By Laura BennettFriday 28 Oct 2022EntertainmentReading Time: 3 minutes
Going to a stage show now feels like a rare treat as we continue to embrace the reawakening of the live event scene in Sydney and, for attendees of Cinderella, the joy of the experience begins the moment you arrive at The Lyric Theatre.
Outside the foyer, Cindy’s famous carriage greets you – it’s delicate white trim laced with lights that highlight the red velvet seating and beckon fellow dreamers of the impossible to imagine a life of romance and wonder.
The sight was fitting for the many sparkling costume-clad little girls who had come to be a princess for the night, making the most of their midnight curfew.
Through to the theatre itself, the gentle sounds of birds chirping greet you, singing over the dimly lit forest setting soon to be introduced as Cinderella’s hometown.
Fans would be familiar with the story that follows: the lowly daughter of a wicked stepmother gets to go to a ball where she woos Prince Charming, marries him and lives happily ever after.
However, based particularly on the French version of the Cinderella fairytale, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is a bit more expansive than the Disney offering.
Reuniting Aladdin castmates Shubshri Kandiah (Ella) and Ainsley Melham (Prince Topher), this year’s Cinderella is more about the social conventions Cinderella was confined by, not only the romance she enjoyed.
Putting greater emphasis on the political dynamics of the story – namely the royals’ relationship to their overlooked subjects – Cinderella adds a cause to Ella’s relationship to the Prince that goes beyond personal gain.
Prince Topher’s aid Sebastian (Nicholas Hammond) is getting him to sign off on unfair land acquisitions, and social activist of sorts Jean-Michel (Josh Gardiner) is trying to petition the family to reconsider the practice – something Ella is able to lend a hand to.
It’s a rather heavyweight subject for a fairytale but is delivered with the same gentleness and charm as the rest of the production as it hints at larger conversations the show prompts us to have.
It’s a rather heavyweight subject for a fairytale but is delivered with the same gentleness and charm as the rest of the production as it hints at larger conversations the show prompts us to have.
Where the wonder and magic really come in is in the costuming.
One of the biggest questions you have going into the show is how they’re going to pull off the transformations that are at the heart of the story. Without spoiling anything, the talents of the costume department provide the means, and the cast make their handiwork shine.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is bright, fun and well-choreographed. It’s accessible to fans of all ages and introduces new ones to a story that isn’t just about getting a fairytale wedding but learning the qualities of kindness and consideration that make Cinderella beautiful inside and out.
Final tickets to Cinderella‘s Sydney run can be purchased via the official website. Cinderella will be at The Lyric Theatre until January 29th, 2023.