Cinderella (Broadway Musical)
| Musical dates | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Cinderella |
| Original title: | Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | Richard Rodgers |
| Book: | Douglas Carter Beane after Oscar Hammerstein II |
| Lyrics: | Oscar Hammerstein II (additional lyrics by Douglas Carter Beane, David Chase and Bruce Pohomac) |
| Roles / people | |
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Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, in a version for which Douglas Carter Beane wrote new dialogues for the 2013 Broadway performance .
action
I. act
Prince Christopher, known as Chris [orig .: Topher], returned home from boarding school abroad to take over the throne after his parents passed away. Although a sympathetic and strong young man who easily takes care of giants and dragons in passing, he broods a lot, has no self-confidence and no vision for his reign. The administrator of the empire, Sebastian, is also doing everything possible not to give up power; he takes over all the decisions and talks about the royal signet ring from Chris.
On his ride through the country, Chris meets Cinderella for the first time at a village well. She hands him something to drink, a first spark of love flares up, Chris and his entourage move on.
After her father dies, Cinderella is bullied at home by her stepmother, known as Madame. (Madame: "I could laugh myself to death. She is sitting by the ashes [= cinder], and her name is Ella. So I call her Cinder-Ella. Why don't I have any friends?") Also hack her two stepsisters Charlotte and Gabrielle around on Ella. In Gabrielle's case, however, the enmity is feigned, she secretly sympathizes with Ella and, like Ella, dreams of adventures in the big world and of love. Gabrielle's secret affection is for Jean-Michel, a young man with socialist inclinations who wants to free the people from poverty. Jean-Michel's rebellious verve quickly collapses when Madame puts him down or he is sent away from court when he tries to bring his request to the young prince.
Even the subjects, although exploited and disenfranchised by Sebastian, quickly lose interest in Jean-Michel's theses when the latest news is announced on the village square: Prince Chris gives a ball to choose a bride from among those present. Everyone is dancing around in anticipation and grabbing the invitations that have been handed out. Ella can also get hold of one, but Madame tears it up.
Ella has to help Madame and the step-sisters get dressed. The three of them go to the ball, Ella stays behind sadly - she would have liked to see the prince again, would have liked to open his eyes to the conditions in the country and also like to dance at the ball. Then Marie appears, the crazy old woman of the village. She turns out to be a good fairy, conjures up a wonderful ball gown and transforms a pumpkin with mice, badger and fox into a golden carriage with horses and lackeys. In it Ella sets off for the castle.
At the court ball, Madame, with Sebastian's help, leads her two daughters to the prince. But both make each other impossible in front of Chris, Charlotte brazenly stupid, Charlotte hysterical-nervous, with strange clumsiness. When Ella appears, Chris does not recognize her, but is immediately fascinated by the beautiful stranger.
Ella takes the hall for herself not only through her appearance, but also through her natural being. Sebastian lets the company play "Ridicule", whereby it is important to surprise and outdo each other with insults that are as subtle as possible. Instead, when Ella's turn comes, she sincerely compliments. The surprised courtier spontaneously adopts Ella's unusual manners and is delighted to discover how good that is: “Friendliness!” Only Sebastian and Madame are furious. In the general waltz, they do everything possible to direct the dancers in such a way that Ella and Chris, who are magically drawn to each other, are repeatedly separated from each other.
The fairy godmother has made it clear to Ella that the magic ends at midnight. When the clock strikes, Ella leaves hastily. Chris hurries after her and sees how Ella loses a shoe on the castle stairs ... But Ella turns around again, grabs the shoe and escapes.
II. Act
Charlotte makes fun of the strange stranger that the prince immediately fell in love with. Chris and entourage chase after the disappeared through the night forest, but Ella escapes.
At home, Madame and the stepsisters rave about the ball and the prince and are amazed at how well Ella can relate to all of this. Gabrielle realizes: "That was you tonight!" She promises to keep Ella's secret and in turn confesses that she would rather marry Jean-Michel instead of the prince.
