Article from THE OREGONIAN Thanks to Dan for this information! An Eartha-shaking version of 'Cinderella' As the fairy godmother, Eartha Kitt lights up the classical musical Friday, June 22, 2001 By HOLLY JOHNSON, special to The Oregonian Seeing Eartha Kitt do her sexy godmother -- the low range of her voice in snazzy form and that wonderful stage presence as powerful as ever -- is just one of the highlights of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella," a touring company that garnered some positive reviews when it was originally performed in New York. The scenic design by James Youmans harks back to the Walt Disney cartoon version a little, but it's better, much richer. A mythical kingdom with slanting rooftops and a round moon (that later becomes a clock face when Cinderella's zero hour strikes) folds into a home with a hearth where our heroine waits for her miracle in the shape of a fairy godmother, sans tutu and wand, encased in a sparkling, form- fitting gown. During her transformation scene, colored lights from above flash brilliantly, a pile of pumpkins glow like lanterns and the stage is awash in visual magic just before Cinderella (played by "Sopranos" actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler) appears in her white, glittery gown. The engaging score features such vintage selections as "The Sweetest Sounds," a repeated duet first performed with charm by Sigler and Paolo Montalban as the Prince (or Chris, as he is called here, perhaps to bring him a certain contemporary identity). The other well-known piece is "In My Own Little Corner," a Cinderella solo that Lesley Ann Warren made popular in a 1960s made-for-television version of the musical. Sigler's delivery is delicate but comes across with appropriate wistfulness. Her audience, a gaggle of mice and a cat named Charles, are stick puppets cleverly handled and voiced by cast members in uniform clothing designed to make them melt into the scenery. But Eartha Kitt, with her radiant powerful presence, creates the strongest image of the evening. When she tells Cinderella to believe in herself, there's a note of authority that rings back over the five decades that Kitt has been performing. For those of us who have been fans of hers over the years, it's a treat to see her again. I expected more humor from the stepmother character, here performed by a man, Everett Quinton, with a fitting precision. Stepsisters Grace (NaTasha Yvette Williams) and Joy (Alexandra Kolb) would have been funnier also as men, but these two had a few stellar moments each. Otherwise, their overblown performances seemed culled from a children's television show -- which "Cinderella" in this version was, initially, I suppose. A portion of the language in this version is updated to the present, so you really don't flinch when you hear one irritated stepsister announce to the other, "Sister, you're working my last good nerve." There's a large cartoon element to this production, not only with the sets but also with the bright, colorful costumes by Pamela Scofield. Cartoon movement also makes up much of the wonderful, sometimes goofy choreography by Ken Roberson. The show is designed primarily for kids, but if you like Rodgers and Hammerstein, you won't be disappointed.