It was in 2008 that local audiences were treated to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” With a new script by Mark Waldrop and direction by Bobby Garcia, it was the start of an Asian tour that would send everyone off on an adventure long remembered for the lovely, lilting music, late night poker games, the aroma of street food and cheap ice-cold Tsingtao beer. That tour would last all of five months, and what a lovely five months they were.
Well, last Sunday afternoon at Newport Theater in Resorts World Manila, I got my chance to reminisce about this show’s beautiful music, but with a different script, a new director (Michael Williams), some heavenly performances and costumes spun from the most magical threads one could find (the Fairy Godmother’s collar was a show all by itself, as was the transformation of Cinderella’s plain party dress to spectacular ball gown).
Beautiful music
The music—played by the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of maestro Rodel Colmenar—is as beautiful as I remember it. Then again, you can’t go wrong with Rodgers & Hammerstein, going by the rest of the shows (including “The King and I,” “Carousel” and “South Pacific”).
I was fortunate to catch a wonderful cast on Sunday afternoon: Julia Abueva in the title role, Fred Lo as her Prince Christopher, Pinky Marquez as the stepmother, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as the fairy godmother, Miguel Faustmann as the king, Sheila Francisco as the queen, Giannina Ocampo and Maronne Cruz as the stepsisters, Red Concepcion as Lionel, and a strong ensemble of actor-singer-dancers.
Julia is a wonderful heir-apparent to Julie Andrews, who originated the role of Cinderella (this musical was originally written for television, airing in March 1957). Her voice, as well as her disposition, is light, as if floating on air. Even in rags she carries herself with a regal, princess-like countenance, and she was, from beginning to end, such a pleasure to watch. Julia, incidentally, will be heading to London as a member of the West End revival cast of “Miss Saigon” opening in May 2014.
A revelation
Fred Lo as Prince Christopher was a revelation. I don’t remember seeing him carry a leading man role in any other show prior to this, so his Prince was a lovely surprise. Fred was always tethered to earth with each step he took, which was also reflected in his vocal performance. He was charming and sweet without losing his being royal, and romantic without being cloying.
Pinky, Giannina, and Maronne were uniformly hilarious in their portrayal of the stepfamily. I wouldn’t go so far as to call them “wicked” in the way that traditional storybooks have done when telling this tale, but they certainly did not treat Cinderella well. All that said, the trio were in splendid vocal shape with comedic chops that sent me laughing (especially when Maronne’s stepsister Joy snorted with every laugh, and Giannina’s Grace poem in pig Latin!).
Miguel and Sheila as the king and queen were a huge sigh, like sipping a glass of port with a smile on one’s face. Sheila’s voice is always such an instrument of awe and wonder (she wouldn’t have made it to the West End as Bloody Mary with anything less), but in her able vocal cords, the queen was a comfort and joy, a voice so warm that it is to be savored slowly. Red as Lionel the steward was another source of comedy, along with great dancing and vocal power, with a snootiness (the good kind) that made all his interactions on stage fun to watch.
As for Menchu, that woman just seems to have the power to draw your eye, no matter what character she’s playing—whether she’s being dowdy, drug-addled, bipolar, or outright bats*** crazy. Her fairy godmother was sassy, gorgeous, grounded, fun and real. It’s no wonder she is cast as a leading lady in so many local productions. In this one, she makes you smile by just being there.
Director Michael Williams kept the pace snappy and efficient, with set changes never lasting more than they needed to. At a running time of less than two hours, the show never descended to languorous. Kids will never find themselves bored (the resplendent sets and costumes will also see to that), and grown-ups have the performances and the music to keep them smiling.
To me, Cinderella is more than a story of good over evil, of finding your true love and a happy ever after; it means loyalty, music, friendships, and laughter. Thank you to the cast and crew for plastering a smile on the faces of everyone who was lucky enough to see this show.
Repeat!
Allow me to first say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who saw “Playlist” on Dec. 6 and 7. We had so much fun over those two nights, so we shall be doing the show again!
Catch Playlist on Jan. 18 (yes, one night only) at the PICC Plenary Hall. Tickets are now available at TicketWorld (891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph). See you there!