Article from Washington Post Thanks to Lisa for this information! Theater 'Cinderella' Turns Into a Pumpkin By Nelson Pressley Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 21, 2001; Page C01 "Cinderella" is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, and you'd think that pedigree would be good enough for the touring production that opened last night at the Kennedy Center Opera House. But apparently it's not: This show wants to be a Disney cartoon. Director Gabriel Barre and adapter Tom Briggs give the audience the hard sell right from the beginning. Lights twinkle and the orchestra thunders during a fast, overamplified prologue borrowed from Disney's Broadway "Beauty and the Beast." (In "Beast," it's about a curse and a rose; here it involves a tree planted in memory of Cinderella's mother.) More "Beast"deja vu: The Technicolor set is framed by a series of arches -- the kind that light up like fireworks for the splashy "Be Our Guest." "Cinderella's" new opener, a Richard Rodgers song called "The Sweetest Sounds," from his 1962 musical "No Strings," is turned into a frenetic production number in the town square, with the perky heroine as its central figure (shades of "Beast's" Belle). Cinderella has a coterie of animal friends here, making her less like a musical theater figure and more like an animated heroine, while the visible puppeteers handling the wires of various rodents, birds and a cat bring Broadway's "Lion King" to mind. Worst of all, this "Cinderella" sounds like "Beauty and the Beast." It bellows; it bullies. The gorgeous melodies that have made this show a little gem since it first appeared on TV in the late 1950s are in there somewhere underneath the frantic musical arrangements. This sounds to me like the modernized pop treatment that accompanied the 1997 TV version with Whitney Houston; if you liked that, you'll like this, too. And, of course, a lot of people do. I sat next to a young couple who sang along with the whole show, something I've been tempted to do during previous "Cinderellas." It's a sweet, deeply infectious score, and when Barre and company resist the temptation to embellish it, they create some fine moments. Take "Ten Minutes Ago," the delightful waltz for Cinderella (the appealing Jessica Rush) and the Prince (suave and gentle as played by Paolo Montalban) as they begin to fall in love. The music lilts along, the lovers gaze into each other's eyes, and the rest of the revelers surround them and sway just the tiniest bit, bathed in blue light. Dreamy music; dreamy picture. There are a few other things to admire in this production. Eartha Kitt, growly and lithe as ever, is an unlikely but triumphant choice as the Fairy Godmother. Kitt inevitably makes the benevolent character tough and worldly -- a good fairy to have in your corner. Tougher still is Everett Quinton as the Stepmother. Quinton's a breeze in heels, yet his characterization here is straightforward and harsh, not campy (except for a delicious moment or two). Sandra Bargman and NaTasha Yvette Williams, though, are merely loud and obnoxious as the Stepsisters, braying through the punch lines of the usually funny "Stepsisters' Lament." James Youmans's two-column set for the palace ballroom is simple and handsome, as is Tim Hunter's lighting design, and Pamela Scofield provides elegant costumes for the royals. But the conical hairdos and neon-toned costumes for the Stepsisters are overbearing; the actresses strain to live up to their ridiculous looks. And as for the enchanted transformation scene -- ragamuffin into princess, pumpkin into coach, and all that -- it would be fairly impressive if the swirling, twinkling lights and chiming orchestra didn't so closely echo the magic spectacle in "Beauty and the Beast." This is why musicals can be depressing: Beautiful music and a solid story just don't seem to be enough for modern producers courting big audiences. Then again, maybe there's no real accounting for tastelessness; the folks who've put this on the stage probably like it and believe in it. Either way, it's terribly strange to see and hear the work of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, the greatest songwriting team of America's musical theater, molded to ape the latest fad. Cinderella, music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Directed by Gabriel Barre. Choreography, Ken Roberson; music director, John Mezzio; sound design, Duncan Edwards. Approximately two hours. Through Jan. 13 at the Kennedy Center Opera House. Call 202-467-4600. © 2001 The Washington Post Company