NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day at Broadway's Cinderella With Not-So-Evil Stepsister Marla MindelleSpend an Easter Weekend two-show day at Broadway's Cinderella with Marla Mindelle, who plays stepsister Gabrielle. Join her for a tour of the show's backstage world and stick around as she celebrates with friends following a hard day's work.
By
Matthew Blank
April 09, 2013
"Thank you for looking through my Cinderella pics," said Mindelle. "At first I thought I might be too bossy, using the Playbill camera, but you'd be surprised what people will do to have their picture taken!"
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day at Broadway's Cinderella With Not-So-Evil Stepsister Marla Mindelle
The singing actress was most recently seen as Sister Mary Roberts in Sister Act on Broadway. Other theatre work includes Lincoln Center Theater's South Pacific, the first national tour of The Drowsy Chaperone, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Paper Mill, Philadelphia Theatre Company), The Wild Party (New Repertory Theatre) and Songs for a New World (Princeton Opera).
Cinderella, which premiered as a 1957 television film starring Julie Andrews in the title role, has been updated for contemporary audiences with a new book by four-time Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane (The Nance, Sister Act, Xanadu, Lysistrata Jones, The Little Dog Laughed). His treatment recharts the journey of the classic tale in a new way. Retaining all classic elements of the fairytale, Beane and the creative team offer audiences a fresh take that gives the female heroine a stronger point of view.
The new production incorporates songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalogue, as well as songs from the original television version, including "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible/It's Possible," "Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"
Audiences will also hear the Rodgers and Hammerstein score anew thanks to David Chase (How to Succeed, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Flower Drum Song), who has re-arranged the material since it was first heard nearly 60 years ago. Chase also serves as musical adapter and supervisor on the production.
The property's closest brush with Broadway was a national tour that played The Theatre at Madison Square Garden in 2001. It starred Eartha Kitt as the Fairy Godmother and Jamie-Lynn Sigler in the title role. That production drew on several versions of Cinderella, including the original 1957 teleplay and the 1997 "Wonderful World of Disney" version.
Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes (Bonnie & Clyde, South Pacific) and Santino Fontana (Billy Elliot, Importance of Being Earnest) star as Cinderella and the Prince, respectively.
The cast also boasts Tony Award winner Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie) as Cinderella's Stepmother, Madame; Tony winner Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza, Sister Act) as the Fairy Godmother, Marie; Peter Bartlett (A Free Man of Color, The Frogs) as Sebastian, the Prime Minister; Ann Harada (Avenue Q, "Smash") as stepsister Charlotte; Marla Mindelle (Sister Act) as stepsister Gabrielle; and Greg Hildreth (Peter and the Starcatcher) as the rebel Jean-Michel.
It is produced by Robyn Goodman, Jill Furman, Stephen Kocis, Edward Walson, Venetian Glass Productions, The Araca Group, Roy Furman, Luigi Caiola & Rose Caiola, Walt Grossman, Peter May/Sanford Robertson, Glass Slipper Productions/Eric Schmidt, Ted Liebowitz/James Spry, Blanket Fort Productions and is produced in association with Center Theatre Group. Charles Salameno is associate producer.
Cinderella has choreography by Josh Rhodes. Andy Einhorn is music director and conductor. Scenic design is by Anna Louizos, costume design is by William Ivey Long, lighting design is by Ken Posner and sound design is by Nevin Steinberg.