Cinderella
October 25 through November 10, 2002
Directed by Michael Anthony. Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.
Review by Rob Hopper
San Diego Playbill

It’s Impossible that a poor girl dressed in rags and living under the iron thumb of her wicked step-mother and the torment of her wicked step-sisters could catch the eye of a prince and live happily ever after in a beautiful castle. Or is it??? When it comes to love, maybe all the other silly trappings in the world don’t matter, and all two people need is a chance to meet. Perhaps in the marketplace. Or even better, at a royal ball! But Cinderella doesn’t have a thing to wear. It’s desperate times like these that call for a little magic. With Aladdin, it was a genie in a lamp. With the Anaheim Angels, it was a Rally Monkey. And with Cinderella, it’s a Fairy Godmother!

The magic of this most beloved of fairy tales is alive and well at San Diego Junior Theatre. Under the magnificent guidance of Director Michael Anthony (Guys and Dolls, Once On This Island), this brilliantly updated version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, which premiered in Disney’s made-for-TV movie starring Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother and Brandy as Cinderella, gets another great retelling with some of San Diego Junior Theatre’s finest talent.

The cast is headed by Courtney Linton as Cinderella, her beautiful voice outshining her drab appearance as she sings In My Own Little Corner, and outshining even her lovely gown for the ball while singing her charming duet with Prince Joseph Glaser Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful. A gown made possible by Cinderella’s hip, but a bit rusty magic-wise, Fairy Godmother performed by Jacqueline Lopez (Ti Moune from Junior Theatre’s Once On This Island). Jacqueline’s powerful and extraordinary voice makes the most impossible things seem possible, and leaves you wishing Cinderella needed a little more of her Fairy Godmother’s magic to win the Prince.

But it’s the bad guys – or bad girls – who earn the most laughs in this one. Cinderella’s spoiled, less-than-bright step-sisters are a riot as they try to ridicule Cinderella when they’re not too busy ridiculing and fighting each other or trying (quite unsuccessfully) to win the heart of the Prince. Between their obnoxious voices, ungainly gaits, Joy’s (Stephanie Ward) hilariously inelegant laughter, and Portia’s (Chiara Atik) unfortunate case of the itch-ies that require serious scratching whenever nervous, these two are most definitely not blood-related to Cinderella. But their wicked mom (Darcy Porter) and them sure mix nicely with Cinderella for the reggae-ish A Lovely Night.

There are many other highlights to this magical show including Alex Fleming as the Prince’s French-speaking, no-nonsense, and highly amusing assistant, good ensemble work both in the marketplace and in the ballroom, fantastic costumes by Mibs Somerville (especially with Joy’s outrageous green dress with a multi-hooped skirt), and enchanting set designs by Tony Cucuzzella that include an elegant ballroom, a creatively designed house that gets pulled apart to comprise the marketplace, and some fireplace mantle mice who start out as Cinderella’s only friends in the world.

This delightful production kicks off San Diego Junior Theatre’s 55th Season, making it the longest continuously performing youth theatre organization in the country, and with what is continuously the most enthusiastic and appreciative crowd in local theatre. And they have a lot to be enthusiastic about with productions like these!