This spring, ULM’s School of Visual and Performing Arts brings Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella to the stage.
This rendition of Cinderella follows the story of the French fairytale “Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper” by Charles Perrault, rather than adapting the Disney version many audiences recognize. Even so, the musical tells a familiar tale of overcoming hardship and finding companionship at your lowest.
The musical features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics and script by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a new book by Douglas Carter Beane. The production is being directed by ULM’s Prince Duren, Ph.D.
Ara Arcilla, the freshman music major playing Cinderella, took a moment between rehearsals to answer a few questions.
In contrast to the Disney story, Arcilla finds Cinderella’s reliance on herself admirable.
“…The Rodgers and Hammerstein’s version expands upon Cinderella’s character and several others,” she said. “Cinderella was not saved from her misery from a man. In this version, you see Cinderella go through all the steps to save herself by believing in the magic that is inside her. Her finding love, especially in a time where the entire kingdom is full of hate, is just an addition to her happy ending.”
To elaborate more on the character of Cinderella or “Ella,” Arcilla explained her resilience also inspires her personally.
“More than anything, Ella inspires me. Even with having such little autonomy in her life, she still managed her own ways to find happiness by holding onto her dreams.”
Arcilla emphasized that the entire cast and crew had been working incredibly hard and cannot wait to see the audience when the show premieres.
Benjamin Matherne has acted in many productions at Strauss Theatre and was ULM’s Seymour Krelborne for Little Shoppe of Horrors last year. This year, he takes on the role of Prince Topher.
When asked about his character, Matherne mentioned familiarizing himself with a version of the prince so different from the usual characterization.
“Prince Topher is not your typical version of the boring Prince you often see in many Cinderella adaptations,” Matherne said. “This is a role I can relate to in many ways, and because of that it feels natural in some aspects to bring the character to life. But with any character I play, it is always a challenge discovering the nuances and layers of why the character is the way he is and how he develops throughout the story.”
Similar to Arcilla, Matherne commended the other people pouring their time and effort into the show. “This cast and crew worked tirelessly to ensure audiences experience an enchanting production filled with beautiful music, heartfelt moments, and a bit of laughter,” Matherne said. “It will be a great experience for all ages.”
Vocal performance major Alissa Smith plays Charlotte, one of Cinderella’s evil stepsisters. Smith has been in 10 productions, seven through ULM. Cinderella will close the curtains on Smith’s theatrical career as a college student.
When asked about her character, Smith’s love of her was clear.
“I absolutely adore Charlotte,” she said. “She is incredibly funny, a bit ditzy and has a mean streak. Charlotte isn’t evil, she can just be a bit of a bully.”
Smith shared the special thought she puts into the role.
“My preparation for this show, on top of working on my lines and listening and running my music, consists of trying to figure out why Charlotte acts the way she does,” Smith said. “I have a lot of feelings about who she is and how she became the girl she is today, so I spend time trying to figure out how to portray that in the moments I have on stage.”
Smith also complimented the hard work of her fellow cast members and crew.
“The cast and crew have been working really hard, and it has been a pleasure to work with them on my last show here at ULM,” she said. “I love doing what I love with some of my closest friends. Also, live theater is so important to support, so everyone should come out if they can.”
Conversations with the cast reveal the dedication behind the production. Preparing for a play is hard enough, not to mention doing it while working around a college schedule. Because ULM schedules its musicals during the spring semester, many rehearsals take place during midterm season. For the last few weeks of practicing, cast members are there from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The culmination of the team’s hard work can be seen at Brown auditorium on March 26-29. Thursday through Saturday, the performance will be shown at 7 p.m. and will be shown at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.com and at the door. General admission is $20; ULM faculty and staff tickets are $10, and students can attend free with ID.
