Show guide
Cinderella
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella brings the classic fairy tale to the Broadway stage, pairing a beloved 1957 television score with a wittier, more modern book about kindness and courage.
- Broadway premiere
- 2013
- Music by
- Richard Rodgers
- Genre
- Golden Age
- Setting
- Timeless
Cinderella: quick answers
What is Cinderella about?
- Ella, mistreated by her stepmother Madame, reaches the royal ball with help from her fairy godmother, Marie, and wins the heart of Prince Topher, while opening his eyes to the injustices committed in his name by a scheming advisor.
When did Cinderella open on Broadway?
- Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella first reached Broadway on March 3, 2013, at the Broadway Theatre, with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane, and closed on January 3, 2015, after 770 performances.
Is Cinderella a Golden Age musical?
- Its score is. Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote Cinderella for a live 1957 CBS broadcast starring Julie Andrews, within the Golden Age, but the 2013 Broadway version pairs those songs with a new, more comic book by Douglas Carter Beane.
Where and when is Cinderella set?
- Cinderella is set in an unnamed, timeless fairy-tale kingdom.
Has Cinderella played in London's West End?
- Cinderella was first staged in London at the London Coliseum in 1958, as a holiday pantomime adaptation produced by Harold Fielding.
Is there a Cinderella movie?
- Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote it for a 1957 CBS broadcast starring Julie Andrews, seen by more than 107 million viewers. CBS remade it in 1965 with Lesley Ann Warren, and a 1997 TV film starred Brandy, with Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother.
The story of Cinderella
This version of Cinderella follows Ella, a kindhearted young woman kept as a servant by her cruel stepmother Madame and stepsisters, and Topher, a young, uncertain prince searching for purpose beyond his title. With help from a mysterious fairy godmother figure who first appears disguised as a beggar woman named Marie, Ella attends the royal ball and meets Topher, setting the familiar glass slipper story in motion.
The Broadway adaptation, with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane, adds contemporary touches to the classic tale, including a stepsister, Gabrielle, who is unexpectedly kind and a plotline about political reform and looking after the kingdom's poor. The result keeps the fairy tale's romance while giving its characters more modern motivations and humor.
The music and the makers
The score was written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II originally for a 1957 live television broadcast starring Julie Andrews, making it one of the only major Rodgers and Hammerstein scores created for television rather than the stage. Its melodies are lush and old fashioned, squarely in the Golden Age Rodgers and Hammerstein style.
Signature songs include In My Own Little Corner, Ten Minutes Ago, and the soaring Impossible, later reprised as It's Possible, all of which carry the sweetness and yearning typical of the team's work. The 2013 Broadway production added a book by Douglas Carter Beane, giving the classic songs a fresher, more comic frame without altering the score itself.
Cinderella on Broadway
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opened on Broadway on March 3, 2013, at the Broadway Theatre, starring Laura Osnes as Ella and Santino Fontana as Topher, and ran for 770 performances. It marked the first time the frequently televised and adapted score received a full scale Broadway production.
The show earned nine Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical Revival, and won for William Ivey Long's costume design, which was celebrated for its onstage quick change transformations. Following three earlier television versions in 1957, 1965, and 1997, the Broadway staging helped introduce the classic score to a new generation of theatregoers.
Cinderella: frequently asked questions
Is Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella a Golden Age musical?
Its score belongs to the Golden Age. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote it for a live CBS television broadcast in 1957, within the era generally dated from Oklahoma! in 1943 to the mid 1960s, even though this full Broadway staging did not open until 2013.
What fairy tale is Cinderella based on?
It is based on Charles Perrault's 1697 French version of the story, Cendrillon, ou la petite pantoufle de verre, rather than the Brothers Grimm version. Perrault's telling added the fairy godmother, the pumpkin, and the glass slippers; the Grimm version has no fairy godmother.
Is Cinderella still running on Broadway?
No. The 2013 Broadway production closed on January 3, 2015, at the Broadway Theatre, after 41 previews and 770 regular performances.
When did Cinderella open on Broadway?
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opened on Broadway on March 3, 2013, at the Broadway Theatre.
Who composed Cinderella?
Richard Rodgers composed the music, with Oscar Hammerstein II writing the lyrics, originally for a 1957 television broadcast.
What is Cinderella about?
It follows Ella, a kind young woman mistreated by her stepfamily, whose fortunes change after she meets Prince Topher with the help of a fairy godmother.
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