When Chris again announces a general invitation to the court banquet in the country, in the hope that the beautiful stranger will reappear, Gabrielle falls ill. However, she is caught and rejected by Madame with Jean-Michel. Ella, who wants to go to the castle in Gabrielle's ball gown, also falls into Madame's clutches. Madame is tearing the dress.
Mad Marie comes to the rescue again. She encourages Ella to stay true to her wishes and to take her life into her own hands. Marie conjures up a robe, even more beautiful than the first, and glass shoes.
At court, Ella is expected by Chris. Both confess their affection for one another. Jean-Michel and Gabrielle appear at court with a crowd of subjects. Ella moves Chris to listen to his people. Chris realizes that, unlike Sebastian whispered, these are good, capable people and that they are being treated unfairly. Encouraged by Ella, Chris accepts his role as regent, decides to Sebastian's horror general elections and nominates Jean-Michel himself for the new post of Prime Minister. Then, when the happy ending seems almost complete, the clock strikes again. Ella, who fears that Chris won't want her in rags, hurries away again. The scene from the first time is repeated on the steps of the castle, but Ella takes off her shoe herself and puts it on the steps before she runs away.
All over the country women are queuing up to try them out, but none of them fit the glass shoe. Encouraged by Marie, Ella finally reveals herself to the prince. Chris asks her to marry him. Ella forgives Madame and will assist Chris in the reign. At the wedding, the chiming of the clock terrifies those present one last time, but Ella declares: "Everything is cool!"
background
See also: Cinderella (TV musical, 1957)
The musical is based on the story of Cinderella , as told in particular by Charles Perrault in his fairy tale Cendrillon ou la Petite Pantoufle de verre . Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote it for television; The star of the first broadcast, which was watched by over 100 million viewers, was Julie Andrews in 1957 . The orchestration is by Robert Russell Bennett . At the end of 1958 the musical was staged for the first time in a slightly different form in London; from 1961 staged performances are documented in the USA. In 1965 another TV production came out with Lesley Ann Warren in the title role and Celeste Holm as the fairy godmother. For this version the book has been slightly revised and the music has been added, for example "Loneliness of Evening" for the Prince, a number originally composed for the South Pacific and then deleted.
Another, more revised version was created in 1997 again for television, for the broadcaster Walt Disney Television. Among the producers was Whitney Houston , who played the role of the fairy godmother herself. With Brandy Norwood , an Afro-American actress was in front of the camera as Cinderella, Bernadette Peters (stepmother) and Whoopi Goldberg as Queen were other stars. The broadcast had 60 million viewers. This TV version, with new songs like "The Sweetest Sounds" and "There's Music in You", was again set up for stage performances.
The musical hit Broadway for the first time in 2013 with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane, which introduces new characters with Sebastian and Jean-Michel, turns one of the stepsisters into Cinderella's accomplice and motivates the love of the main characters more strongly: The prince appears here as inexperienced young man in search of his place in the world, Cinderella is more active in advocating for her fellow men and her own goals. The official Broadway premiere took place on March 3, 2013 with Laura Osnes in the title role and Santino Fontana as the prince. The orchestrations came from Danny Troob. The production was nominated for nine Tony Awards and won in the category of best costume (Cinderella's metamorphosis in the open stage is one of the highlights of the show). Cinderella ran on Broadway through January 2015, with 41 previews and 769 performances. The original CD recording was released in 2013. Tour productions through the USA started in 2014 and 2016. The European premiere of the Broadway version took place on October 31, 2018 in Munich's Prinzregententheater , with dialogues and song texts in German translation by Jens Luckwaldt . This production by the Bavarian Theater Academy August Everding was directed by Andreas Gergen , the musical director was Joseph R. Olefirowicz .
