Due to illness, I am unable to attend the official opening night performance of Cinderella at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), but would like to pass on chookas to the cast and crew for their official opening tonight.
Unfortunately this means that my review of the production will be delayed by a couple of weeks, but I look forward to hopefully sharing my thoughts on it at a later date.
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella see’s the reunion of two actors who first came together on the Lyric Theatre stage several years ago as part of Disney Theatrical Production’s Aladdin. Leading the cast of this lavish production will be Brisbane’s own rising musical theatre star Shubshri Kandiah as Ella (Cinderella), a strong and intelligent young woman who dreams of escaping her endless chores so she might see the world. In addition to Aladdin, Kandiah has also taken on roles including Ismene in Antigone with Queensland Theatre, performed in The Pearlfishers, and starred in the 2021 national tour of Belvoir’s Australian musical Fangirls.
Playing opposite her is Ainsley Melham as Prince Topher, the charming Prince of the kingdom who needs guidance and inspiration to realise his full potential. Ainsley most recently starred as Charlie in Merrily We Roll Along at the Hayes Theatre Co, following the title role of Pippin at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre. He featured in the title role of Disney’s Aladdin across Australia and on Broadway and also played Molina in MTC’s Kiss of the Spider Woman and Sonny in Xanadu at the Hayes.
This new Broadway production of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella sets out to deliver a fresh new take on the classic tale. The story combines the story’s classic elements – the glass slippers, pumpkin, a beautiful masked ball and more – along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is pitched as “a contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting. A spirited young woman with savvy and soul, she not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the Prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realise his dreams too”.
