13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
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UPDATED FOR THE 21st CENTURY AUDIENCE, Feb 15, 2013
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reviewer: It's possible and it was! from Newark, NJ
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| Calling Baby Boomers who remember the TV version
from 50 years ago, yes 50 years ago. It was slow
moving, with some comedy, and would have probably
been considered boring to the 21st century
audience. So what is one to do? Update it,
leaving all of the wonderful original music of
course because afterall THAT is what makes this
Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderalla, not Disney
Cinderella, add some 21st century humor, and
expand the story by giving the 'kingdom', and all
of the main characters more depth. I thought this
rendition was great, especially Lord Pendleton and
the Fairy Godmother. The singing was crisp,
chorus right on point - a few of the dancing
performances of the chorus were complex and were
executed with appropriate vigor without pause or
(obvious) error. If you have not seen the
ORIGINAL Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella I do
not think you will truly appreciate this remake.
Sorry, but you had to be there. |
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10 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
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She needed to not be flying in the finale., Feb 10, 2013
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reviewer: Bonnie G from New York, New York
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| First of all your prince was lackluster and although
they taught him the dance steps and he did them - he
is not dancer. There are so many talented
performers, it is odd that they settled. He is cute
and charming but that is not enough. Cinderella was
adequate but again there is better out there. At
least she could dance. The last scene was a
travesty. Everything about it was ridiculous
including the fairy godmother hanging up there. |
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
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Why mess with enchantment?, Feb 11, 2013
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reviewer: A.N.P. from New Jersey
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| In all its previous incarnations, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella was a charming musical with a gently humorous book and glorious, lyrical songs (orchestrated with a subtle homage to Richard Strauss). The current Broadway version is still largely charming, beautifully sung and danced, imaginatively staged, and remarkably, magically costumed. However, the story is now bogged down by political messaging, and the score, reorchestrated without the Viennese flourishes, has been sullied by uninspired additions from the R&H canon. Producers, if you want social messaging, stage South Pacific. I'm grateful this production retained enough of Cinderella's original magic to deliver A Lovely Night of theater. |
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7 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
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4 year old totally disappointed , Feb 11, 2013
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reviewer: Rain from Long Island, New York
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| Took my 4 year old daughter to the show. She
dressed herself in the blue Cinderella gown and
was so excited to see the show! Well my daughter
complained the entire time saying Cinderella isn't
dressed like her (her gown wasn't blue, it was
white and the other was gold, "she looks like
Belle" my daughter said) or looks like the
Cinderella she has come to know and love. The
story was so different from what she knows also.
In the very beginning there is a big tree monster
that terrified her to bits and she is still scared
about it 2 weeks later! If I didn't take her I
would probably give the show closer to 4 stars. We
both loved the dresses and and the singing but
again if I knew that they would change the story
so much and make a political statement in the
story as well I would have never taken her and
just went with friends. |
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
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Brilliant, Feb 10, 2013
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reviewer: Melissa L. from Thornwood, New York
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| Everything from the opening scene to the curtain call was
fantastic. The costume changes on stage were great, as I'm
still trying to figure out how Ella changed into her gold dress
in the blink of an eye. I thought that the cast was wonderful
and Osnes was brilliant. My mother and I are huge
Cinderella fans and this show had us entertained from start
to finish. I would recommend this to men, woman and
children of all ages. Well done!!! :)
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
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????????, Feb 12, 2013
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reviewer: Disgruntled Fairy Tale lover from New York, New York
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| The only reason I am giving this play 2 stars is because the
performers, sets, and costumes were wonderful. I can't for the life
of me understand why anyone would butcher this story! I took my
20 year old daughter to what we thought would be the story we
both grew up loving. This IS NOT that story it has been completely
changed into some kind of political statement. Do NOT bring
young girls to this play they will be bored and confused. Without
giving away everything, I can only tell you that NOTHING is the
same. How they got away with calling it Cinderella I don't know.
The only reason we didn't walk out at the intermission was
because we wanted to hear the beautiful songs of Rogers and
Hammerstein! |
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
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What Show was this?, Feb 18, 2013
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reviewer: shore33 from lavallette, new jersey
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| I grew up with every version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's
Cinderella and I've always been partial to the Lesley Ann Warren
version. The current Broadway production is so far off from every
previous version I've ever seen and at one point I was wondering if
I was watching the right show. The sets and consumes were
amazing. I hated the addition of characters, the subtraction of old
characters, and the political aspects now involved in the show. It
was like the French Revolution plus Aladdin equals Cinderella.
Also, there were some songs that were changed, which I didn't
care for, and some new ones added from the Rodgers and
Hammerstein catalogue. The first act was really rough, but the
second act started to have potential. I think with some tweaking,
Cinderella could be a fabulous addition to Broadway. Cut the
unnecessary characters, reinstate the old ones, and tell the
Rodgers and Hammerstein story that made people fall in love with
Cinderella in the first place. |
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
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if you wanted same old...., Feb 23, 2013
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reviewer: JC from Chicago
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| then watch the tv version. The updating was smart, lighthearted, and overall charming. The casting and acting were all top notch Broadway. Truly inspired sets and costumes. The show got better and better as it went along. Brilliant scene changes as well.
Never thought the least compelling part of the show would be the occasional clunker from R&H songbook.
