SV Drama brings Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella to the stage

The Prince is giving a ball! 

His Royal Highness Christopher Rupert Windemere Vladimir Karl Alexander François Reginald Herman (yes, Herman) Gregory James is giving a ball!

Dust off your favorite gown, make sure that tuxedo still fits, and put on your sharpest shoes, as Steel Valley Drama cordially invites you to attend its production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. The curtain rises on the recent Broadway adaptation of this classic tale on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Steel Valley High School auditorium. Additional shows are Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or can be purchased in advance at https://svdrama.seatyourself.biz.

A widely known fairy tale, Cinderella's story has been told in various forms throughout the years and is perhaps most familiar to modern audiences through the Disney animated movie. Famed theatrical producers and composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II first adapted the fairy tale into a musical for a 1957 television movie, and it was later adapted for the stage.

Fifty years after it first debuted, Douglas Carter Beane wrote a new script incorporating Rodgers and Hammerstein's original music. This new version was the first one to debut on Broadway, and it is that version that SV Drama excitedly brings to the audience.

Disrespected and overlooked by her stepmother and stepsisters, Ella dreams of a better life. Meanwhile, Prince Topher has lived up to his royal standing by slaying dragons and monsters, but he's unsure of who he truly is without the guidance of his late mother and father. His tenuous rule over the land is heavily influenced by the conniving and manipulative Lord Chancellor Sebastian, who has helped enact policies that hurt the poorest in the kingdom.

Revolutionary Jean-Michael wishes to spread the word about the unjust treatment, and he's caught the eye of Ella's stepsister, Gabrielle. When Prince Topher holds a ball to find a wife, Ella's stepsister and stepmother callously leave her behind. With the help of Marie, her fairy godmother, Ella is transformed into a vision of beauty and makes her way to the ball. She charms Topher with her kindness and sparks the entire ensemble into a grand waltz.

But as the clock strikes midnight, Ella runs off as the magic dissipates, leaving behind only the remnants of a kiss and befuddled Prince unaware of her true identity. Will Ella and Topher unmask each other's true identity? Will Jean-Michael win Gabrielle's heart and spark a change in the kingdom? Only time will tell if a true fairy tale ending awaits.

Co-directed by Austin Riley and Betsy Novotny, the show features Rebekah Kleiber as Ella, Peter Bos as Topher, Sunny Clark as Ella's stepmother Madame, Theo Coyne as Sebastian, Shaterra Meadows as Marie, Kylie Kern and Janine Clark Ella's stepsisters Gabrielle and Charlotte, Kash Velasquez as Jean-Michael, and Jacob Wright as Lord Pinkleton.

The ensemble includes Aaliyah Abdullah, Mollie Angelo, Zakiyya Berts, Avery Bragg, Ashley Bulger, Sofia Grzyb, Cyrus Kettle, Luke Kleiber, Hannah Lesser, Kayte McNeely, Loghan Muha, Vivian Rusnak, Morgan Schempp, Josie Strom, and Paige Yura.

The production staff includes music director Andrew Roberts, choreographer Fran Savolskis, technical supervisor Christine Schott, sound and stage tech Bobby Barko, stage manager Elaina Fedoris, calling stage manager Paige Perhac, costume designer Betsy Novotny, wardrobe manager Sam Bruner, and light board operator Mason Rager.

Bobby Barko, Elaina Fedoris, Mason Rager, Austin Riley, Christine Schott, and Jaxson Welsh constructed the set. Belle Duckovich, Xavier Fedoris, Amber Fey, Dante Hruska, Noah Hughes, Eliana McCallister, Kamerin Morrison, and Leland Williams serve as stage crew. Haifa Alghanem, Demario Clark, Charles Davis, Leonardo Ixcoy Matom, Alisa Palmer, Michael Rubosky, Damarko Shelton, and Gabrielle West served as technical theater assistants. 

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Concord Theatricals Corp.

Check out the full gallery of photos from the show!