Review: RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA at Des Moines Playhouse

One of everyone's favorite stories is coming to the stage at the Des Moines Playhouse to remind us that "Impossible things are happening every day." Everyone has memories of "Cinderella," whether it be the classic Disney movie or one of the many tv airings of "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella." On December 2, Des Moines Playhouse opened their Family Holiday Classic production of "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella." This production has everything audiences could hope for and a little more.

If you think you know the story of Cinderella, think again. While this production has the classic tale, it has been adapted for a more modern audience. When the show starts, we meet Ella, known for her kindness, and Prince Topher, uncertain of how he will rule as all he has done is fight giants and dragons. When they meet, not only does Ella show Prince Topher kindness, she shows it to crazy old Marie as well. When her Stepmother and Stepsisters leave her home while going to a ball for the Prince, she dreams of what it would be like to be at the ball. As she dreams, Marie shows up and reveals herself to be a fairy godmother and agrees to make Ella's dream of going to the ball become a reality due to her kindness. When Ella is at the ball, and the clock strikes 12, she is left with a decision. Does she leave her shoe that has fallen off, or does she take it with her? If you think you know what she does, you may be surprised when it comes to the intermission.

Visually this production is stunning to watch. The sets designed by Kit Mayer look as though they could have popped right out of a pop-up book. The way it is built allows it to be easily moved around and worked into some of the most magical moments of the show. The show continues to thrill audiences with Angela Lampe's costumes. For "Cinderella," Angela has made some of the most beautiful ball gowns I have had the opportunity to see on stage. One example is Cinderella's beautiful gold gown she wears to the ball. It's not till you see the costume up close you get to understand the detail that went into each of these costumes. The little details are what make these costumes so stunning. When you mix these elements with the fantastic lighting by Virgil Kleinhesselink and imaginative props by Katelyn Hughes, it makes for a magical evening that will have audiences cheering multiple times throughout the performance.

The technical elements make up just part of the storytellers bringing "Cinderella" to life on the playhouse stage. The directing team of David R. Kilpatrick as Director, Brenton Brown as Music Director, and Michael Tomlinson as Choreographer, have put together a group of actors that make magic on stage, both figuratively and literally. The cast has playhouse favorites returning to the stage and features many actors making their Playhouse debuts.

One of the ways the cast makes magic is in how they take two characters and treat the leads as opposing treatments. One example of this comes in Josh Sampson's portrayal of Sebastian, who would have the price look down on his subjects, and Keelin Christopher Reilly's Jean-Michel, who asks the price to hear from his subjects about how their lives are. We also get that opposing look in Julie Larson's Marie and Alexandra Gray's Madame, who play up the idea of who is a mother to Ella and what that means. The other place we see this idea is with the Step Sisters Gabrielle, played by Tatum Murphy, and Charlotte, played by Samantha Aaron, who asks us who is truly a sister and friend to Ella.

The icing on this magical cake comes in Faith Brook's performance as Ella, which captures everyone's favorite iterations of Cinderella, yet makes something brand new for audiences to enjoy. It's rare that people reach out to me to tell me how much they've loved an actor in a production, but I've had people reaching out to tell me how beautiful Faith's voice is, and they are correct. In her Playhouse debut, Faith made a performance that audiences will remember for years to come.

There is something magical about the holiday season, and the Playhouse's production of "Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella" captures that magic. Every element of this production, from the directing, to the tech, to the cast, makes for an evening that will leave children of all ages enchanted. Like the magic in "Cinderella," this production runs for a limited time. So make sure to get tickets to see this production before the Playhouse bells ring on December 18.

Photo by Steve Gibbons

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