Review: CENICIENTA: A BILINGUAL CINDERELLA STORY at The Kennedy Center
Streaming now on Digital Stage+
By: Jennifer Muscato Apr. 03, 2023
I'll be honest, I was anxious about bringing my six-year-old with me to the theatre. My son has not sat still since he was three-months-old, so I didn't know how he would respond to having to sit for a play. Visions danced in my head of the two of us being asked to leave the iconic Kennedy Center. But luckily, that didn't happen. From the moment Madison Palomo (Belinda) hit the stage, my son was hooked. Actually, all the kids were thanks to something that rarely fails when it comes to children: silliness.
Belina charges onto the stage with energy and almost immediately crawling into a sleeping bag, acting like a worm. Almost everything she does gets a laugh, including using a teapot as a puppet.
The play is a reimagining of the classic Cinderella story we all know. And I have to say, I like this new one better! Instead of a sad girl, covered in cinders waiting for a ball and a prince, she is a talented poet... which everyone may soon find out! She is, however, still mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, with the play teaching its young audience the importance of bravery and standing up for yourself!
Cenicienta: A Bilingual Cinderella Story uses puppetry, Spanish, and English, and tackles cultural heritage, family, and the power of language. Although my son doesn't know Spanish, he never once asked me what Belinda was saying. He did, however, ask me what the actress would do if she had to use the restroom during her performance. Lucky for her, there's no water drinking involved and the play is just under an hour long. By the way: that's a perfect length for a play for children.
It's not easy to hold an audience on your own and Madison Palomo does it well. Behind the scenes, the award-winning play was written by Rupert Reyes (whose voice you will hear during the play) and director Caroline Reck. She also does scenic, costume and prop design. The props are colorful, shiny and even noisy at times, which is a good thing. Items like these help keep kids' attention and with someone like Madison Palomo as the lead, your kids will be entertained and encouraged to step away from those screens, and use their imaginations!
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