Article from Seattle Times Thanks to Lisa for this information! http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/134306224 _cinderella140.html Thursday, June 14, 2001 - 12:00 a.m. Pacific Theater Review New 'Cinderella': This Godmother never grows old By Misha Berson Seattle Times theater critic Sometimes the Fairy Godmother steals the show. Eartha Kitt could be convicted of a very benign form of grand larceny for doing just that in the touring production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" at the Paramount Theatre. At 74, Kitt looks totally mah-velous wearing a foxy smile and a long, shimmering gown. She vamps and dances, kicking a supple leg high in the air. And when she talks and sings, in that trademark exotic growl, the ageless chanteuse is as sardonic and playfully seductive as ever. It's not your usual Fairy Godmother routine, but her performance is a very enjoyable element in this perky "Cinderella," a family attraction that goes out of its way to inject contemporary pizazz into a vintage fairy tale. This version features Jamie-Lynn Sigler (who plays mob princess Meadow Soprano on the popular cable series, "The Sopranos") as the abused stepchild of myth and legend. Gabriel Barre's staging, which is visiting a numerous American cities, borrows a lot from Disney's 1997 telecast of "Cinderella." It has the same handsome, sincere Prince Charming (Paolo Montalban), the same devotion to multicultural casting (this Cinderella has a black sibling, a white sibling and a stepmom who's really a male actor), the same appropriation of a Richard Rodgers song from another musical ("The Sweetest Sounds," from "No Strings") and the same penchant for saddling Rodgers' light, dulcet melodies with overbearing pop arrangements. The latter doesn't seem to bother the young children who are clearly the target audience here. In any case, there's enough animated comedy, hocus-pocus effects and fairy-dust romance to keep even alert 5-year-olds engaged. And whoever decided to give Cinderella some animal pals - an adorable crew of twittering mice and a big fluffy cat (all rod puppets, manipulated by onstage puppeteers) - is a family entertainment whiz. During the curtain call, those critters get a big ovation. As the gal with the glass slipper, Sigler uncorks a modest but appealing singing voice and displays a sweet stage presence. And as her prince, Montalban croons well and looks swell. If the love stuff is pretty bland, the comedy in "Cinderella" is aggressive - a tradition that extends back to the raucous English musical-hall versions of the story. Here, the vain stepsisters, Natasha Yvette Williams and Alexandra Kolb, wear the expected garish, unflattering get-ups (designed by costumer Pamela Scofield) and do a lot of shrieking. There's more subtle clowning (if such a thing can exist in this context) from Everett Quinton, the great drag actor, whose stepmother-from-hell sports a Lucille Ball hairdo and a flair for haughty nagging. And Brooks Ashmanskas proves a nimble jester as the palace steward, Lionel. It's also true that some of the charming innocence of this musical in its original form (it premiered on TV in 1957, with beguiling Julie Andrews in the lead) has been erased with the louder, broader approach applied here. But, alas, that's show biz these days. And judging from the smiles on the small faces on opening night, "Cinderella" (and Eartha Kitt) are timeless enchanters. Copyright © 2001 The Seattle Times Company