Music numbers
The music was rearranged for the new versions, new instrumental numbers were created and the position of individual numbers in the dramaturgy of the piece was changed. Above all, songs were deleted and new ones added. For this purpose, instrumental parts were rewritten and songs from other musicals as well as from the archive of Rodgers and Hammerstein were used. The following table shows the changes (new songs are highlighted in color).
| Original version (1957) | "Enchanted Edition" (1997) | Broadway Version (2013) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Overture | Overture | |
| 2. Curtain Music Act I (The Prince is Giving a Ball) | ||
| 1. Prologue (Godmother, Chorus) | 1. "The Fields Are Aglow In Autumn Yellow" (Ella, Chorus) | |
| 1a. Battle with the Giant | ||
| 2. "Me, Who Am I?" (Topher, Sebastian, Lord Pinkleton, Knights, Pageboys)
[also contains motifs from orig. No. 3 & 9] |
||
| 2a. Cinderella Enters | ||
| 2 B. Topher Rides Off | ||
| 3. "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" (Herald, Townspeople) | 3. "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" (Lionel, Townspeople) - 3a. Playoff
Changed text + greatly expanded version including a variant of "Your Majesties" |
5. "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" / "Now Is the Time" (Sebastian, Jean-Michel, Lord Pinkleton, Madame, Ella, Crowd)
new version, intertwined with a new song |
| 4th Cinderella March | 1a. The Village [Cinderella March et al.] | 3rd Parade of Purchases (Cinderella March) |
| 2. "The Sweetest Sounds" (Cinderella, Prince) | ||
| 5. "In My Own Little Corner" (Cinderella) | 4. "In My Own Little Corner" (Cinderella) | 4. "In My Own Little Corner" (Ella) |
| 4a. "In My Own Little Corner" Tag (Ella, Topher) | ||
| 6. Change of Scene (The Prince is Giving a Ball) | ||
| 7. "Your Majesties" (Chef, Steward, King, Queen) | 4a. "Your Majesty" (Lord Pinkleton, Topher)
greatly shortened version |
|
| 7a. Your Majesties - Dance | 4a. Change of Scene (Your Majesties) | |
| 4. Royal Scroll | ||
| 8. "Boys and Girls Like You and Me" (King, Queen) | 5. "Boys and Girls Like You and Me" (King, Queen) | |
| 6. "The Sweetest Sounds" - Reprise (Prince, Cinderella) | ||
| 9. Change of Scene | ||
| 10. "In My Own Little Corner" - Reprise (Cinderella) into | 7. "In My Own Little Corner" - Reprise (Cinderella)
new text stanza |
7. "In My Own Little Corner" - Reprise / "Fol-De-Rol" (Ella, Marie) |
| "Fol-De-Rol" (Godmother) | 8. "Fol-De-Rol" (Godmother) | 5a. "Fol-De-Rol" - Scene Change (Marie) |
| 5b. Venetian Glass | ||
| 6. Off to the Ball (Cindereall March) (Madame, Gabrielle, Charlotte) | ||
| 11. "Impossible" (Cinderella, Godmother) | 9. "Impossible" (Cinderella, Godmother) | 8. "Impossible" (Marie, Ella) |
| 12. The Transformation | 9a. The transformation | 8a. Transformations |
| 13. "It's Possible" (Cinderella, Godmother) | 10. "It's Possible" (Cinderella, Godmother, Company) | 8b. "It's Possible" (Ella, Marie, Chorus) |
| 14. Entr'Acte | 11. Entr'Acte | |
| 15. Curtain Music Act II | ||
| 8c. Into the Palace | ||
| 16. Gavotte | 12. Gavotte | 9. Gavotte |
| 10. Ridicule (Lord Pinkleton, Ensemble) | ||
| 10a. Kindness | ||
| 13. "Loneliness of Evening" (Prince) | 20. "Loneliness of Evening" (Topher, Ella) | |
| 17. Cinderella's Entrance | 14. Cinderella's Entrance & Waltz | |
| 18. "Ten Minutes Ago" (Prince, Cinderella) | 15. "Ten Minutes Ago" (Prince, Cinderella, Company) | 11. "Ten Minutes Ago" (Topher, Ella) |
