Deficit shrinks. Economic situation stabilizes. Peace everywhere prevails.
Whistling in the dark?
Maybe, but give Seattle Musical Theatre’s “Cinderella” half a chance. It will take you the rest of the way. As one of the lyrics goes, “Impossible things happen every day.”
This light, bright musical comedy by Rodgers and Hammerstein has been around in one form or another since 1957. It pulled audiences through Korea, Vietnam and The Cold War and still does.
The reason?
Could be the familiar Boy meets, loses and regains Girl. Love conquers all sells. Could be deserving heroine overcomes undeserved misfortune. We are usually willing to pay for virtue rewarded and vice punished.
Could be the thought-provoking wisdom of the show’s “‘Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful’/Or are you beautiful because I love you?” Angelina Jolie’s got nothing on our wives. Brad Pitt’s got nothing on our husbands, or so we husbands would like to believe. Pop cosmetics got nothing to do with the real thing.
Fact is, Rodgers and Hammerstein capitalized on audience optimism. Sourpusses not targeted. SMT got it, went with it and made it work. The laughs, drama, romance and happy ending loosen you up, soften you up and sail you away on a sense of well being.
Besides the requisite sweetness, All-American look and pristine pure singing voice, Jackie Whitsett in the title role walks that breathtaking tight wire walk between personality that can be empathized with and perfection that cannot be attained. She’s anything but up close and personal, yet not so remote that you cannot relate. Whitsett enchants.
Nate McVicker’s Prince is a little mundane out of the gate but comes to life as he involves with Whitsett. The two together get believable manliness out of him. It was a pleasure to watch.
Sappiness, thy name is Kate Jaeger. A puff of smoke; and Jaeger as Godmother appears, disappears and reappears, always with the kind of kindly superciliousness that draws giggles, guffaws and full-throated laughter. A Goodie Two Shoes light as a feather, that’s Jaeger.
Losers to laugh at, that would be Krista Erickson, Andrea Frey and Vicki Rimoczi as the Stepmother and her two daughters. A more deliciously spiteful trio of raving ego maniacs would be tough to turn up. They are a gas, a hoot and a holler.
If you like and Fred and Wilma Flintstone, Doug Knoop and Dawn Brazel connect. He’s the dufus King. She’s the straight-arrow Queen. He blunders, she puts up with him. Middle-aged couples can relate.
Bill Dore’s directing maintains clean, well-chiseled scenes in a steady, easy-to-follow stream, nothing choppy. Paul Linnes’ musical direction and Carissa Meisner Smit’s choreography mesh hand in glove. The production’s look is bright, colorful; the feel, light, upbeat; and the sound, pleasantly musical.
There’s nothing objectionable here. It’s politically correct, predictable, polite to the point of boring except it isn’t. I found myself pulling for the Prince and Cinderella, looked around and found everybody else was, too. I guess we’re all suckers for underdogs. Oh well, it beats the alternative.
Reactions? Commnents? E-mail Dale Burrows at entopinion@heraldnet.com or grayghost7@comcast.net.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
