RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA Begins at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre will continue its 2025 Season, this summer, the theatre will present a new staging of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella – The Broadway Musical.  The revised version of the classic musical opens June 20th and runs through August 16th.

Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella - The Broadway Musical is the 2013 Broadway adaptation of the classic musical that tells the timeless story of a kind and mistreated young woman who, with the help of her Fairy Godmother, is able to attend the royal ball where she captivates the heart of the Prince, while opening his eyes to injustices throughout his kingdom. With a revised book by Douglas Carter Beane, this is a fresh-telling of a favorite tale.  

Rodgers and Hammerstein's original Cinderella was written and broadcast on television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews in the title role. Though its popularity was immediate and talks were held, the show never made it to Broadway. Since the original airing was not filmed for rebroadcast, CBS decided to mount a new production for broacast in 1965. This time, stepping into the glass slippers, Lesley Ann Warren starred at Cinderella. Over the next decade, this version of Cinderella was rebroadcast almost every year.  Once again, the show never made it to Broadway but was licensed for theaters to perform around the country.

In 1997, Cinderella again appeared on television sets in a remake starring Brandy as Cinderella, Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother, and Broadway Icon Bernadette Peters as Cinderella's Stepmother.

In 2013, Cinderella finally made it to Broadway when Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella - The Broadway Musical began previews in January, with an official opening on March 3rd. Legendary playwright Douglas Carter Beane revised the story for the Broadway production, adding new character and scenes to give the show a slightly more contemporary storyline, while still maintaining the classic elements audiences had come to know and love.  At the same time, several new songs were also added from the Rodgers & Hammerstein collection.

The Broadway production featured Laura Osnes as Cinderella, Victoria Clark as the Fairy Godmother, Harriet Harris as the Stepmother, and Santino Fontana as the Prince.  When the production closed in January of 2015, it had run for 41 previews and 770 regular performances, earning nine Tony Award nominations (winning for Best Costumes - William Ivey Long), five Drama Desk Award nominations (winning Outstanding Actress - Osnes, Outstanding Costume Design - Long, and Outstanding Orchestraions - Danny Troob), and eight Outer Critics Circle Award nominations (winning Outstanding Costume Design - Long).

Leading the cast in the title role will be Emily Flack, who made her WOB debut last season as the Grand Duchess Anastasia in Anastasia.  She will be joined on stage by Randy Stull as Prince Topher, Jessica Billones as the Fairy Godmother, Sarah Melinda as Madame, Kaley Harman as Gabrielle, Melissa Ann Martin as Charlotte, Kyle Donovan as Jean-Michel, Steve Steele as Sebastian, and Dominic Massimino as Lord Pinkleton.  Rounding out the cast will be MacKenzie Brannen, Chris DeOcampo, Grace Guzman, Piper Guzman, Nathan Pitzer, and Tristan Vail. 

This version of Cinderella has music by Richard Rodgers and an original book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, with revisions by Douglas Carter Beane.  Way Off Broadway's production is under the direction of Bill Kiska, the theatre's Executive Producer, with music direction by Tina M. Bruley and choreography by Dee Buchanan. 

The show will run June 20 – August 16, 2025, with performance every Friday and Saturday evening and matinees on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of month. Tickets on a Friday or Sunday are $60 per person and $65 on Saturdays.