Review: RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA at The Premiere Playhouse

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA at the Premiere Playhouse is a magical foray into the world of fairytales, and a love letter of sorts by a most enthusiastic cast of joyful performers to the city of Sioux Falls. Judging by the reactions of the audience at Friday's, they succeeded in bringing this story to life with all the full color, texture and pageantry of a royal love story as well. It was a delight to see so many really little children being enthralled by the stage work of this cast.

It was imminently evident from the opening solo of "Me, Who Am I?", delivered with sensitive and thoughtful musicality, that Patrick Simonsen was going to lead the cast of principal players with his powerful stage presence. His duets and solo work throughout the production were all solid performances.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA was a musical theater production written for television, premiering in 1965 and was broadcast by CBS every year in the spring. My recall is that it was a regular Easter Sunday special presentation on the network. It was the first widely viewed introduction to musical theater for my generation. I remember the sets of the production looking very flat, because they were. Created for the most part, with mostly two dimensional painted flats on a soundstage. The music, as written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, the performances of such greats as Lesley Ann Warren, Stuart Damon, Ginger Rogers, Walter Pidgeon and Celeste Holm and the chemistry between all of those very accomplished actors were the true stars of that televised production. It was by watching this fairytale production on television, that many of the youth of our time were introduced to the concept of romance. The timeless treasures of the original production written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, are just as romantic today as they were in the 60's and it brought back some lovely memories to hear them articulated by talented actors.

The technical aspects of this show are mostly very well-executed for the enjoyment of the audience, but the balance of sound on the body microphones was painfully "hot" in many instances. Two of the special scene elements that I particularly found expertly done, were the size, texture, and sheer functionality of the tree, ( a permanent presence on the stage) as well as a lovely full moon that glowed with just the right amount of light. Costumes were colorful and varied in style and period. The choreography was especially enjoyable during the royal ball when there were some lovely classical moves executed by a cast with wide and beaming smiles and some lovely posture.

Songs that were particularly well done were, "In My Own Little Corner", "Impossible", "Lovely Night", and "Do I Love You?". The common denominator in all of these songs was the performance of Katelyn Walsh as Ella. Her voice was angelic and her portrayal of Ella, the epitome of a Cinderella character. Kindness was her "go to" response to every situation, and she portrayed that with a genuine and spiritually authentic presence. Ms. Walsh was a glittering diamond in a crowning achievement of this fairytale brought to life.

The relationship that the new adaptation of the script develops between Ella and Gabrielle was a true added value to the new book for this production by Douglas Carter Beane. Gabrielle as portrayed by Ebony Shanklin was part squirrely adolescent, and part passionate young woman longing for love and purpose with her beloved Jean-Michel portrayed by Clay Ackerman. Their onstage romance had some fun moments with both actors being vocally adept and physically confident in their characters on stage.

The characters of Madame portrayed by Abby Kustak and Charlotte, portrayed by Casey Schultz were a commanding presence on stage and had some solid comedic delivery. I think I would have been more appreciative of their performances with a better balance of sound management of their body microphones. In their loudest outbursts it was audibly painful.

Alexandria Mathews as Marie, or Ella's fairy godmother, had a lovely presence on the stage and was vocally masterful in both spoken word and in her songs. She also delivered "my new favorite line" about crazy women in a play with impeccable timing. Clinton Store as Sebastian, (a new character in the book by Beane) brought a sinister air to the story, and I enjoyed his performance as the villain.

The youth ensemble had some standout performances from Hanalei Barrett, and siblings Penelope and Beckett Kustak. Their youthful exuberance and joy in being on the stage drew my eye during scenes, and personal admiration for their commitment to character. They embodied the philosophy of being "in character" both physically and emotionally in every moment they were on the stage. Bravo young thespians, BRAVO! I look forward to seeing all of you again in future productions.

This production of RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA is a stroll down memory lane, a magical fairytale and a cohesive production with actors that are genuinely having "the time of their life" onstage. You can get tickets online at thepremiereplayhouse.com or by calling the Washington Pavilion Box Office at 605-367-6000 or possibly at the door of The Premiere Playhouse an hour before performance time. This production has performances through April 30th in both matinee and evening showings.

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