Review: CINDERELLA Will Enchant Toronto Over the Holidays

4 out of 5 stars

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella has arrived in Toronto and she will indeed be the belle of the ball this season amongst all the family friendly, holiday shows. This touring production derived from the 2013 Broadway version, is magical, funny, quirky, and full of heart.

The musical opens with Cinderella (Kaitlyn Davidson) longing for a better world to live in, having been mistreated by her stepmother for years. She meets the prince (played at this performance by John Yi but regularly by Andy Huntington Jones) and the two share a moment together before he is whisked away back to the castle.

The prince, in this version of the classic fairytale, is an orphan who will soon be crowned king. This interesting twist, thrown in by new book writer Douglas Carter Beane adds a sense of urgency to the plot and gives the prince (named 'Topher') the perfect reason to have a ball and to select a bride.

What happens next is exactly what you'd expect. After a wonderful evening, at the stroke of midnight Cinderella runs out of the ball, but she doesn't lose a glass slipper. In Beane's version of the story, the prince holds a second banquet to lure Cinderella back to the castle. A second romantic evening passes, and Cinderella must once again run off at midnight. In an homage to Into the Woods and to give the story a bit more of a feminist "chose your own destiny" feel - Cinderella purposefully leaves a shoe for the prince to be able to find her.

In the end, they all live happily ever after.

At times the book can drag a little bit, with some aspects of the production feeling more "updated" than others. Though additions like citizens rising up for change feel timely - they come up at certain points throughout the show that seem to bring the action to a grinding halt.

Davidson is as charming as Cinderella as a prince ought to be. Her elegant soprano voice rings clear through the Ed Mirvish Theatre as she sings the magnificent Rodgers and Hammerstein score. She embodies a fairytale princess. Yi's Prince Topher is a bit of a likeable goofball who seems a bit lost without Cinderella's guidance. He gives a good performance, but is outshined by Davidson. Then again, the show is called Cinderella, after all.

Liz McCartney delights as the crazy beggar woman, Marie, who later becomes Cinderella's fairy god mother. Blair Ross plays the wicked stepmother, Madame, and Kimberly Fauré and Aymee Garcia provide the needed comic relief as the stepsisters.

The true standout aspect of this production are the Tony Award winning costumes by William Ivey Long. Long's costumes must be made of magic for audience members of all ages will be amazed as Cinderella's rags become a ball gown in seconds right before their eyes! Production values are high throughout, and at a time of year when plenty of shows are vying for audience patronage - Cinderella is a must see and will not disappoint.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is on stage now at the Ed Mirvish Theatre through January 10th. Tickets are available online at Mirvish.com.

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