Stage Review - Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Kitsap Forest Theater)
Stage Review - Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Presented By: Kitsap Forest Theater - Bremerton, WA
Show Run: July 27 - August 18, 2024
Date Reviewed: Saturday, July 27, 2024 (Opening Day)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
If you happened to make it out to Bremerton last weekend for Kitsap Forest Theater’s opening of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, or if you’re planning on making the trip over the next three weekends, you might have been or will be surprised by what you see. This is the second Cinderella being put up in Kitsap this theatre season and the third over the past two seasons, at least. But what is clear right off is that this one is…different. You see, the one on stage through August 18 at Kitsap Forest Theater is the “Broadway version”, not the version based on the original teleplay from 1957. This version is longer, introduces more characters, more romance, and more depth. If you’re looking for something closer to the Disney animated classic, you might feel like there’s a lot of filler here, but what I saw this past weekend is a version of the classic tale that, while a challenge to get past what I expected, is more human and quite frankly more likable. The Kitsap Forest Theater production is directed by Trina Williamson and features Carin Young as the Ella who gets her name from her cleaning of the cinders from her stepmother’s fireplace, Felix Coble as Prince Topher (he has a name here, Topher short for Christoper), Cynthia Dario-Good as Marie and Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, and Kristopher Jones as the Prince’s right hand, Sebastian. One thing I really like about the Kitsap Forest Theater productions is their simplicity in design, in a most general sense, a characteristic that lets the director, Trina in this case, focus on the storytelling.
Without lighting to worry about, the design elements are limited to the set, sound, and costumes. There’s not a lot of variance from show to show with set designs, as the infrastructure is pretty much set. There’s an open area directly in front of the audience where most of the action occurs, backed with an elevated platform that can either be used as another location, as was done very well in their previous production, Matilda, or as a means to imply another setting, as Trina does here, through with a background mural that depicts whether the scene is Cinderella’s home or at the Prince’s castle, depending on how it is folded or unfolded. Jim Johnson and George Pledger are credited with the set design and construction and they’ve done a fine job building something that provides enough to know where each scene is taking place, but not too much to encroach on the actors, Laura McFarlane’s choreography, or on any other aspect of the presentation. On the sound side, I’ve noticed a steady improvement over the last year of the sound system here, Saturday’s performance was a great deal better than what I saw last season, with the ability to hear the actors and the live band, under the direction of Beth Rainey, clearly. Previous shows have been inconsistent with the audio quality, but Saturday’s performance went forward without a hitch. All that said, though, the highlight of this design has to be the costuming from Amy Fancher. The pieces here are truly wonderful, they’re big, they’re bold, and they’re versatile. The costumes bring their own bit of magic to Cinderella, and the contrast between the simplicity and plain colors of the peasantry with the brightness and complexity of those worn by Cinderella’s step mother and sisters is striking, while the transformative nature of a few key pieces is nicely achieved. I admire whomever needs to clean these works of art after moving through the dust of the forest floor that is the stage for these performances.
As a director, it’s clear that Trina knows the space and uses it very well, producing a show that feels like it fits this venue, as does Laura’s choreography. The dancing never feels too big for the space, especially in the ensemble numbers, such as the Prince’s ball. And the actors are clearly well prepared, performing the dance numbers with a good deal of precision and confidence. The ensemble is also good in their execution of the musical numbers vocally, and as I mentioned with the sound design, I feel that the volume levels between the cast and the live band are spot on.
Individually, there were some hit or miss moments vocally on Saturday, though to be fair, overall the show succeeded in presenting the Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes very well. For example, Felix Coble as Prince Topher skewed off key a few times and Jaret Miller ran into the dreaded voice cracking on some sustained notes in his performance as Lord Pinkleton. But Felix more than makes up for any vocal struggles with his portrayal of the prince, adding humor in his over-dramatization of the character, and Jaret’s voice is excellent otherwise, his Pinkleton I found to be one of the more enjoyable characters considering he’s on stage less than some of the others. All and all, though, the stars of this show are Carin Young and Kristopher Jones. There is a lot riding on how Cinderella is played, the character is kind, determined, level headed, and considerate, but many of these qualities reside just below the surface of someone who is largely suppressed by her living situation. Carin’s acting captures each of these aspects, she excels vocally from start (“In My Own Little Corner”) to finish (“Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?”), and her fluidity of movement captures the essence and the beauty we’ve come to expect out of Cinderella. Meanwhile, Kristopher’s Sebastian, the right hand of the prince, has his own agenda for his liege and will stop at nothing to get it. He’s outwardly loyal, and inwardly slimy, and Kris is excellent here.
The fairy godmother in this version is a little more…complex than in other versions, and Cynthia Dario-Good is a real treat in the role of Marie. There are two sides to her proverbial coin in the show and Cynthia is excellent with both, and vocally, she is just stupendous. Other differences in this version include how the stepmother and sisters are treated, definitely more sympathetically here. Dawn Brazel is Madame, aka Cinderella’s stepmother, while Gillian Milstein and Julia Hart are stepsisters Charlotte and Gabrielle, respectively. Here, Madame has a favorite, Gabrielle, but the daughter isn’t quite as evil as she is in other versions. In fact, she could care less about the prince, she’s got her eye on someone else, revolutionary Jean-Michel, played by Sriam Kanduri. I like this turn in the plot, it does a great deal to humanize the ancillary characters in the play, giving the audience more to root for than just Cinderella’s happiness, or the comeuppance of the evil stepmother. Both Julia and Sriam play the couple sweetly, and while I adore the musical number “Stepsister’s Lament”, and Gillian and Julia’s performances are top notch, it’s harder to buy the tone of the song when both sisters are not quite as bad as they are in other versions. Ensemble-wise, there are 18 actors filling the stage, not to mention the youth ensemble, made up of Melanie Waldman and Ila Mae Carr. A cast this big could fill up any stage, and the Forest Theater stage isn’t the largest, but in executing Trina’s blocking and Laura’s choreography as well as they do, it never feels too big.
One thing I will note, and many kudos go out to this cast. Kitsap Forest Theater puts up shows that can be enjoyed by all ages, and especially with Cinderella, there are a lot of younger folks in attendance at any of these performances. After about 40 minutes or so, it’s clear that the much younger set starts to become restless. Good on the actors for keeping focus with the movement in the audience, and some of sounds coming from it, but it’s also something that as a patron you may need to prepare yourself for. Depending on whom you’re sitting next to, it’s quite possible that you’ll have to keep your own focus not to be distracted by some of the things going on around you.
Cinderella is one of those classic stories that we’re all very familiar with, and we’ve all probably seen multiple versions of the tale. Kitsap Forest Theater, in choosing to present the Broadway version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, gives us a more layered and more human story than perhaps we’re used to. And having someone as talented as Carin Young in the lead role surrounded by a cast under the direction of Trina Williamson, who clearly is familiar with designing shows in this unique space, most definitely makes for a wonderful telling of this unique version of the familiar story we’ve all come to love. Cinderella is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon outdoors, and something suitable for the entire family.
The Broadway version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella runs on stage at Kitsap Forest Theater through August 18. For more information, including ticket availability and purchase, visit https://www.foresttheater.com/.
