Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella”
Boulder’s Dinner Theatre:
5/19 - 9/1
Every summer Boulder’s Dinner Theatre presents a production,
which is not only family friendly but is aimed at an audience of children. In
the recent past they have presented such classics as “Peter Pan.” This year
they are producing Rodgers and Hammerstein’s lovely and tuneful “Cinderella.”
Alicia Dunfee does a great job of directing the show. Dunfee has
chosen to give it a slower pace than one is used to at this venue. It’s perfect
for the children. This is a show that is shorter than usual and allows for Mom
and Dad to get the kids home to bed at a decent hour. The show is delivered
with broad strokes of humor. The choice to have the ugly stepsisters played by
two actors in drag adds great good humor.
The show is storybook
pretty with fine costumes (Linda Morken),
lovely scenic design (Amy Campion)
and superb lighting (Rachel Dugan.)
Jenna Bainbridge is utterly
adorable as Cinderella. Her vocals are exceptionally well done and her stage
presence is enchanting. Ms. Bainbridge has been seen in lots of PHAMALy
productions including Belle in that company’s version of “Disney’s Beauty and
the Beast.” Here she lights up the stage with an unforgettable performance.
Matthew Dailey is a handsome
Prince Christopher. Mr. Dailey’s vocal prowess is remarkable and his acting
superb. The Denver audience has seen him in countless productions growing up in
the Denver theatre including young Guido in “Nine”and most recently in The Arvada Center's "Chess."
The duets sung by Ms. Bainbridge and Mr. Daily, “The Sweetest Sounds,”
“Ten Minutes Ago” and “ Do I Love you Because You’re Beautiful?” are musical
theatre ice cream.
Director Dunfee does double
duty in this production. She also does a fine job of portraying the Fairy
Godmother singing the ever-popular “Impossible.”
Playing against type, Shelley
Cox-Robie has been cast as Cinderella’s Stepmother. Cox-Robie plays
everything brilliantly. However… one does question casting an actor with such a
brilliant aura in this role. Her exquisite face and physiology speak volumes …
and what they speak is not anything related to one’s childhood memories of this
character.
Tracy Warren and Wayne Kennedy give us a nice
counterpoint with their portrayals of Queen Constantina and King Maximillian
respectively.
Bob Hoppe and Matthew Peters portray the ugly stepsisters
with a klutzy gauche self-absorption that is hilarious. They give the
audience’s funny bones a good whack with their sidesplitting rendition of “The
Stepsisters Lament.”
Seth Caikowski manages to
give an appealing reading to the part of Lionel, the royal herald. His singing
of “The Prince is Giving a Ball” is hilarious. It was also a nice touch to have
Lionel spraying the glass slipper with Lysol after each stepsister partially
inserted her stinky foot.
Neal Dunfee’s music direction
of the luscious Boulder’s Dinner Theatre stage band delivers those classic
Richard Rodgers tunes superbly.
Tickets for Rodgers and
Hammerstein's Cinderella are on sale now. Prices start at just $35, and include
both the performance and dinner served by the stars of the show. All tickets
for opening weekend (Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20, 2012) are just $35.
Family 4 Paks, starting at $25 per ticket, are also available for performances
dated May 23 through July 8, 2012. Group rate tickets and season subscriptions
are available for all performances throughout the year. Call (303) 449-6000 or
log on to www.bouldersdinnertheatre.com for reservations and/or additional
details about the show.
Boulder's
Dinner Theatre presents four Broadway-quality musicals each season, and has
been recognized locally and nationally for theatrical excellence. BDT’s 34th year concludes
with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella May 19 - September 1, 2012.
BDT's 35th season begins on September 7, 2012 with Avenue Q, followed by 42nd Street, the regional
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