Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA Comes to Virginia Children's Theatre This December

This holiday season, Virginia Children's Theatre (VCT) presents Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA. Taking the stage at Shaftman Performance Hall in the Jefferson Center (541 Luck Ave SW), CINDERELLA will run December 3-5, 2021.

The beloved fairytale of Cinderella is VCT's gift to patrons for the holiday season. In a cottage in a small kingdom, Cinderella spends her days as a servant in her own home. As the kingdom prepares for a ball, Cinderella is in charge of getting her step-mother and two step-sisters dressed and ready, along with all of her other chores. She often dreams of a more exciting life and is surprised when her Godmother appears and magically transforms her into a beautiful princess for the ball. An enchanted evening is before her, but she must return home and back to her normal life at midnight. With beloved songs, including "In My Own Little Corner" and "Impossible/It's Possible," this magical production is for anyone who has ever had a dream.

"CINDERELLA is a production for the entire family- from infants to grandparents," says VCT Producing Artistic Director Brett Roden. "We are so thrilled to be ringing in the holiday season with the classic story that we all know and love! VCT is committed to employing a plethora of top-notch adult professional actors, designers and directors alongside area youth to produce world-class theatre for the commonwealth!"

Trey Coates-Mitchell, who previously directed and choreographed THE ADDAMS FAMILY will return to also direct and choreograph CINDERELLA. "As the holiday season descends upon the land, I hope you will join us for an evening of magic and enchantment in a brand new telling of a treasured classic," says Coates-Mitchell. "It is believed that the origin story of Cinderella (also known as "The Little Glass Slipper") takes us as far back as 7BC in a variant by the Greek geographer, Strabo, who wrote of a girl who marries the king of Egypt. From there the iterations flew generations by fairy wings to the very folktale versions we all know and love today, but a musical adaptation did not pop up until the 1950's, by way of a quickly growing technology called: Television. Listeners were immediately drawn in by the ever-present magic of a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, enchanting those who listen into a mystical world where anything is possible and dreams really do come true. But it wasn't until 2013 that this beautiful score made it to the Broadway stage, in a fresh musical revival adaptation with a new book - based on Hammerstein's 1957 text - by Douglas Carter Beane. This retelling dives deep into the Cinderella story that we all know...or think we know, and expands upon the classical tale. A French twist of old and new, we seek not the promise of bringing 2021 to the world of Cinderella, but rather we hope our thoughtful and whimsical production will usher Cinderella right up to these 21st century palace steps. Hey...it's possible."

For more information, patrons may contact VCT at 540.400.7795. Tickets are available online at VirginiaChildrensTheatre.org or by calling the Jefferson Center box office at 540-345-2550.