Situation Project and BAD CINDERELLA Partner to Bring Over 2000 Students to Broadway

Situation Project, in partnership with the producers of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bad Cinderella and the NYC Department of Education, with generous support from The Ronald and Jo Carole Lauder Foundation and Mr. Robert and Dr. Dana Kraft, hosted matinee performances on April 19th and April 26th for students from under-resourced communities.

Collectively over 2,000 students attended from Situation Project partner schools, New York City public schools, and local colleges. Each student matinee was followed by a talkback where students were given the opportunity to ask the performers questions about the show, their careers, and what it takes to be on Broadway. Grace McClean, who plays the Queen, told students “What is so special about live theatre is that it’s live, we’re alive together, it’s different every day, so you are a part of the show.” Jordan Dobson, who plays Prince Sebastian, said of the student matinees, “We have to make a lot of sacrifices in order to be on Broadway...but shows like this make it worth it.”

“Attending live performances of any kind are experiences so many NYC students do not have access to, let alone venturing to midtown for the spectacular Broadway lights,” said Executive Director of Situation Project Samara Berger. “This Bad Cinderella performance gave our students a safe space for reflection, introspection, and inspiration. We're watching future artists and creatives emerge over the course of a two hour performance because they see themselves on stage, backstage, AND in the audience. This is their house!”

“No Guarantees and the producers of Bad Cinderella are proud to work with our education sponsors and partners to bring the transformative power of theater to students from around the New York City area,” said No Guarantees’ Christine Schwarzman. “Our program mission is to give young people the opportunity to experience the magic of Broadway, sometimes for the first time, and encourage the next generation of theatre lovers and professionals in arts.”

The energy in the room at each matinee was electric. Students were utterly engaged with the show, from urging Cinderella to stay true to herself, to swooning over the beautiful dancers, to applauding for the show’s celebration of queer love. At the talkback after each performance, students asked the actors thoughtful questions about diving into their characters, how to stay healthy while performing on Broadway, and how to combat stage fright. Members of the cast gave advice to aspiring performers and reminded the students to believe in themselves. Actress Paige Smallwood encouraged students to know their own worth “Trust in who you are, trust in yourself, trust in what it is you already innately have, and you will always be enough.” Following one of the talkbacks as the schools were exiting the Imperial Theatre, a student turned to her friends and said “One day I’m gonna be on that stage...I just gotta” and her friends assured her “you will, you will.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber's new romantic musical comedy “a big, colorful, fun fairy tale rewrite” (The New York Times), featuring an original story and book by Oscar-winning writer Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman, Killing Eve) and lyrics by Tony Award winner David Zippel (City of Angels). The complete cast of Bad Cinderella includes Linedy Genao as Cinderella, Carolee Carmello as the Machiavellian Stepmother, Grace McLean as the ever-exacting Queen, Jordan Dobson as the heir-do-well Sebastian, Sami Gayle as the ditzy step-sister Adele, Morgan Higgins as the husband-hungry step-sister Marie, Cameron Loyal as Prince Charming, Christina Acosta Robinson as the all-seeing Godmother, and Savy Jackson as the Cinderella alternate, with Raymond Baynard, Michael Baerga, Lauren Boyd, Tristen Buettel, Kaleigh Cronin, Josh Drake, Jaquez, Ben Lanham, Angel Lozada, Mariah Lyttle, Sarah Meahl, Christian Probst, Larkin Reilly, Julio Rey, Lily Rose, J. Savage, Tregony Shepherd, Dave Schoonover, Paige Smallwood, and Aléna Watters rounding out the Ensemble, and Alyssa Carol, Gary Cooper, Robin Masella, Michael Milkanin, Chloe Nadon-Enriquez, and Lucas Thompson as Swings.

Situation Project is Situation Group’s 501c(3) nonprofit organization that connects New York City public school students to local theatrical, arts, and culture experiences. To learn more about Situation Project or donate to support further student access visit https://www.situationproject.org/.