Rodgers and Hammerstein's Tony-Winning 'Cinderella' Musical Is Coming to Sydney
It's the first time the Broadway production will hit the stage in Australia.
In a stark change from last year, 2021 is shaping up to be quite the magical time for Australian musical theatre fans. The country is finally getting a shot to see Hamilton right now, everyone will be able to swoon over Moulin Rouge! from August and making a date with one of popular culture's most famous masked men, The Phantom of the Opera, is on the cards from September. And, as just announced, Cinderella will be riding a pumpkin carriage into Sydney when November hits, too.
First premiering back on Broadway in 2013, this version of the beloved fairy tale features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a couple of the best-known names in musical theatre history. The pair actually wrote their songs for a 1957 television production, which starred a pre-Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music Julie Andrews. (If you've seen the 1997 TV movie with Brandy and Whitney Houston — which remade that original small-screen flick — then you've already seen a version based on Rodgers and Hammerstein's original efforts.)
Now, the Broadway production is finally making the jump Down Under, debuting locally at Sydney's Capitol Theatre at a yet-to-be-revealed date in November, as presented by Opera Australia and the Gordon Frost Organisation. The two organisations recently teamed up on The King and I, another Rodgers and Hammerstein hit, but this time they're all about glass slippers and masked balls. Whether Cinderella will make its way to other Aussie cities hasn't yet been announced either.
Don't expect the exact same story you're used to, though — as you read as a kid, and saw in Disney's classic animated film and its live-action remake. Here, Cinderella is a contemporary figure, but living in a fairytale setting. She's still transformed from a chambermaid into a princess; however, the tale has been given a firmly modern spin.
Just who'll be starring in the show when it makes its way to Sydney hasn't yet been revealed, but they'll be working with a production penned by playwright Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, Sister Act) based on Hammerstein's work — which was, of course, adapted from the fairy tale about a young woman dreaming of a better life.
The Broadway production was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won one, for Best Costume Design. In the US, Carly Rae Jepsen played Ella for a stint, while The Nanny's Fran Drescher also took on the role of Madame, Ella's stepmother, for a period.
If you're wondering how the musical works its magic, check out a clip from the original Broadway show below:
Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella will hit the stage at the Sydney's Capitol Theatre in November 2021, with exact dates yet to be announced. Tickets will go on sale on April 30, with pre-sales from April 26 — for further details, or to join the waitlist, head to the musical's website.
Top image: Original Broadway production of Cinderella by Carol Rosegg.
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