RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S "Cinderella"
Among the classics of musical theater, one of the most cherished productions is one that was originally created for television: Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella," starring Julie Andrews and a cast including Kaye Ballard, Alice Ghostley, and Edie Adams. An enchanting musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale, it was watched by an astounding 107 million viewers during its 1957 network premiere, but amazingly the film has not been seen, or in fact available in any format, since that initial telecast. "Impossible things are happening every day," however, and now GREAT PERFORMANCES grants the wishes of musical theater fans everywhere, presenting the restored original film for the first time in nearly half a century. Cinderella herself, Julie Andrews, hosts the program, recalling fond memories and backstage stories from the landmark show that includes classic Rodgers & Hammerstein songs like "In My Own Little Corner," "Ten Minutes Ago," and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?".
Collagemama is not really old enough to have seen the Julie Andrew's "Cinderella" on t.v. in 1957. My cherished memories are of the 1965 t.v. version starring Lesley Ann Warren, Ginger Rogers, Walter Pidgeon, Celest Holm, Jo Van Fleet, Stuart Damon, Pat Carroll, and Barbara Ruick. I mistakenly thought that version was not available in any format, or I would have gotten it when my little princes were young.
You must remember that the same little girls who played "Beatles stewardesses" staged our neighborhood play. Julie B., who was always Paul's stewardess girlfriend got to be Cinderella. It was her house and she was a blond, after all. John and Ringo's girlfriends (Nancy Joan and DeeDee) wouldn't even consider being the evil stepmother, so I was stuck with the role, and enjoyed it totally. It was a clear case of playing against type. We were all nine or ten at the time. This was our second major production. The first had been something to do with a duck who ate muffins, and was performed on our patio. Trouble was, our block didn't have any guys our age. We had to take the tallest six-year-old, Brent, and groom him for the part of Prince Charming, hoping he wouldn't be in an asthmatic oxygen tent on the day of performance. He did not really measure up to the appeal of Stuart Damon. My young siblings, Roger & Mary Jane, were the King and Queen. There were at least two more kids in the show, Jimmy and Janie, but I can't remember what parts they played. Maybe someone will remember who played the fairy godmother.
The Rodgers & Hammerstein "Cinderella" was shown on the Hallmark or Kraft showcase. In 1965 "a television special" still meant something worth seeing. It's amazing that we reconstructed the whole story and many of the songs from one t.v. viewing. We all watched on our home black & white t.v.s, and we memorized it start to finish. In the olden days before slo-mo replays, vcr and tivo, we had to have better attention, listening and memorization skills. Some of us went on to perform annual original take-offs of "Laugh In" and "The Smothers Brothers" on New Years Eves.
Great Performances airs December 13th, at 9:00 p.m. (check your local PBS listings). I am hoping for tutoring in VCR recording before then. During the PBS funddrive, you can receive a cd or dvd copy by pledging $65 or more. In a fun coincidence, the Dallas Opera's production of Rossini's "La Cenerentola" (Cinderella) is the same week. I may need to go shopping for glass slippers...the evil stepmother never gets to wear the sparkly dress-up shoes!
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