Cinderella

[gypsy4]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 6:40pm

Is the version of cinderella that the rnh theatre library offers close to the 1957 version or is it different just wondering because one of the community theatres in my area is
doing it.Allso for those of you that have done it was it a great experience.
Updated On: 10/31/07 at 06:40 PM

[singingwendy]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:09pm

I just did this show this summer. The version we had was pretty close to the 1957 version...the ending is slightly different in the way the prince discovers who Cinderella really is, and it includes the songs "Your Majesties" and "Boys and Girls Like You and Me" (which I'm not sure were in the 1957 TV production). However, I don't know if there are rights available for more than one version.

The show itself is fun. It's not too deep, but it's an enjoyable show. And it's perfect for families. Little girls, especially, LOVED our performance. They would even show up in costumes and tiaras! Oh...and it's really short! We were out in under and hour and a half, and that was with a 15 minute intermission!

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:12pm

I'm doing Cinderella right now. I can't tell you how close it is to the original movie (as I've never seen it), but it's a very fun show to be in. I'm really enjoying it (and it's selling VERY well).


And wendy, our version right now is about three hours! Of course, we've still been working out set changes, but it's taken a while.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:20pm

wizard....

Just wait until you start to actually run....the show flies by!

Of course, I spent a good amount of it sitting in the dressing room. I played the Fairy Godmother and after doing a little bit to open the show, didn't come back on until the end of Act 1. Then opened Act 2 and didn't show up again until after the ball.

It's a fun show and audiences really seem to like it!

[gypsy4]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:20pm

I believe you can do the show in 3acts.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:23pm

We are doing the show in three acts.

It seems to be going pretty well wendy. For a high school, the stuff we can pull off is pretty cool. Our Fairy Godmother shoots fire from her finger to light the fire (well, the fire place is plugged in, but still) and none of us knew that was happening. It was very nice.

And out Joy is freakin' hilarious.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:24pm

Yes, it's written as 3 acts. We simply combined act 2 and 3, since they're so short and seemed to exist only for a set change....or commercial break.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:28pm

how did you guys do the transformation did you guys use strobe lights fog machines and flash pots or did you do it the cheap way and have a 5 minute black out.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:33pm

I just did the show over the summer. It is exactly like the 1957 Julie Andrews version, except two songs are added/extended. "Boys and Girls like You and Me", and "Your Majesties". The show is almost always done in three acts. Because a)thats how its written and b) it just makes sense. Act 1 is the town, Cinderella's house and some of the castle. Act 2 is all the ball, and then Act 3 is basically the same as act 1.

For our transformation we used fog, and a group of dancers that danced around Cinderella and she changed quickly. We then raise the house up and dropped down a big black curtain, raised a black scrim and revealed the fully illuminated carriage. It takes quite a bit of practice to get the timing down, but it ends up working quite well.


Good luck!

Updated On: 10/31/07 at 11:33 PM

[singingwendy]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:34pm

Our tranformation was pretty low tech, but it worked.....

You have to understand that our set was basically a big "coloring book", so once the tranformation started, I did some "magical wand waving", the lights went a bit darker, or to spots, and the page of the book changed from the inside of Cinderella's house to the pumpkin carriage. Then, a footman appeared with a cloak and tiara for Cinderella...so she didn't actually change into her dress on stage. He also brought out the slippers, which I put on her feet. Finally, we had four girls who started out as mice, and then came back in as the horses.

As I said, it wasn't anything too high tech, but it worked...and it didn't take a long time in a blackout.

If you're looking for an interesting "tranformation" there's a video on youtube of a production that does a whole tranformation ballet.....it's really cool!

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:40pm

That sounds neat!

Yea I kinda forgot to say that we really did not change Cinderella either. She just put on the tiara and a pretty cloak. Then Cinderella and the Godmother got into the carriage and we moved it across stage.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:42pm

For our transformation, Cinderella goes backstage to change while the off-night Cinderella stands in the window with her back to the audience. Then, the stepmother sends the giant pumpkin off stage where it is flipped around into the carriage. It comes back, and me and the other mouse scurry around, and go behind the pumpkin. The two horses come out from behind the pumpkin/carriage, and the footman and the coachman appear. Cinderella then comes out from backstage, and the transformation is completed.

It's not great, and it's not fully finished, but it works well enough.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:44pm

We laughed at the one review of our show that remarked how we "climbed into the pumpkin and sat on the benches inside "...when in fact we were kneeling very uncomfortably on the steps behind the page of the book! Guess we looked convincing though!