Friday, November 22, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Spinning a Tale

Nevada Conservatory Theatre gives musical `Cinderella' an art deco look

Kashena Sampson, from left, Maggie Chapin, Celeste Lero and Amme Milton star in the Nevada Conservatory Theatre production of the musical "Cinderella."

It's a recent Friday evening and director Robert Brewer is spending the night at home. Not at the theater.

That's almost unheard of for the director of a big musical -- 30 cast members, 21-piece orchestra -- that's only a week away from opening.

But Brewer has an inkling that things are going especially well on the Nevada Conservatory Theatre's production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's "Cinderella," opening tonight in Judy Bayley Theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"We're excited about it," Brewer says. "It's a beautiful show, one everyone can safely bring the kids to. We don't always do shows where you can bring the whole family."

Audiences will get more chances to see the production thanks to a three-week run instead of the usual two.

The production follows the traditional Cinderella story fairly closely -- beautiful young woman tormented by stepmother and stepsisters, goes to the ball, meets Prince Charming, loses her glass slipper, etc. -- but Brewer and production designer Joe Varga decided to set it against the art deco period of the 1920s and 1930s.

"Whenever you do `Cinderella,' the question is, `Do you do it traditionally, or not?' " Brewer says. "There are many ways to do the material."

Adapted for the stage, the musical features such numbers as "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible," "Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"

Heading the cast are Celeste Lero as Cinderella, Steve Booth as Prince Charming, Maggie Chapin as the stepmother, and Kashena Sampson and Amme Milton as the stepsisters.

Jonathan E. Shultz plays the King, and Susanne Burns is the Queen.

Filling out the cast are Sherri Brewer, Robert Howard, Paul Finocchiaro, Sean C. Boyd, Anthony Clark, Bridget Adamas, Loren Bohannon, Ben Campbell, Mundana Ess-Haghabadi, Stephanie Sanford, Robert Howard, Annikki Larsson, Adam London, Samuel Lemos, Jolene Myers, Anthony Clark, Courtney Cooke, Jeremy Davison, April Kidwell, Stella Kutz, Louisa Lawson, Tyler Perring, Devaune Ratteray and Siri Taylor.

Brewer's production staff includes choreographers Tammy and Rick Pessagno, music director David Weiller, costume designer Reyna Martinez and lighting director Jay LeDane.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" began as NBC's answer to the hit musical "Peter Pan" that aired on CBS in 1956. They weren't interested at first, until the network snagged Julie Andrews, an actress they wanted to work with, who was then starring on Broadway in the hit "My Fair Lady."

"Cinderella" is the only musical they wrote for television, and it aired March 31, 1957. More than 107 million people saw the show, the largest audience for a TV show at that time.

The musical also has been done numerous times onstage and a film version in 1997 starred Whitney Houston.

Tickets are $20 general admission and $15 for students, seniors and military. UNLV students are admitted free with a valid student ID. Special group rates are available for $12 per ticket.

Tickets are on sale at the Performing Arts Center box office.