Lyric Stage presents Cinderella

Music by Richard Rodgers

Original Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

New book by Douglas Carter Beane

Directed and Choreographed by Penny Ayn Maas

Music Director, Music Supervisor Bruce Greer

Costume Designer Tricia Guenther

Sound Designer Bill Eickenloff

Scenic Designer Theresa Furphy

Lighting Designer Scott Guemther

Props Coordinator Phallen Reed

Wig Designer Michael B Moore

Stage Manager Davvi Solomon

Asst Director Choreographer Erica Harkins

Executive Producer Catherine Carpenter Cox

Production Manager Maddie Collins

Executive Artistic Director Andy Baldwin

The Orchestra

Bruce Greer Conductor

Christian Gonzalez

Francisco Rubio

Kristen Thompson

Chad Ostermiller

Amanda Casper

Trevor Costello

Miles Johnson

Jeremy Hunt

Paul Birk

Jacob Cortez

Katrina Glaze

Frederick McKee

Allie Miller

Miguel Cantu

Bill Zauner

Ben Brown

Alison Read

Jesse Fry

Michael Ptacin

Megan VonDreau

Creed Miller

Youth Ensemble

Lilly Brown

Bella Brown

Joshua Brown

Luke Brown

Abbie Brown

Wolfe Cecere

Maddy Roach

Molly Roach

Caroline Roach

Morgan Harris

Brooks Buis

Allison Arroyo

Megan Arroyo

Sabrina Daly

Milly Spencer

Jessie Prince

The Cast

Rachel Nicole Poole

Sadat Hossain

Julia Rose Hartman

Sydney Cornelius

Tara Park

Ryan Michael Friedman

BJ Cleveland

Jonah Munroe

Maya Hernandez-Pearson

Alexa Morgan

Ed Escamilla

Keith J Warren

Robert Mata

Christy Troia

Lexi Nieto

Ania Lyons

Grace Moore

Kelsey Jordan Ward

Abbey Copeland

Jacob Sewell

Ben Ashcraft

Noah Sowalskie

Daniel Vanegas

Will Shafer

My thoughts on Cinderella at Lyric Stage or…. lovely, lovely night

Wow. Just wow. Talk about a show that is going to leave you giddy with delight. This spectacular production of Cinderella, directed and choreographed by Penny Ayn Maas, is everything that is wonderful about musical theater.

From the first moments when Bruce Greer conducting a 21-member orchestra fills the Majestic Theater with the lush, lovely, and lively Richard Rodgers overture, Cinderella becomes transportive. I was that seven-year-old kid again, wide eyed with wonder and in awe of what I was hearing and seeing.

And the visuals here are as terrific as the sound. Tricia Guenther’s gorgeous costumes swirl in a kaleidoscope of colors to Penny Ayn Maas’s terrific choreography which becomes both romantic and athletic. Teresa Furphy’s set captures the grandeur of the palace and the mystery of the woods, and every moment of the show is enhanced by Scott Guenther’s lighting.

Director Maas has done some A plus casting here. From the youth ensemble to the stars, everyone makes this fairytale with a modern twist entrancing and it’s great to see so many members of the BIPOC community represented in leading roles.

Cinderella is played by DFW’s Audra McDonald, Rachel Nicole Poole and when I compare Rachel to Audra, I mean in star power only, because Rachel Nicole Poole is very much her own force of nature. Poole’s Cinderella is her own woman. She never sees herself as a victim, but only desires to be treated equally and her own misfortunes make her more attuned to the troubles of others. She’s kind, but a wee bit headstrong and feisty which make this Cinderella less of a Disney princess and more of a real woman. Poole’s beautiful voice and winsome presence give her Cinderella charm to spare.

There are many reasons to celebrate this production of Cinderella, but none greater than the return to DFW stages of Sadat Hossein. And what better way to return than as Prince Charming himself? In this case the prince is known as Topher, but as long as that prince is played by Sadat Hossein, no one should care about the name. I’ve missed those smooth as velvet vocals and all that stage charisma that he brings to Prince Topher, a royal who must learn a lesson or two. Welcome back Sadat!

Cinderella needs a fairy godmother of course, but here she is a woman known as Crazy Marie who lives on the margins of society. Cinderella befriends Marie, who later reveals her magical self and gifts Cinderella a boost of confidence as well as lovely gown or two, some glass slippers, and a carriage. This supernaturally gifted benefactress is played by the vocal powerhouse Sydney Cornelius. She may be “a crazy woman in a beautiful gown,” but this fairy godmother can shake the rafters with her voice and her solo “There’s Music in You” is a stunner.

Every fairytale must have a villain or two to keep the sweetness from becoming overwhelming. Cinderella’s stepmother, known as Madame, is played to perfection by Julia Rose Hartman. Madame gives her “real” daughters preferential treatment and makes no secret of having married Cinderella’s father for the money. Hartman has a great snide and haughty delivery as Madame, but she is certainly one of the loveliest villains I’ve ever seen. Traditionally the stepsisters, Charlotte and Gabrielle, are also cruel to Cinderella. However, in this version Gabrielle, played by Elise Mendoza, is an ally of Cinderella, is secretly in love with the town revolutionary, and not interested in a royal romance. Mendoza is a fine actor and makes the conflicted Gabrielle endearing and sweetly comedic. Stepsister Charlotte, on the other hand, is far from sweet and Tara Park strikes comedy gold in the part. She’s a scene stealer whose mugging and limping bring howls from the audience. Park is also blessed with a gorgeous soprano that’s about five times her size and all those comic and singing skills make “Stepsister’s Lament” a major highlight of the evening..

Lyric Stage vet Ryan Michael Friedman is the revolutionary Jean-Michel who is in love with Gabrielle. The lithe and limber Friedman is a gem in this role. He brings an earnest comedic style to Jean-Michel that is irresistible and those “rubber legs” of his are amazing.

Jonah Munroe as Lord Pinkleton is one of the most fun characters in the show. He is basically the Lord Chamberlain’s henchman, that is if a henchman can be hysterical. Munroe, who displays some soaring vocals here as well, is adept at using his physicality and exaggeration to keep the laughs coming. I’ve admired Munroe’s versatility as a featured actor in many shows and look forward to seeing him in a leading role. Munroe is one of those actors who make me wish I had my own production company.

And if I did have that company, the first person I would hire would be BJ Cleveland who plays Lord Chancellor Sebastian, who wants Prince Topher to keep the status quo. Cleveland is practically a household name in DFW and he is known for his brilliant stage skills. Cleveland can do it all superbly, but he shines brightest at comedy. His Lord Chancellor is no exception. With just the raise of an eyebrow, a glance, a hesitation, or a perfectly delivered one liner, Cleveland can destroy an audience. He is a marvel.

Cinderella also boats a dynamite ensemble who twirl, spin, and warble all evening long making Cinderella the magnificent show it is. The ensemble includes many members who have lead other productions, which should give you an idea of just how strong this group is. The ensemble includes Maya Hernandez-Pearson, Alexa Morgan, Ed Escamilla, Keith J Warren, Robert Mata, Christy Troia, Lexi Nieto, Ania Lyons, Grace Moore, Kelsey Jordan Ward, Abbey Copeland, Jacob Sewell, Ben Ashcraft, Noah Sowalskie, Daniel Vanegas, and Will Shafer.

Lyric Stage is kicking off its 30th season splendidly with this gorgeous production of Cinderella. It’s a “lovely, lovely night” for sure. Director Penny Ayn Maas and Music Director Bruce Greer are keeping everything majestic at the Majestic.

Note: There are some brief cast interviews on my TikTok : dougnctx