Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella: Youth Edition

AN R&H THEATRICALS TITLE

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella: Youth Edition

Short Musical, Comedy  /  6w, 4m plus ensemble

Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

A one-hour adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's timeless tale, specially designed for young performers.

Image: 2019 Paper Mill Playhouse Production (Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella: Youth Edition

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 4m plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptations (Literature), Adaptations (Stage & Screen), Theatre for Young Audiences, Fables/Folktales, Period, Romantic Comedy
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: Nine 2013 Tony Awards, including Best Book of a Musical and Best Revival of a Musical
    Winner! 2013 Tony Award for Best Costume Design for a Musical
    Winner! Three 2013 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Orchestrations

Details

Summary

Note: In addition to this 60-minute edition, three full-length versions of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella are available for licensing. To compare and contrast the four versions, click here.

The timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance. Originally presented on television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was the most widely viewed program in the history of the medium. Its recreation in 1965 starring Lesley Ann Warren was no less successful in transporting a new generation to the miraculous kingdom of dreams-come-true, and so was a second remake in 1997, which starred Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as her Fairy Godmother. As adapted for the stage, with great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity, this enthralling fairy tale still warms the hearts of children and adults alike.

In this specially created Youth Edition, all the beloved songs and familiar characters are present and accounted for. However, the entire script has been condensed to better suit young attention spans, and the plot has been slightly altered to highlight some important lessons for contemporary audiences.

History

In 1956 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were indisputably the world’s most successful writers of musicals. Julie Andrews was a sparkling new star, having just triumphed in My Fair Lady. When her agent approached Rodgers and Hammerstein and suggested that the television audience would welcome a musical version of "Cinderella," it was an irresistible temptation for all.

Everything about the project was right from the start. The CBS production team was quickly assembled. Richard Lewine, a distant cousin of Rodgers and a close friend, was the producer, Ralph Nelson the director. Howard Lindsay and his wife, Dorothy Stickney, were signed for the King and Queen; Jon Cypher played the Prince; the Stepmother and Stepsisters were made less frightening and more comic by Ilka Chase, Kaye Ballard and Alice Ghostley; rather than the standard old crone, the beautiful Edi Adams played the Godmother.

Rodgers & Hammerstein approached the story with the honesty and simplicity that characterized all their work. They purposely did not seek to improve a story they felt was dramatically sound, as many writers are prone to do, instead concentrating on bringing the characters to life. Rodgers wrote in his autobiography Musical Stages, “In writing the story and the songs, Oscar and I felt that it was important to keep everything as traditional as possible, without any ‘modernizing’ or reaching for psychological significance.” When Hammerstein was asked where he found the version of Cinderella story he based his adaptation upon, he answered, “I looked it up in the encyclopedia.”

The marriage of music, lyrics and story in Cinderella exemplified their artistic philosophy; all elements held together integrally to illuminate the characters. As Rodgers explained, “Although a few of its songs have become popular, our score for Cinderella is another example of what theatre music is really about. No matter what the medium, a score is more than a collection of individual songs. It is, or should be, a cohesive entity whose word and music are believable expressions of the characters singing them...Like a symphony, concerto or opera, some portions have greater appeal than others, but it is the work as a whole that makes the overall impression.”

Cinderella succeeded. When it was broadcast on March 31, 1957, it was viewed by more people than any other program in the history of television.


PRINCIPALS
6 women, 2 men

FEATURED
2 men

Townspeople
Family (Father, Mother and Daughter)
Three Girlfriends (First Girl, Second Girl and Third Girl)
Four Sisters (Sloppy Sister, Mean Sister, Studious Sister and Kid Sister)
Their Grandma
Little Boy
Fruit Vendor
Flower Girl
Girls

Stepfamily
Stepmother
Joy
Portia

Cinderella

Royals
Herald
King
Queen
Prince

Palace Staff
Chef
Butcher
Cheese Steward
Dessert Chef

Magical Characters
Godmother
Footman
Coachman
Four Mice/Horses

Ensemble

Maidens (including Shy Maiden, Over-enthusiastic Maiden, Never-danced Maiden,
Talkative Maiden, Pushy Maiden, Staring Maiden, Clumsy Maiden,
First Maiden, Second Maiden, Third Maiden, and Fourth Maiden)
Ball Guests

NOTE: In this show, the race of the characters is not pivotal to the plot. We encourage you to consider diversity and inclusion in your casting choices.

