By Randi Bjornstad
Yes, this is Cinderella, but it’s not necessarily the Cinderella we all remember from childhood, meaning, in terms of musical theater, 1957.
And yes, it’s at the Cottage Theatre, but of course it’s not the Cottage Theatre we all remember from decades past, because this is just the third production in the newly renovated Cottage Theatre in Cottage Grove.
The plot of Cinderella, of course, is the time-honored tale of a lovely and virtuous person who suffers much grief (death of mother) followed by hardship and unfairness (remarriage of father to nasty stepmother and two equally nasty stepsisters who make Cinderella into nothing but a family drudge), to good fortune in meeting someone who can help her (fairy godmother) and in the end reaping the rewards of goodness (falling in love with her ideal guy, who just happens to be a handsome prince of the realm).
The Cottage Theatre announcement of their production, which will be onstage Aug. 12 through 28, says that “versions of the Cinderella story have been told around the world 2,000 years, making Cinderella one of humankind’s most beloved and persecuted heroines.”
Apparently the “modern” version dates to 1697 and a story titled Cendrillon, by written by French author Charles Perrault, preceded by Chinese and Greek versions that originated up to 1,000 years before that, but all of which are eclipsed by the 2,000-year-old one, in which a Greek slave girl becomes the wife of the king of Egypt.
The tale became a musical in 1957 when Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein created a television version. Nearly 50 years later, in 2013, a much-updated version opened on Broadway, although it kept several of the original Rodgers and Hammerstein numbers intact and added others from their repertoire. That show ran for 770 performances and includes a plot twist — not only does Cinderella win the heart of the prince, but she becomes a force for social change in the kingdom.
The Cottage Grove production is directed by Keith Kessler, assisted by Chris Carter, who also is choreographer with assistance from Madeline Paige. Music direction is the purview of Chris Holt, with vocal direction by Keri Davis, costume design by Rhonda Turnquist, and lighting by Brittany Foley.
The lead roles are played by Autumn Wickliffe as Cinderella and Joshua Sayre as Prince Topher. The stepmother and stepsisters are Elaine Slatore, Stefhani Anderson, and Moura Stewart. The cast also includes Susan Goes (as Marie), Blake Nelson (as Jean-Michel), Dale Flynn (as Sebastian), and Earl Ruttencutter (as Lord Pinkleton), backed by a large vocal and dance ensemble.
Cinderella at the Cottage Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 12-13, 18-20, and 25-27; and 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 14, 21 and 28
Where: Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove
Tickets: $27 for adults and $15 for youths, available by telephone at 541-942-8001 or online at cottagetheatre.org
