Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
New Book by: Douglas Carter Beane
Original Book by: Oscar Hammerstein II
Director: Jennie Pardoe
Assistant Director: Austin Nope
Music Direction: Danielle Matheson
Choreography: Eric Oliphant
Costume Design: Lisa Oliphant and Kathie Schmid
Lighting Design: Richard Clifford
Set Design: Patrick Ulrich
Sound Design: Antonia Clifford
Director’s Note
We are so delighted to have you join us in the world of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The music from this show has been a part of my life since my sister Emma was particularly enchanted by the 1997 TV film and the VHS entered our regular rotation at home. When we were considering it for production here at BYU-I, I found the script, which had been rewritten in 2013 for its Broadway run, had some delightful surprises. I was struck not only by the enduring charm of the musical fairy tale but by its profound resonance with two timeless themes: the boundless nature of human potential and the quiet, guiding hand of a higher power.
Trapped by circumstance, belittled and unseen, Cinderella nonetheless possesses an inherent grace, kindness, and unwavering spirit. Her transformation in the show is not merely one of outward appearance, but an unfolding of the radiant individual she was always meant to be. We see her potential not just in her ability to captivate a prince, but in her ability to see the best in others, her capacity to forgive, and her genuine desire for a better world.
And yet Cinderella is not able to change her fate entirely on her own. In this musical, Marie is more than a wish-granting fairy; she is an emissary of grace, a manifestation of the benevolent force that often intervene in our lives when we least expect it and most need it. Marie tells Ella that she is everyone’s fairy godmother, but only Ella demonstrates enough faith and kindness that she can see Marie in her true form. While Marie quietly helps others throughout the musical, it is Ella who recognizes everything Marie is doing for her. This is a beautiful reminder that when we open our hearts and trust in God, who sees our potential, we create space for miracles to unfold. The “impossible” becomes possible, not solely through human effort, but through a combination of our own potential and the efforts of heaven.
We hope you delight in every shimmering gown, every soaring melody, and every moment of magic in this show, but we also hope that you leave reflecting on your own inherent worth and the incredible potential that resides within you as children of God. Remember that in our moments of greatest need, and even in our quietest aspirations, we are never truly alone. With a little faith and the grace of God, anything is possible because “there is music in you.”
Sincerely,
Jennie Pardoe
Director
