Highly Recommended **** The Paramount Theatre in Aurora has done it again! Another musical production that is spellbinding and cast to perfection. Many of us know the work of choreographer/director Brenda Didier. Her process is always one of true creativity and with Paramount’s production of “Cinderella” now on their stage, she has outdone herself on both counts. On the choreography side, Tiffany Krause is her co-choreography. Together, along with musical director Kory Danielson, they have created a musical that is astounding and delightful.
This is not the Disney “Cinderella”, but rather the one conceived and written by Rodgers (music) & Hammerstein II (book and lyrics) with the adaptation written by Tom Briggs and based on the teleplay ( where it all began) by Robert L. Freedman.
Credit: Liz Lauren
The story is of course the same basic one that has over 1500 versions being told to children in every part of the world. Cinderella is a good person. In spite of losing her mother and then father and being mis-treated by her new “family”, she still shows her goodness to the world. She wants to fit in and searches for the happiness she felt as a little girl.
In the town, there is a Prince who is holding a ball. The purpose is to find a bride. There are many fairy tales that have this in common. The Prince must be wed and have a child to carry on tradition. Cinderella is told that she is not worthy of going, but as we know, things change quickly when her Fairy Godmother ( the terrific Jerica Exum) appears and we all know the rest of the story.
They meet, they dance, they fall in love, the clock strikes midnight and she must flee, leaving behind a glass slipper. Then the search goes on and every woman in the Kingdom must try on the slipper. We all know that he will find her and they will live happily ever after! The difference is the steps ( and songs) until we reach that point.
As I said earlier, Didier’s cast is amazing! Cinderella is portrayed by Mikayla Renfrow who is making her Chicago area debut. This is a name to remember as I am sure we will see her sparkling personality and beautiful voice for many years. The Prince, Christopher is handled by Markcus Blair, another newcomer to our theater scene. Smooth and agile, he brings just the right touch to this young man who does a great duet early in the play “In My Own Little Corner” along with Ms Renfrow ( setting the tone of their relationship). Actors know that Chicago is the place where theater shines, so they make their way here to work. Theaters like the Paramount are a great way to start a career. I smell a few Jeff Award nominations in this one.
The other cast members that truly stand out are Rashada Dawan as the Queen and Michael Kingston as the King. I have seen Kingston truly mature as an actor and hearing him sing just adds more to his talents. Every Prince has to have an aide and this one, Lionel ,is played by Chicago favorite Lorenzo Rush Jr. He is dynamite! I always enjoy watching him bring his characters to life.
The “step” family is composed of Sarah Bockel as Stepmother ( just perfect) and Tiffany T. Taylor as Joy with Jaqueline Jones as Grace. They bring a lot of comic touches to this story and their “Sisters lament” is a stitch.
When it comes to musical numbers this version has some memorable songs like “Do I Love You Because Your Beautiful”,, “A Lovely Night”, “The Sweetest Sounds” and in the case of the Fairy Godmother’s transformation, “Impossible” rather than “Bibety Bobity Boo”.
Speaking of the transformation the creativity of changing a pumpkin into a carriage and some mice into horses and footmen is amazing ( Angela Weber Miller is a genius) and the costumes by Theresa Ham are fantastic.
You must watch closely as Cinderella goes from rags to Ball Gown- amazing! The lighting (Victoria Bain) and the sound (Adam Rosenthal) are also as perfect as one can get and the wigs, hair and makeup by KatieCordts works. Jesse Gaffney’s props are all fitting and I want to give a special thanks to the ensemble, as without their sterling work, this show cannot happen. Those that handle the puppets do an incredible job. They are:
Brian Bandura, Adia Bell, Matthew Bettencourt, Anna Brockman,, Max J. Cervantes, Evan C. Dolan, Tim Foszcz, Kelli Harrington, Dakota Hughes, Christopher John Kelley, Ron King, Ashley Lanyon, Jenna Napolitano, Jason Richards, Camille Robinson, Katherine Viviano, Shelbi Voss and Natalie Welch- GREAT WORK!
This is perfect holiday fare for the family. There were many young ladies in the audience dressed as “Cinderella” and each of them was smiling brightly. The adults in the audience were delighted as well. The
production will continue thru January 9th with performances are as follows:
Show Type: Childrens/family Tickets range from $36- $79 and are available by calling the box office or online ( where you will also find some special performances.
There are garages around the theater as well as street parking ( metered and not) so read the signs. There are also lots of great dining spots so come early and walk around Aurora. The address is 23 East Galena Blvd.
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Cinderella”. A special thanks to Jim Corti and Tim Rater for making this theater a reality.
Highly Recommended **** The Paramount Theatre in Aurora has done it again! Another musical production that is spellbinding and cast to perfection. Many of us know the work of choreographer/director Brenda Didier. Her process is always one of true creativity and with Paramount’s production of “Cinderella” now on their stage, she has outdone herself on both counts. On the choreography side, Tiffany Krause is her co-choreography. Together, along with musical director Kory Danielson, they have created a musical that is astounding and delightful.
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