Review: CINDERELLA Wraps Up Enchanting Run at Fox Cities P.A.C.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's CINDERELLA completed its spectacular run at Appleton's Fox Cities Performing Arts Center on Sunday, March 13.

Until its 2013 Broadway revival, recent years saw Rodgers and Hammerstein's CINDERELLA relegated to the realm of school and community theater productions. And that was not a surprise: it had been produced and reproduced into oblivion. The musical was originally written for a 1957 TV broadcast. The stage version and another TV production followed in the early 1960s. The musical was again resurrected in the 1990s with another stage and television adaptation.

Needless to say, making the show feel fresh would be a challenge. But with an uproarious new book and several songs added from Rodgers and Hammerstein's catalog, the new production of CINDERELLA comes up smelling fresher than the fairy tale pauper-turned-princess's oft worn and completely unbreathable glass slippers themselves.

And the touring production certainly does not disappoint. With strong singing, captivating dance numbers, impeccable comedic timing, beautiful sets, spot-on lighting design and costuming that can best be described as magical, CINDERELLA outperforms all expectations. Even the throng of miniature Cinderella's in the audience barely stirred despite the show's nearly 2.5 hour run time.

Indeed, it is difficult to find any real fault. Though she is going on 60, CINDERELLA clearly still has some life left in her.

Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Davidson and Andy Huntington Jones from the Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA tour Photo © Carol Rosegg