Review: RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA Captivates and Enthralls in Exquisite CCP Imagining

Nothing can delight a loyal theater-goer more it seems than an updating of a classic title from literature - particularly one that may have solidified one's devotion to an art form that seemed inaccessible and unattainable from the vantage point of one's childhood. Take, for example, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, the lovely and romantic musical that was an integral part of so many people's childhood thanks to its annual television broadcasts far, far back in the day.

We grew up with Cinderella, first falling in love with Julie Andrews in the role, then subsequently with Lesley Ann Warren, who both seemed the archetypal romantic heroine with a voice like an angel and an ethereal beauty that remains finely etched in memory. And the music? We can be instantly whisked away to the 1960s when we recall the music we heard over and over through the years, the songs of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II cementing our appreciation for musical theater than continues to this day.

Couple our appreciation for a Rodgers and Hammerstein score with our dreamy-eyed fascination with Cinderella and her Prince and you can be certain that anytime we hear of a new production of the time-honored musical classic that we will want to be among the first to witness the magic and mystery of a retelling of the centuries-old tale of an impoverished young woman who wins the heart of a young royal. The story of Cinderella and her Prince is as aspirational and as inspirational as any to be found in the history of musical theater and we are once again delighted to tell you, gentle readers, that the current iteration of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella now onstage at Crossville's Cumberland County Playhouse is as thoroughly satisfying and spellbinding as any we have ever seen.

With a stunning design aesthetic that seems the culmination of years and years of hopes, dreams, scrutiny and planning - this Cinderella is, in fact, delayed in taking the stage by two years due to the global Covid-19 pandemic - that ensures a visual feast for the senses of a discerning audience, CCP's sumptuous production may well be our most favorite among a bevy of beloved stagings of the show we've reviewed over the past forty-something years.

Director Britt Hancock has collected an altogether impressive retinue of actors who bring the show to vivid life with unbridled zest to create a Cinderella for the ages! The startlingly beautiful Harli Cooper is picture-perfect as the hopeful Ella, her expressive soprano bringing more heart and deeper resonance to her musical performance ("In My Own Little Corner" is sublime) - and she is ideally paired with the classically handsome Brian Nabors, who brings Prince Topher to life with vigor and aplomb, his equally impressive vocal talents resulting in a performance of "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" that is, quite frankly, amazing. The chemistry between Cooper and Nabors is palpable and the arc of their story - from strangers to lovers in the span of two hours - seems so authentic and genuine that it is easy to lose oneself in their shared dream of a story.

With exquisite musical direction by Heather McCall, who pays homage to the memorable Rodgers and Hammerstein score with an electrifying energy perhaps unheard of in other productions we've seen (take note: when the entire company performs one of the musical's big numbers you will be overcome by the power of the sound that fills the expansive auditorium). Just as easily and as if by magic, you may be totally disarmed as the room fills with a romantic intimacy that is heartfelt and oh-so-emotional during duets or solo numbers. The nine-member orchestra, under the direction of Jacob Miller, sounds infinitely larger and more complex thanks to the glorious sounds emanating from the pit.

Hancock's focused direction results in a staging that is, at once, lyrical and measured in its timing, while somehow throughout the entire two-plus hours of stage-time the action progresses at an ideal pace (in short, the show reaches its climactic conclusion in near-record time - or so it seems). Part of the credit, certainly, is due to Jensen Crain-Foster's superb choreography: it's thrillingly athletic and boisterous at times, while at others rather subdued and natural. Crain-Foster's movement captures the beauty and majesty that fills the score from start to finish with unrelenting charm.

In addition, the show's visual design is compellingly artistic and imaginative. Curtis Phillips' scenic and projection design provides the perfect physical settings for the play's action, creating a cinematic sense of wonder that pervades the production. Likewise, Christopher Van Tuyl's atmospheric lighting lends a certain level of theatrical wizardry unmatched in these parts, and Matt Bundy's sound design makes certain that every note sung is heard with ease and every utterance may be clearly comprehended.

But, truth be told, the production's most gratifyingly stunning design element may be Austin Blake Conlee's colorful cavalcade of costumes that exemplify the fairytale trappings of the story and inspiring creative flights of fancy for every imaginative soul watching with rapt attention and jaw-dropping awe (particularly impressive are the moments when Ella transforms from a ragamuffin to a princess before our eyes or Crazy Marie - the wonderful Lauren Marshall - goes from loony crone to Fairy Godmother in no time at all) from the darkened confines of their seats in the orchestra.

Hancock and his creative collective are lucky indeed to be working from the script of the 2013 Broadway production (which was, perhaps surprisingly for the uninitiated, its first on the main stem) that differs rather creatively from the televised versions you might best remember from childhood. With a new and refreshingly timely book by Douglas Carter Beane, along with the interpolation of four "new" songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein canon, it is most certainly the perfect interpretation for the 21^st century, with the show's heroine - the young, kind, beautiful and impoverished Ella - far more reflective of these times and, thus, far more accessible. Beane's upbeat and revised script arguably makes the story more palatable, yet somehow more political (thanks, in large part, to the presence of a "revolutionary firebrand" Jean-Michel, played to the hilt by Toby Davis) at the same time, infusing it with some genuine, even outrageous, humor that is enormously appealing.

