Destiny Diamond Inspires Audiences as Raleigh Little Theatre's First Black CINDERELLA

"Knowing that I'm bringing something new to the table, I definitely don't want to mess up," says 22-year-old actress Destiny Diamond. "But a lot of excitement comes because I get to bring a new look for girls who look like me in the audience who have never seen that before. That's exciting."

What's exciting for Diamond, and for the Raleigh Little Theatre, is that for the first time in the thirty years that the North Carolina company has been presenting CINDERELLA, the title role was cast with a black actress.

In an interview with The Huffington Post held shortly before the closing of the December 4th - 20th production, the senior at North Carolina State University called the chance to play the role a "dream come true."

"I am getting the chance to break through a ceiling that black girls can't be Cinderella."

The Raleigh Little Theatre produced an adaptation with a book and lyrics by Jim Eiler and music by Eiler and Jeanne Bargy. In 2014 Keke Palmer became Broadway's first black Cinderella in Douglas Carter Beane's new version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's adaptation.

This was Diamond's second time auditioning for the title role in Raleigh Little Theatre's production, having received a callback last year.

"First, she got casted (sic) because she was the best choice for the role," says artistic director Patrick Torres. "As a theater we really value diversity in all areas and just thrilled to have her take on that role as an African-American woman."

Charles Phaneuf, the company's executive director says, "I've only heard positive things. It's exciting for a young person to see someone in this type of role they don't normally see.

The young actress names Misty Copeland, the first black woman to dance as a principal for American Ballet Theatre, who this year became the first black woman to play the leading role of Ivy Smith in a Broadway production of ON THE TOWN, as her inspiration.

"I'm a dancer first, always, says Diamond. "I hope maybe one day now someone can see me and think, I can do that too."

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