In this show, the race of the characters is not pivotal to the plot. We encourage you to consider diversity and inclusion in your casting choices.

  • Time Period 16th Century / Elizabethan, 17th Century, 15th Century
  • Setting Long ago in a kingdom far away.
  • Features Fantasy Costumes, Period Costumes
  • Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“You want magic? Wait until you see Cinderella!” – Marilyn Stasio, Variety

“A major new musical... produced with characteristic skill, dexterity and lilt. The whole was a love story of often enormous charm... Rodgers and Hammerstein have not lost their knack for the lyrics and beat that are easy to remember.” – Jack Gould, The New York Times

“It would take a jaded eye to miss the magic and a deaf ear not to appreciate Richard Rodgers' lilting, lovely tunes and Oscar Hammerstein's simple and poetic lyrics.” – Joan Crosby, The Pittsburgh Press

“A class production all the way, Cinderella is a straight telling of the fairy tale with several catchy songs...Writer/lyricist Hammerstein gives the characters personality but doesn't spoof the story or send anything up, which is a refreshing change from today's anything-for-a-laugh comedy writing.” – Glenn Erickson, DVD Talk

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

Cinderella Through the Years
by Ted Chapin
July 22, 2020

Videos

  • “It's Possible” – Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella: Youth Edition youtube thumbnail

    “It's Possible” – Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella: Youth Edition

  • 2013 Tony Award Show Clips: Cinderella youtube thumbnail

    2013 Tony Award Show Clips: Cinderella

  • “In My Own Little Corner” from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella youtube thumbnail

    “In My Own Little Corner” from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

  • The Musicology of “Ten Minutes Ago” youtube thumbnail

    The Musicology of “Ten Minutes Ago”

Music

“The Prince Is Giving A Ball” – Herald, Soloists, Townspeople
“In My Own Little Corner” – Cinderella
“Your Majesties” – Queen, Chef, Staff, King, Butcher, Cheese Steward, Dessert Chef
“Fol-De-Rol” – Godmother
“Impossible” – Cinderella, Godmother, Mice
“It’s Possible!” – Godmother, Cinderella, Footman, Coachman, Horses, Ensemble
“Finale Scene 4” – Godmother, Cinderella, Horses, Footman, Coachman, Ensemble
“Ten Minutes Ago” – Prince, Cinderella, Ensemble
“Stepsisters’ Lament” – Joy, Portia, Maidens
“When You’re Driving Through the Moonlight” – Cinderella, Portia, Joy, Stepmother
A Lovely Night” – Portia, Joy, Stepmother, Cinderella
Coda: “A Lovely Night/The Search” – Cinderella
Wedding Finale: “It’s Possible!” – Godmother, Cinderella, Prince, Ensemble
  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Dance Requirements Easy
  • Chorus Size Medium

Licensing & Materials

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
30   Student Libretto-Vocal
1   Piano-Vocal
1   Production Guide

Digital Download

  • Performance Tracks
  • Guide Vocal Tracks
  • Logo

Note: Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella: Youth Edition is presented with fully orchestrated Performance Tracks; there is no orchestration for live accompaniment. 

Notwithstanding the Rental Material return instructions set forth in your licensing agreement, you do not need to return your Rental Materials for this title.

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Authors

Richard Rodgers

Richard Rodgers' contribution to the musical theatre of his day was extraordinary, and his influence on the musical theatre of today and tomorrow is legendary. His career spanned more than six decades, his hits ranging from the silver screens of Hollywood to the bright light ...

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Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II was born on July 12, 1895 in New York City. His father, William, was a theatre manager and for many years director of Hammerstein's Victoria, the most popular vaudeville theatre of its day. His uncle, Arthur Hammerstein, was a successful Broadway producer ...

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