Lloyd Webber hopes it will open next spring in the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. The new stage musical “Cinderella” features a brand new score from Lloyd Webber with lyrics by David Zippel. “The irony of 50 years later my having to do another concept album because I’m not able to get my show on stage has suddenly not been lost on me.” “The reason it came out first is because nobody in the world wanted to produce it because they thought it was such a terrible idea,” he said. It’s as if composer, lyricist, writer and director each tried to create their own show independently, and ended up making this Cinderella more of a poisoned apple than a glass slipper.That led to interest and set Lloyd Webber on a steady course to musical and theatrical superstardom, with such shows as “Cats,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Evita.” Whilst there will be much deserved admiration for getting the production mounted in the most difficult of times, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella replaces magic, miracles and enchantment with misogyny, machismo and eroticism, and overall, it feels uncomfortable to watch. It’s hard to believe this is a West End debut, Turco carries the role so confidently, and his solo number, ‘Only You, Lonely You’ is nothing short of captivating. Ivano Turco as Prince Sebastian wows the audience with a gentle and nuanced performance. Rebecca Trehearn and Victoria Hamilton Barritt both relish their villainous roles as The Queen and The Stepmother respectively, while Laura Baldwin shines as stepsister Adele. Carrie Hope Fletcher delivers a powerful performance as the titular character, filled with angst and a touch of vulnerability, and her solo numbers are spectacular. Thankfully, Bruno Poet’s lighting design picks up a great deal of the slack giving The Gillian Lynne Theatre the fairytale feel that is desperately lacking elsewhere.Ĭinderella does have a strong cast. Gabriella Tylesova’s costumes, particularly for the female leads, are extravagant and dazzling, and stand out even more so against a dull and uninspiring set. But, too soon, the clock strikes midnight, the enchantment is over, and the production turns back in to a pumpkin. It’s also here that we get another of the standout musical numbers, as Carrie Hope Fletcher delivers the stunning ‘I Know I Have a Heart’. Laurence Connor’s direction and the stage’s revolve both play a part in making these scenes the best of the night. It’s not just Cinderella who is transformed, as the stage takes on a whole new look thanks to some rather impressive stage wizardry. The Ball comes at the top of the second act, and it looks like things might start to get interesting. Too often the lyrics don’t reflect the plot, which is already at odds with the music and the staging one of those often reprised, albeit enjoyable, numbers is ‘Bad Cinderella’ which gives us the line “I’ve a style all my own, and I will not change it for you”, which makes us wonder why Cinderella then goes ahead to do just that.Įnter the Godmother (Gloria Onitiri), turning up briefly to suggest Cinderella should undergo surgery to be more beautiful there’s a song about it before they decide there’s not enough time, so stick her in a pretty dress instead.
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