Review: Cenicienta: A Bilingual Cinderella Story at the Kennedy Center

Cinderella is a folktale told time and time again. Each adaptation has its own unique perspective and twist that gives it new energy. Glass Half Full Theatre presents its own version of this classic tale, Cenicienta, via the Kennedy Center's Digital Stage series. Cenicienta: A Bilingual Cinderella Story, directed by Caroline Reck, stars Madison Palomo as ten-year old Belinda, a budding poet, who lives with her stepmother (voiced by Caroline Reck) and stepsisters, Reina (Lilli Lopez) and Preciosa (Marina DeYoe-Pedraza). While her family is getting ready for a big party with a special guest Mr. Gary Soto (voiced by Rupert Reyes), Belinda is folding napkins in the basement. Belinda lets her imagination take her away from her chores and into Cenicienta's world. With its playful puppetry and poetic spark, Cenicienta is a perfect play for young children.

Palomo doesn't just play Belinda; she also voices a cast of characters including Cenicienta, Gustavo, Ernesto, and Hada Madrina. Belinda's friends are ordinary everyday objects like a tea kettle or a desk lamp, but Palomo's fantastic puppetry and voice acting turns them into larger-than-life personalities. It's fun (and refreshing in this age of technology) to watch Belinda embrace her creativity without the use of screens.

Throughout Cenicienta, Belinda recites two original poems, "Mi Mamá" and "Mi Papá." Palomo's recitation of these poems is heartfelt. Even though Belinda's parents aren't present on stage or as voices in the play, their presence is felt through the poems. The play's dialogue is a melodious sympathy of Spanish and English. After all, language is poetry. This presents a wonderful learning opportunity for kids learning Spanish. Even if your child doesn't speak Spanish, this production provides them with a chance to begin to explore a new language through context clues within the play.

Much of the music in Cenicienta is composed by Ammon Taylor, with the exception of two songs from "Charanga Cakewalk." The songs add ambience and set the tone, especially to scenes involving dancing or movement with the puppets.

This story of Cenicienta isn't like the others, and that is what makes it charming.

Running Time: 50 minutes without an intermission

Glass Half Full Theatre's Cenicienta streams online via the Kennedy Center's Digital Stage series until June 27, 2021.

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