Revised lyrics for "Stepsister's Lament"?

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 10:14am

I had an opportunity to speak to the wonderful Ann Harada last week and I asked her about a subject that's been discussed here, which is given the casting of KeKe Palmer as Cinderella, were any changes made to the lyrics of Stepsisters' Lament, which contains the line:

"Her cheeks are a pretty shade of pink,
But no more pinker than a rose's."

The answer is no, BUT...

When Ann sings "her neck is no whiter than a swan's", she changes the word "whiter" to "wider." And I think, based on our conversation, it's something she did on her own, and it's almost impossible to hear the difference.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 1:37pm

For the Eartha Kitt-Jamie-Lynn Sigler tour, the lyric "I'm a slave in Calcutta" was changed to "I'm a thief in Calcutta." I wonder if that change was retained for the revival, which I haven't seen.

[loliveve]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 1:43pm

^ On the cast recording, Laura Osnes sings "I'm a thief in Calcutta"

[Tag]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 1:56pm

She wouldn't be allowed to change anything on her own. Stage management and the musical director would stop her.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 5:28pm

I think the 1997 version with Brandy was the first to make these changes. "I'm a young Norwegian princess" was changed to "I'm a young Egyptian princess," and "I'm a slave in Calcutta" to "I'm a thief in Calcutta." The current revival retains Norwegian but changed slave to thief, which makes much more sense. Why would Cinderella, who hates being a servant, want to be a slave, which is worse than being a servant? Unless slaves in Calcutta were exotic.

The 1997 film also changed "Her cheeks are a pretty shade of pink, but not any pinker than a rose is" to "Her face is exquisite, I suppose, but no more exquisite than a rose it." "Her neck is no whiter than a swan's" was changed to "Her neck is no longer than a swan's." The revival kept the original lyrics.

I do have a question. In the song "He Was Tall," the prince was described as "He was tall, very tall, and his eyes were clear and blue." Also, in the song "When You're Driving Through the Moonlight," the prince was described as "His hair was dark and wavy." Could they cast someone who wasn't tall, doesn't have dark hair, and doesn't have blue eyes? I've seen a production where they changed the latter lyrics to "His hair was soft and wavy."

Tag, I don't think they would care to stop her. It's not a licensed version of the show that is being performed at a school or something. I could be wrong, but I'm certain Ted Chapin of the R&H Org is open to little changes like this. Also, "whiter" and "wider" aren't that different from each other.

[Tag]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 5:29pm

Of course they would care. Professional shows don't work that way.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 5:39pm

Andy Jones who is playing Topher on tour is clearly blonde. Also, Douglas Carter Beane stated that they have put back somethings in the tour that have been cut from the Broadway production. I wonder what they could be?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 6:31pm

Actors are required to perform the script as written and directed to be played. They can not make changed without clearing it through stage management and creative team. You can be heavily fined and fired for not following that, should they choose. The actors do not get to make it up.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 10:14pm

JohnyBroadway, that's really interesting! I hope they put back the two songs and the banquet dance that were cut during previews, but I doubt it.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 10:47pm

Yeah he mentioned it to Richard Ridge in the tour press video. He also said that it is 10 minutes than what is currently on Broadway. So I will be interested to hear how it differs. I won't get to see it until February.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 9/28/14 at 12:15am

Oh wow! Thanks for alerting me! Just watched it. It's interesting they are adding things back in. Usually, tours remove things from what I've experienced.

Speaking of revised lyrics for Stepsister's Lament, I wonder if the added lyrics to the song were once written by Oscar Hammerstein or if Beane wrote them? I wish I could sit down one day and figure out where all the "new" lyrics to the songs in the show came from.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 9/28/14 at 12:39am

I think those were crafted by Beane and Chase. I know the melody is part of the original Cinderella March.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 9/28/14 at 1:15am

Ah ok! I think it was pretty cool how they took the Cinderella March music and added lyrics to match the melody. They did a great job incorporating trunk songs and music to the already existing songs and score. My favorite is probably He Was Tall.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 9/28/14 at 1:33am

You can bet that not one lyrics was changed without Ted Chapin and Alice Hammerstein signing off on it. But they are very open to ideas, especially when it's something insignificant the the color or texture of a character's hair. When Jud sings "Her long yeller hair" in OK!, if the actress was burnett, they'd allow a lyric change. They're not inflexible and they're smart.