And just like that 1,200 posts! Previous milestones:
100 The Pajama Game / 200 Guys and Dolls / 300 The Rocky Horror Picture Show / 400 Tea for Two / 500 Annie / 600 Mary Poppins / 700 Into the Woods / 800 Anchors Aweigh / 900 42nd Street / 1000 Royal Wedding / 1100 A Song is Born
Cinderella (Brandy) dreams of a better life. Since the death of her parents she has worked as a servant in her home, where she waits on her Stepmother (Peters) and selfish stepsisters Calliope (Cox) and Minerva (Desselle). One day in the market, she meets and is captivated by a handsome young man.
The young man is Prince Christopher (Montalban), escaping from palace life for the afternoon. His parents, King Maximillian (Garber) and Queen Constantina (Goldberg), want him to marry and throw a ball for all of the eligible young women in the kingdom.
Cinderella is forced to stay home, while her Stepmother and stepsisters go to the ball. While she dreams about the ball, her Fairy Godmother (Houston) arrives. She encourages Cinderella to go to the ball and uses her magic to transform her clothes into a beautiful ball gown. Can Cinderella make all of her dreams come true.
This is a TV film for Disney. It is an updated remake of the Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein 1957 made-for-TV musical. The musical is based on the Cinderella fairytale. The original film was later adapted to a Broadway musical.
The Good:
The costumes are beautiful, especially at the ball. Brandy's blue dress (pictured above) is gorgeous. The production is well done and looks more polished than the previous 2 filmed versions.
The cast is great. Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber, Veanne Cox, and Paolo Montalban are Broadway stars with great voices. Brandy and Whitney Houston were popular singers. Natalie Desselle and Jason Alexander were TV stars.
This version is a little more comedic, due to the talents of the cast. They also updated the story to make Cinderella a stronger and more independent character.
The Bad:
Victor Garber is the only cast member that does not sing, despite having a good voice and musical background.
Other Comments:
-Features 3 songs from other musicals by, at least, Rogers: "The Sweetest Sounds" (by Rogers) from No Strings attached, "Falling in Love with Love" (by Rogers and Lorenz Hart) from The Boys from Syracuse, and "There is Music in You" (Rogers and Hammerstein) from Main Street to Broadway.
-This film features a diverse cast. Brandy was the first black actress to portray Cinderella in film.
-The original 1957 show starred Julie Andrews as Cinderella. The first remake, in 1965, starred Lesley Ann Warren in the title role.
-The character of Lionel was created for this film. He is a little over the top, but it works with the comedic tone.
-The duet of "Impossible" by Brandy and Whitney Houston is a standout. It is one of my favorite songs in the film, although I also enjoy the "Stepsisters Lament" (but Ann Harada's version in the 2013 Broadway show is my favorite).
-Brandy and Montalban reprised their roles of Cinderella and Prince Christopher in the 2024 Disney Channel film Descendants: The Rise of Red.
Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) 88 minutes
Director: Robert L. Freedman
Starring: Brandy as Cinderella
Whitney Houston as Fairy Godmother
Paolo Montalban as Prince Christopher
Jason Alexander as Lionel
Victor Garber as King Maximillian
Whoopi Goldberg as Queen Constantina
Bernadette Peters as Wicked stepmother
Veanne Cox as Calliope
Natalie Desselle as Minerva
0 comments:
Post a Comment