By adding new characters to the tale and by allowing others to evolve into more appealing personages, the tale of Cinderella is more meaningful, adding luster to the centuries-old richness of both the character and all those around her. And by allowing her audience to more easily identify with Ella and her economic struggles - and her desire to make more of herself and her station in life, as well as the lives of all those in her orbit - Cinderella takes a more expansive and inclusive world view than previously anticipated or expected. Immediately, Beane's book gives the show a more contemporary feel.

In retrospect, Harli Cooper and Brian Nabors may have sprung fully formed from the pages of a much-loved fairytale from childhood or, more likely, from the fertile imagination of a theater creator but they will fill your heart completely as Ella and Prince Topher. Cooper is committed to bringing Ella to life and she plays the eponymous character with astoundingly clear-eyed focus which lifts the character from the realm of the wide-eyed dreamer to become a more more naturalistic, believable and pragmatic young woman. In the process she claims the heart of everyone within her purview, whether they be budding princesses themselves or even a wannabe prince or two. Nabors is tall, dark and handsome with a matinee idol presence that captivates his audience, whether he's cutting a heroic figure as he slays dragons with a single unfurling of his slingshot or parries impressively with the occasional monster or two in the deep recesses of an enchanted forest.

Could there possibly be a more believable Fairy Godmother than Lauren Marshall? We cannot imagine it. Her performance is filled with warmth and her stellar performance of "There's Music in You" (one of the "new" songs in the show's score) is beautifully sung, and her duet with Cooper on "Impossible/It's Possible" is the stuff of which childhood dreams were borne some 60 or more years ago. If, like me, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella has filled your dreams since you were a mere tyke caught up in the wonder of a televised musical, that scene in particular will satisfy your need for nostalgia and remembering more innocent times.

Playhouse favorite Weslie Webster is imperious and regal as Madame, heretofore known as Cinderella's wicked stepmother but now transformed into a style-conscious and beautiful doyenne of the royal kingdom. Jason Ross, as the Prince's most respected (if duplicitous) adviser - Sebastian - is unctuously overbearing and totally charming as only he can be, and Michael Ruff is delightfully entertaining as Lord Pinkleton.

DeAnna Helgeson and Heather McCall who, as stepsisters Charlotte and Gabrielle, very nearly steal every scene in which they appear, with Helgeson displaying her unerring sense of comic timing (let's face it, having practically grown up at CCP, she's been influenced by some of the very best) and her rendition of "Stepsister's Lament," performed with the women of the ensemble, is one of the show's musical highlights. McCall has never been lovelier - nor has she been funnier - than as Gabrielle: for me, one of the most pleasing revisions of the book by Douglas Carter Beane is his elevation of the relationship between Gabrielle and Ella to something more akin to true sisters. In many ways, he has transformed the more cartoonish features of the original script to something far more attainable and acceptable.

Toby Davis is appealingly cast as Jean-Michel and he, too, is given the opportunity to show off his own comedic bona fides as he attempts to woo Gabrielle and during his oftentimes clumsy and skewed efforts to lead the poor out of despair.

The show's ensemble introduces a good many new personalities to loyal CCP audiences, actors we fully expect to become favorites during their tenure in Crossville: Jacob Alexander, Christopher Alvarado, Cameron Collins, Kyra Crosby, Taylor Dearman, Briana Hernandez, David Kappel, James Scott and Riley Weston. Caitlin Schaub is another Playhouse favorite we are happy to see in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella and she doesn't disappoint, along with Kelsey Brodeur, Cora Hassberger, Delaney Jackson and David Benjamin Perry - all of whom have made noteworthy appearances on Nashville stages and have thus been on our radar for quite some time.

Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella will be making magic on the Cumberland County Playhouse stage through August 21, so you have plenty of chances to become captivated yourself by the production and its dazzling ensemble of artists. Rest assured, the lush score by Richard Rodgers remains as stirring and as romantic as ever, Oscar Hammerstein's lyrics are equally as rich, and the story remains an entertaining and inspiringly romantic tale about long-held dreams and the pursuit of a love match destined to defy class lines and social structure.

And, if you need more to convince you to see it, remember this: Never before, nor since, will the importance of one's footwear prove more consequential than it does for Cinderella.

Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella. Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Revised book by Douglas Carter Beane. Directed by Britt Hancock. Choreographed by Jensen Crain-Foster. Musical direction by Heather McCall. Production stage managed by Katy Fagiolo. Presented by Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville. Through August 21. For more information, to www.ccplayhouse.com. For details, call (931) 484-5000. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.

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