| 13. "Ten Minutes Ago" - Reprise (Ella, Topher, Guests) | ||
| 15a. Playoff Polka & Underscore | ||
| 14. Entr'Acte | ||
| 19. "Stepsister's Lament" (Joy, Portia) | 16. "Stepsister's Lament" (Joy, Grace) | 15. "Stepsister's Lament" (Charlotte, Ladies of the Court)
here as a solo number with choir; new middle part from orig. no. 9, with text |
| 20. Waltz for a Ball (Chorus) | [No. 14, so] | 12. Waltz for a Ball |
| 21. Waltz - Underscore | ||
| 22. "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (Cinderella, Prince) | 17. "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (Cinderella, Prince) | 26. "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (Topher, Ella) |
| 23. Twelve O'Clock | 18. Twelve O'Clock | 13a. Finale - Act I. |
| 24. Act III Prelude | ||
| 25. Curtain Music Act III | ||
| 15a. Call to Arms (Lord Pinkleton, Topher) | ||
| 16. The pursuit | ||
| 16a. "He Was Tall" (Ella) | ||
| 26. "When You're Driving Through the Moonlight" (Cinderella, Stepmother, Joy, Portia) | 20. "When You're Driving Through the Moonlight" (Cinderella, Stepmother, Joy, Grace) | 17. "When You're Driving Through the Moonlight" (Ella, Charlotte, Gabrielle, Madame) |
| 27. "A Lovely Night" (Cinderella, Stepmother, Joy, Portia) | 21. "A Lovely Night" (Cinderella, Stepmother, Joy, Grace) | 18. "A Lovely Night" (Ella, Charlotte, Gabrielle, Madame) |
| 18a. It Was You Tonight, Wasn't It? | ||
| 28. "A Lovely Night" - Coda (Cinderella) | 22. "A Lovely Night" - Reprise (Cinderella) | 19. "A Lovely Night" recapitulation (Gabrielle, Ella) |
| 29. Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful? - Underscore | ||
| 30. "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" - Reprise (Queen, Prince) | 19. "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" - Reprise (King, Queen, Prince) | |
| 21. Announcing the Banquet: "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" - Reprise (Sebastian, Lord Pinkleton, Madame, Heralds) | ||
| 21a. Madame Rips the Dress | ||
| 31. The Search | 23. The Search | |
| 23a. Manic Stepsisters Underscore | ||
| 32. Transition to Palace | ||
| 23. The Banquet (Lord Pinkleton & Herald Trumpeters) | ||
| 23.Now is the Time (Underscore) | ||
| 24. "Now Is the Time" - Reprise / More Fol-De Rol (Jean-Michel, Gabrielle, Marie) | ||
| 25. King Topher (Ensemble) | ||
| 26a. Midnight Again | ||
| 26b. Eight O'Clock and All Is Well (Lord Pinkleton) | ||
| 26c. Ella In Rags (Marie) | ||
| 33. The Slipper Fits | 23b. The Slipper Fits (Cinderella, Prince) | |
| 27. The Proposal (Ella, Topher, Ensemble) | ||
| 34th Finale - The Wedding (Company) | 28. The Wedding - Finale (Lord Pinkleton, Marie, Ensemble) | |
| 24. "There's Music in You" (Godmother, Company) | 22. "There's Music in You" (Marie) | |
| 35. Bows | 25. Curtain Call & | 29. Bows (Company) |
| 36. Exit Music | Exit Music | 30. Exit Music |
Web links
- Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella in the International Broadway Database
- Cinderella at Playbill Vault
- Official website of the Broadway production
- Cinderella at Concord Theatricals
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.rnh.com/show/22/Cinderella#shows-history
- ↑ http://www.ghostlightrecords.com/cinderella-original-broadway-cast-recording.html
- ↑ http://www.boosey.com/downloads/RnH_SOM03_Web.pdf?p=3
- ↑ https://www.rundfunkorchester.de/cinderella-premiere-muenchen-31-10-2018/k7793/
- ↑ Textbooks and piano reductions German & English. at R&H Theatricals Europe