ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS TO PERFORM RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA

AUG. 6-11

Auditions will be held May 27 at Village Hall

The Annisquam Village Players, one of the country’s oldest community theatres, will hold auditions at 6:15 p.m. Monday May 27 for its production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella that will be performed Aug. 6-11 at the historic Annisquam Village Hall. Auditions for ages 6-12 will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Several roles are available for all ages. Kids are encouraged to participate.

 

Auditionees will be asked to sing a portion of a musical selection from the show and read a few lines of dialogue. Copies of the musical selections, character sides, and full details can be found on the AVP website, www.annisquamvillageplayers.org.  

 

See the complete list of available roles below.

 

The story is derived from the fairy tale Cinderella, particularly the French version Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre (1697), by Charles Perrault. The story concerns a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother. She dreams of a better life, and, with the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella is transformed into an elegant young lady and is able to attend the ball to meet her Prince.

 

In the Rodgers and Hammerstein version, however, she opens the prince’s eyes to the injustice in his kingdom, and the genuine personalities of the stepsisters are more exposed. The new book also introduces several new characters and a sympathetic stepsister, and the score features several additional Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. 

 

Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote the show with CBS executive Richard Levine as an original musical expressly for television, rather than merely adapting an existing one to the special television format. It was considered a novel idea at the time and the only musical Rodgers and Hammerstein ever wrote for television. 

 

The show originally broadcast live in color on CBS on March 31, 1957, starred Julie Andrews, and was viewed by 107 million people – about 60% of the country’s population at the time. Years later, it was remade twice for television: Once in 1965 starring Lesley Ann Warren and Stuart Damon, and in 1997 starring Brandy Norwood in the title role, with Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. Both remakes added songs from other Richard Rodgers musicals.

 

While various stage versions of the musical were produced beginning in 1958, the show did not open on Broadway until 2013 at the Broadway Theatre. The original cast included Laura Osnes in the title role, Santino Fontana as the Prince, and Victoria Clark as the crazy Maria/the Fairy Godmother. That production was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning one for costume design.

 

Available Cinderella Roles

 

ELLA (CINDERELLA) is a young lady with the kindest heart in the kingdom. She dreams of escaping her endless chores so she might one day see the world.

 

MADAME is Ella’s stepmother, a vain and tyrannical woman only concerned with her wealth and her daughters’ happiness. Madame does not consider Ella, her stepdaughter, a true daughter.

 

PRINCE TOPHER is the Prince of the entire kingdom, but he needs a bit of guidance and inspiration to realize his full potential.

 

SEBASTIAN is Topher’s Lord Chancellor. Although Sebastian wants to protect the Prince, he does so by improperly shielding the Prince completely from what is going on in the kingdom.

 

LORD PINKLETON is Sebastian’s second-in-command and the herald for all important events.

 

MARIE enters the story as a senile poor woman, but she magically transforms into her true form as Ella’s wise and compassionate Fairy Godmother.

 

JEAN-MICHEL is a poor revolutionary with many ideas about how to improve society. Jean- Michel is in love with Gabrielle.

 

GABRIELLE begins the story as just another selfish stepsister but finds camaraderie in Ella when she reveals to Ella that she would give up her riches to be with Jean-Michel.

 

CHARLOTTE is Ella’s other stepsister, who treats Ella cruelly but, quite honestly, doesn’t know much better because she is so self-involved. Charlotte’s a bit of a clown and definitely the last one in on the joke.

 

Chorus Ensemble: Interchanging parts to include a Giant, Fox and Raccoon, Footman, Coachman, Knights, Peasants, Townspeople, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court, etc.

 

For more details about Cinderella, the AVP, or the upcoming auditions, please visit www.annisquamvillageplayers.org. 

 

“It takes a community to stage a theatre!”