Article from NY DAILY NEWS http://www.nydailynews.com/today/New_York_Now/Theater/a-109972.asp Thanks to Lisa for this information! Princess Charming 'Cinderella's' magic triumphs over its production Howard Kissel CINDERELLA Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Music by Richard Rodgers. Adapted by Tom Briggs. With Eartha Kitt, Jamie- Lynn Sigler, Paolo Montalban, Everett Quinton and others. Sets by James Youmans. Costumes by Pamela Scofield. Directed by Gabriel Barre. At The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Tickets: $27.50-$75. (212) 307-4111. It's ludicrously overamplified and garishly designed, but it doesn't matter. Rodgers and Hammerstein's score for "Cinderella" is so magical it triumphs over everything. Written for a live TV broadcast in 1957 — it starred Julie Andrews — "Cinderella" began being produced in theaters only about 20 years ago. This is amazing considering the score contains such standards as "Ten Minutes Ago," "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" and "A Lovely Night." Jamie-Lynn Sigler (l.) of 'Sopranos' fame stars alongside Eartha Kitt in 'Cinderella.' It also has some of the pair's best comic songs. It's hard to believe, for example, that Hammerstein wrote the witty "Stepsisters' Lament" just before he did the "funny" songs for "Flower Drum Song," which are some of his flattest attempts at humor ever. As if the riches of the original score were not enough, the current production uses the great song Rodgers wrote with his own lyrics, "The Sweetest Sounds," which comes from "No Strings." (You won't see "No Strings" because its treatment of racial themes, embarrassing even in 1962, makes it unproduceable now.) The new "Cinderella" also includes "There's Music in You," a song from the 1950 film "Main Street to Broadway." The song, originally sung by Mary Martin, was first included in the 1997 TV version of "Cinderella," starring Whitney Houston and Brandy. In the title role, Jamie-Lynn Sigler (TV's Meadow Soprano) sings quite well and is extremely appealing. Paolo Montalban makes a dashing prince, and he is a powerful singer. Eartha Kitt is a campy fairy godmother. On her first entrance, when Cinderella seems skeptical, she asks, "Magic wand? Tutu? Been there, done that." Few could deliver the line as cattily as Kitt. Everett Quinton, a brilliant choice for the evil stepmother, is hilarious and scary, not an easy combo. NaTasha Yvette Williams and Alexandra Kolb are suitably, comically nasty as Cinderella's stepsisters. The production, directed by Gabriel Barre, makes good use of puppets and serves the material broadly but well. Designed for touring, the production looks cheap, garish and, in the ballroom scene, downright ugly. The only good designs are for some trees and Cinderella's pumpkin coach. The costumes are similarly vulgar. But none of this matters, because the cast exudes enthusiasm and the score, even in some quasi-hip arrangements, is as enchanting as ever. E-mail: hkissel@edit.nydailynews.com Original Publication Date: 5/5/01