CINDERELLA

Once upon a song,
Cinderella met Gilbert & Sullivan
and something magical happened.

The story of Cinderella, the downtrodden girl who becomes a princess, is a classic fairytale. Maybe the classic tale of all time.

There are hundreds of variants that span generations and cultures.  In China, she has a talking fish instead of a fairy godmother. In England she's called Tattercoats. And, of course, she's one of the world's favourite Disney characters.

And now, a Gilbert & Sullivan Cinderella Playwright Brad Filippone and director Jolene Pattison think they have a version that will appeal to the entire family.  Ms. Pattison points out: "It's such a touchstone fairy tale, about a beautiful soul who triumphs over adversity because she remains true to herself. We've combined a timeless retelling of the story with the beautiful music of Gilbert  & Sullivan."

All the familiar characters are included in this production from the royal family to a  scheming pair of vain and evil stepsisters.  There are some twists, however.  This time around the fairy godmother has a little trouble with her magic spells. It seems she hasn't earned her wings yet.  But she has some good-hearted fairy companions to help out.  Another innovation is a literal-minded Town Crier who keeps bursting into tears.

It keeping with the fairy tale tradition, the costumes and sets for this Cinderella are crayon-bright. There's a lot of movement and a wide array of comic characters to propel the plot. The music will be performed either by a small orchestra under the direction of Earl Fralick --- or by pianist Leon Cole.  The delightful music is borrowed from several popular G&S shows, including The Pirates of Penzance, The Yeomen of the Guard, and The Mikado. Adults will be delighted by some of the witty word changes in the songs.

The show is performed in two acts and is best suited for children who have learned to read.  To allow as many families as possible to attend, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Nova Scotia is offering very special rates for the matinees at the Rebecca Cohn.  Adult admission is only $20 and children under 12 are $5.  However, you can purchase a family package for 2 adults and up to 2 children for only $40 (the children are, essentially, free!)

 
And they all sang happily ever after.