BWW Reviews: Cabrillo's CINDERELLA is a Beautiful Gem

Once upon a time...Rodgers and Hammerstein took a simple fairytale and made it into a captivating musical. Cabrillo Music Theatre's lovely production of R&H's now classic Cinderella has all the right ingredients to enthrall audiences of all ages... that can truthfully answer the question "Do You Love Me Because I'm Beautiful?" with a resounding YES!

Lewis Wilkenfeld has accomplished some great staging and skillfully guides a charmed cast. Melissa Mitchell is just right as Cinderella, playing it straight out with no frills. Handsome Derek Klena makes a very down-to-earth Prince, and like Mitchell, plays for real without an ounce of exaggeration. Both actors sing exquisitely. The over-the-top comedy in this show is reserved for the supporting characters, who do it sublimely. Sally Struthers as the Fairy Godmother can make any scene or moment funny. With a simple facial gesture, a vocal sound, a quick little jig or movement of a pillow, she's dead-on hilarious. The very funny Marcia Wallace graciously underplays the Stepmother, allowing Dana Shaw as Joy and Ann Myers as Portia to lap up most of the attention as the delightfully and unrelentingly obnoxious stepsisters. Norman Large makes the most of his comedic skill in his brief moments as the befuddled King and Christina Saffran Ashford sings scrumptiously as the Queen. The 40 plus member ensemble including kids do a terrific job under the direction of Wilkenfeld and with Heather Castillo's fine choreography.

Sets & costumes (uncredited), lighting design by Jean-Yves Tessier and special effects by Adam Bezark are all wondrously executed. Steven Smith serves vibrantly as musical director.
This is a delicious Cinderella for kids 5-100, a royal dessert to partake of abundantly again and again. It proves joyously that nothing is ever "Impossible!"

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Cinderella /music by Richard Rodgers; book & lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II/ Cabrillo Music Theatre @ Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza/directed by Lewis Wilkenfeld/
through August 1 only

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