Cinderella

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical version of “Cinderella” is rarely performed these days – this was the first time that OxOps had chosen to produce it in their near 80 year history – so you have to consider why this might be.  After all, it’s a wonderfully familiar fantasy in which kindness triumphs over all, set to a typically brilliant and richly orchestrated score packed with memorable melodies and gorgeous harmonies.  Surely production companies should be falling over each other to secure the rights?

Perhaps the issue is not what the piece is, but what it isn’t, for this version of “Cinderella” is emphatically not a pantomime.  This show, while still true to the original story, eschews all of the trappings of such traditional entertainments, even though I could sense the audience around me itching to boo Madame whenever she came on.  But it’s not really a typical musical either, in which the score principally heightens the dramatic and emotional tensions implicit in the narrative.  In “Cinderella” there’s barely any sense of jeopardy, as we all know that our heroine will go to the ball and end up marrying the prince, and that a glass slipper will probably be involved at some point.  The score therefore becomes the audio equivalent of colour plates over line illustrations, lending the whole enterprise a sense of occasion and grandeur, while also enabling greater depth of characterisation than is often possible in the telling of fairy tales.

The Society’s usual high standards and meticulous attention to detail were evident in all aspects of the musical production.  The 13-piece orchestra was superb, with the sumptuous strings perfectly balancing the warm reeds and dynamic brass.  The company singing was as strong as ever, with confident entrances, clear diction, and commendable dynamic variation; all four parts came through clearly.  The principals’ voices blended well in various small-group ensembles, while many of the solo numbers called for precise tuning of challenging accidentals and a rare degree of tonal variation, impressively accomplished.

I had been concerned that the characters in such a familiar tale would inevitably be rather two-dimensional, but in fact the exploration of character was amongst the many highlights of this production, notably in the interpretation of the role of Ella.  She was played with an appealing blend of innocence and charm, and certainly wasn’t portrayed as a victim, accepting the various injustices meted out to her with stoicism and radiating an inner confidence in the power of kindness to overcome adversity.  The character of the prince was developed from a heroic but shallow matinee idol into something far more human and nuanced – a person who finds the inner strength to take control of his own destiny and rule in the interests of his people.

And so we are back to reflecting on exactly what this show is: a fairy tale, given some modern twists in its 2013 re-working for Broadway, featuring some well-developed characters and all set to a gorgeous, expansive score.  It demands spectacle and depth, and despite the excellence of the cast and the skill of the creative and technical teams, these outcomes remained tantalisingly just out of reach.  It was still an excellent evening’s entertainment, and I doubt there are many amateur societies anywhere in the country who could have done a better job with the piece, but perhaps this production showed why this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is so rarely seen on stage.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.