Give up your expectations for a stodgy rerun and have a good time. |
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
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Captivating MUST SEE, Feb 24, 2013
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reviewer: Larry D from New York, New York
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| This "updated" version of Cinderella is enchanting and beautiful.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's winning score is delivered
wonderfully by the vocals of Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana,
Victoria Clarke, Harriet Harris and a strong supporting
supporting cast. The costumes and sets are amazing; vivid,
captivating and you will definitely wonder how images change
before your eyes! I loved the story "updates" which give
Cinderella a new life and a very joyous ending. If you are a fan of
the TV version of Cinderella (I've always enjoyed the Lesley Ann
Warren version) you will not be disappointed. Great and well
worth the price of admission! |
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
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What Show was this?, Feb 18, 2013
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reviewer: shore33 from lavallette, new jersey
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| I grew up with every version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's
Cinderella and I've always been partial to the Lesley Ann Warren
version. The current Broadway production is so far off from every
previous version I've ever seen and at one point I was wondering if
I was watching the right show. The sets and consumes were
amazing. I hated the addition of characters, the subtraction of old
characters, and the political aspects now involved in the show. It
was like the French Revolution plus Aladdin equals Cinderella.
Also, there were some songs that were changed, which I didn't
care for, and some new ones added from the Rodgers and
Hammerstein catalogue. The first act was really rough, but the
second act started to have potential. I think with some tweaking,
Cinderella could be a fabulous addition to Broadway. Cut the
unnecessary characters, reinstate the old ones, and tell the
Rodgers and Hammerstein story that made people fall in love with
Cinderella in the first place. |
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
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its possible, Feb 23, 2013
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reviewer: D. C. from Brick, New Jersey
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| If you loved the original with Leslie Ann Warren, you will
love this show. Costumes are great. Especially changing
from rags to a beautiful ball gown. Stepsisters were very
funny. Fairy godmother wonderful voice. The only thing i
wished if the actors portraying Cinderella and Prince sang a
bit louder. It is not the Disney version. I wouldn't
recommend it for young children. I loved it, just like the
original. |
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
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Amazing, Feb 25, 2013
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reviewer: Loved it from Lubbock. Texas
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| We have watched numerous broadway productions and loved
this one! While I went with my husband, we remarked
numerous times how much our 4 year old daughter would
have loved it. It is not the exact Disney remake and I didn't
expect it to be. The performers were amazing and the set was
wonderful. |
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
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A truly magical Broadway musical!, Feb 25, 2013
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reviewer: Tony from Washington DC.
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| This show was amazing. The actors were top notch, the sets and costumes were amazing, songs were amazing, of course from R&H, the choreography and direction was very well done, and the updated book by Douglas Carter Beane was funny and lighthearted in the right ways. The transformations alone are worth the ticket price. Take your children and take them with you to see what a real Broadway musical looks like. Run don't walk |
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
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All Ages Astonished, Feb 26, 2013
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reviewer: Scott from York, PA
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| I saw the production with my family this weekend -- all of whom are familiar with the 1950s/1960s versions of the R&H production -- and from 11 years old to 73 years old, we all absolutely LOVED it -- my 11-year-old niece sitting next to me actually gasped in awe countless times throughout the show! Laura Osnes was born to play the role of Cinderella, and Victoria Clark's fairy godmother was sung and acted beautifully. Harriet Harris and Ann Harada were charming as the "evil" characters, and Santino Fontana was great as the prince. I'm not sure what show some of the negative reviewers saw, but it certainly wasn't the same one I saw. This show should be around for a long time -- one of the best family-friendly shows running in New York right now. |
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
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If it ain't broke why make flawed atttempts to fix it, Feb 27, 2013
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reviewer: Paisley from Long Island, New York
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| I saw the show opening night with a friend, a generation gap between us. The costumes,cast, singing voices (the announcer: The Prince is having a ball... was a standout.)sets, orchestra, lighting and special effects truly rated a 5! However, the needless "updating" was ridiculous. The "updates" were stolen from Harry Potter,(yes, the Brothers Grimm did it first and best)It was a nice touch that one of the step sisters wasn't much of a bad egg after all, but the scene stealing Ann Harada's step sister was a rip off of Melissa Mc Carthy's "Bridesmaids' character. For young girls growing up with this version of the prince, I feel sorry for them. The Prince is clueless, and needs Ella to clue him into what's really going on in his kingdom.Rodgers and Hammerstein, people not Disney. If being a 21st century sophisticate means stealing from other works and throwing in political garbage, count me out. Cinderella is a FAIRY TALE, don't we live with enough reality these days. |
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
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If it isn't broke, Feb 28, 2013
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reviewer: Sharon from New York, New York
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| I went to see the show last night. The orignal book by Oscar Hammerstein which I knew and loved was barely there. This version tinkered too much with the original story. Gone were the King and Queen replaced by Lord Pendelton and Jean Michel. Neither character is worthy of being included in the story. Pendelton competes with the Evil Stepmother to see who is more evil. Jean Michel is a bore. Ella as she is known here never "looses" her slipper and the scene of the trying on of the slipper was bland. The political add on was awkward to say the least. One star for the young lady who played Ella with such poise. Ella's dresses were more like a little girl's dress up trunk than a costume befitting Cinderella. Singing and dancing were good but the story line change was a big disappointment. |
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