4/20-29 - OKEMOS THEATRE PRESENTS CINDERELLA
To the excitement of faculty and students alike, Okemos Theatre is preparing for its next musical feat: Cinderella.
However, this version of Cinderella is different from the Disney Princess movie we all know and love. Instead, this production will be a modernized adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1957 Broadway musical.
Isa Rodriguez (12) shared her excitement for being cast as Cinderella.
“Cinderella has been my favorite princess since I was five years old and getting this role was honestly a dream come true,” Rodriguez said. “There is a lot to live up to, but I’m excited for people in the community, little girls especially, to fall in love with the story and the characters just like I did when I was a little girl,” Rodriguez continued.
Director Chad Badgero picked this musical because it's the story everyone loves and knows with a modern touch. His vision for the show is to bring the magic from the musical to the audience.
“I love all the magic in this show and so I hope that it feels magical for the audience. That can happen in a variety of ways. There's an approach to how we view life that is also a little bit magical, like what the fairy godmother says about not wanting to be perfect and to go after our dreams, and I also think figuring out who we are can be magical too,” Badgero said.
Rehearsals for Cinderella started late February and have taken place every day after school.
The actors and actresses put in a lot of time to perfect the show before performing on stage. However, they are not the only ones slaving away to make this production come together.
Enter, stage crew.
Stage crew is responsible for setting, lighting and other technical aspects of the show.
A typical afternoon behind the scenes might look like hours of painting, rigging, set building and other miscellaneous tasks. Despite not being seen, these folks are the pulse of the production and the foundation of a successful show.
Unser Hashsham (11) has been an active member of stage crew since his freshman year. Hashsham said he feels his time is well spent behind the scenes.
“I feel the production is worth working for because, like any of the shows we’ve put on at the high school, it offers a unique perspective on how these types of things are done, and it also gives students a chance to learn skills that they can use later on, whether that be basic organization or something more specific, like being able to run a light board,” Hashsham said.
Cinderella has given the cast many opportunities for growth and improvement and the cast is very excited to perform it in front of their student body and community.
Cinderella will be performed Apr. 20 - 22 at 7:30pm, Apr. 23 at 3:00pm and Apr. 27 - 29 at 7:30pm. Buy your tickets before it's too late! The link to prepurchase tickets is on okemostheatre.net.
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