The image of a perfect princess in most little girls’ minds is a classic princess like Cinderella. They would imagine a princess that is beautiful, has a magic fairy godmother to adorn her with gorgeous clothes and shoes, and a handsome prince who will scour the town in search of her. Although Cinderella has made a lasting impression on the minds and hearts of little girls everywhere, she couldn’t exactly be described as a role model due to her passive personality. That is why the creators of Broadway’s Cinderella the Musical decided to turn the traditional character into someone girls could look up to.
When asked to describe Cinderella’s personality, Victoria Leib, a sophomore in NYU Liberal Studies Program, said that she was, “quiet, shy, and very passive. She doesn’t do anything to help herself.” This idea of the character comes from the 1950 Walt Disney Film, in which a blonde cartoon Cinderella waltzed the night away with her prim and proper Prince Charming. The character herself isn’t really a character of substance as the creators of Cinderella the Musical hope their altered version to be.
Cinderella the Musical makes its official Broadway debut on March 3rd, 2013. According to Playbill.com, “The Broadway debut of this beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical offers a new romantic twist…mixing fresh comedy with the fairy tale’s classic elements.” Through a combination of the original music written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and a new book written by Douglas Carter Beane, Cinderella is looking to inspire and enchant audiences this Broadway season.
The Broadway version is much more similar to the original book written by Charles Perrault in 1697. Douglas Carter Beane, who wrote the new book for the show, said in an article written by Ronni Reich of The Star Ledger, “I didn’t want to recreate what had been on television…and it struck me as a minefield in terms of women’s issues.” Therefore, the closing line of the original story is now the main focus of the musical, according to the article.
“Beauty is a wonderful thing to have in a woman, but it is not as powerful as kindness. With kindness, anything is possible.”
Although Cinderella may seem like a children’s princess story, numerous NYU collegiettes still maintain a princess fantasy. Through tiaras at Halloween and tutus at Electric Zoo, NYU girls will continue to enjoy playing princess until they have their own little girls to carry on the fantasy. Not only are the gorgeous clothes and cute accessories appealing; the concept of having all your dreams come true is undeniably desirable to all collegiettes.
The princess of the production, Laura Osnes, could attest to this statement through the realization of her own Broadway dreams. Osnes was the winning contestant on the 2007 reality show: You’re the One that I Want, a show to find Broadway’s newest Sandy and Danny for the 2007 revival of Grease. Since her Broadway debut, Osnes has played phenomenal roles in South Pacific, Anything Goes, and Bonnie and Clyde; receiving Tony Award nominations for her role of Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes and Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde. Osnes has also released a soundtrack from her concert at Cafe Carlyle entitled “Dream a Little Dream.”
Osnes does not take the princess-like realization of her dreams for granted. In an interview with Dave Itzkoff of The New York Times, she said “I’m not jaded…I’m not over it. Every day is magical, and I’m so grateful.”
The production, featuring Osnes and cast of many other talented Broadway alum, is currently in previews at the Broadway Theatre. Tickets are available through Telecharge.