 13. Just making sure you knew! :)
"(Would any producer bring in numbers from GIGI to improve a My Fair Lady revival?)"
Actually, I wouldn't mind Eliza singing "Say a Prayer for Me Tonight" in a My Fair Lady revival as she gets ready for the Embassy Ball."
I was just reading the thread and saw you posted this on page 13. Just making sure you knew! :)
"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium." - Patti LuPone, a Memoir
#508
Posted: 10/24/14 at 2:47am
Ah! Ok! :) While the song is great for Gigi, I think it's still appropriate for Eliza to sing right before the scene where she and the two gentlemen depart for the ball. Eliza probably had more at stake than Gigi and needed every prayer she could get.
#509
Posted: 10/24/14 at 2:56am
Yes, but My Fair Lady is already about 2 hours and 45 minutes - I don't think we need another song. Also I think the revival of Gigi is using it. But it is a wonderful song and would probably work better in MFL - but MFL is already a virtually perfect show, and as A Little Night Music learned in Boston, a musical comedy can't drag because of unnecessary songs, no matter how good they are (sorry, Silly People).
What I wouldn't give for a audio of Julie live as Eliza.
What I wouldn't give for a audio of Julie live as Eliza.
"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium." - Patti LuPone, a Memoir
#510
Posted: 10/24/14 at 1:22pm
I wish there was a live audio of Julie as Eliza. It has to exist somewhere. If there are all these other audios of classic shows, My Fair Lady has to be there somewhere!
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