Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is a musical written for television, but later played on stage, with music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based upon the fairy tale Cinderella, particularly the French version Cendrillon, ou la petite pantoufle de verre ("Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper"), by Charles Perrault. The story concerns a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother and self-centered stepsisters, who dreams of a better life. With the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella is transformed into a princess and finds true love with the kingdom's prince.

Cinderella is the only Rodgers and Hammerstein musical written for television. It was originally broadcast live in color on CBS on March 31, 1957, as a vehicle for Julie Andrews, who played the title role. The broadcast was viewed by more than 100 million people. It was subsequently remade for television twice, in 1965 and 1997. The 1965 version starred Lesley Ann Warren and Stuart Damon. The 1997 version starred Brandy in the title role, with Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. Both remakes add songs from other Richard Rodgers musicals and have adaptations to the Hammerstein book.

The musical has been adapted for the stage in a number of versions, including a London West End pantomime adaptation, one produced by New York City Opera that follows the original television version closely, and various touring productions. A 2013 adaptation on Broadway starred Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana, with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane; since then, it has been revived in the US and internationally.

Background In the 1950s, television adaptations of stage musicals were fairly common.Hischak, Thomas. "Rodgers & Hammerstein Conquer a New Medium" , PBS Great Performances, 2004, accessed December 25, 2012 In 1955, NBC broadcast the Broadway musical Peter Pan, starring Mary Martin. It was a hit, and the network looked for more family-oriented musical projects. Richard Rodgers had won an Emmy Award for his score to Victory at Sea, a documentary series about World War II, and several of his musicals with Oscar Hammerstein II, as well their film State Fair, had achieved outstanding success.Lubbock, Mark. "American Musical Theatre: An Introduction", theatrehistory.com, republished from The Complete Book of Light Opera. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1962, pp. 753–56, accessed December 3, 2008 NBC approached Rodgers and Hammerstein and asked them to do something never previously attempted: write an original musical expressly for television (rather than merely adapting an existing one to the television special format).Fink, Bert. "Behind the Creation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Instantly Classic Cinderella for CBS", Playbill, July 22, 2020 The team decided to adapt the fairy tale Cinderella.

As they were new to television musicals, they sought the advice of an industry insider, Richard Lewine, the Vice President in charge of color television at CBS and a cousin of Richard Rodgers. He told Rodgers and Hammerstein that CBS was also seeking a musical project and had already signed Julie Andrews, who was then starring in My Fair Lady on Broadway. Rodgers recalled, in his autobiography: "What sold us immediately was the chance to work with Julie." Rodgers and Hammerstein signed with CBS. The two retained ownership of the show and had control over casting, direction, set and costumes, while CBS controlled the technical aspects of the broadcast and had an option for a second broadcast. CBS announced the production in September 1956. In adapting the familiar fairy tale, "Rodgers and Hammerstein stayed faithful to the original Charles Perrault" version."Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" , PBS Great Performances, 2004, accessed December 25, 2012 In an interview with Time magazine, Hammerstein said, "It took me seven months to write the book and lyrics". He told the Saturday Review: "We want the kids who see it to recognize the story they know. Children can be very critical on that score. But, of course, their parents will be watching too, so we have tried to humanize the characters without altering the familiar plot structure."

Synopsis

Act I In the village square, the Herald proclaims: "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" to celebrate Prince Christopher's 21st birthday, an age appropriate for him to marry. The ladies of the kingdom are thrilled at the prospect of meeting him. Cinderella, whose father has died, is treated as a servant by her ill-tempered and selfish stepmother and two stepsisters, Joy and Portia. She carries their tall stack of shopping parcels home for them, as they bully and order her about. Left alone in her corner near the fire, she dreams of an exotic life as a princess or anything other than a servant ("In My Own Little Corner"). Meanwhile, the King and Queen prepare for the big celebration ("Royal Dressing Room Scene"), and the servants discuss the food and other planning ("Your Majesties"). The royals hope their son will meet a suitable bride at the Ball, but the Prince is apprehensive about meeting all the eager women of the kingdom. The Queen is touched by overhearing the King's pep-talk to his son and tells the king she loves him ("Boys and Girls Like You and Me"Omitted from the telecast).

As Cinderella's stepsisters get ready for the Ball, hoping that they will catch the Prince's eye, they laugh at Cinderella's dreams. After they leave, Cinderella imagines having gone with them ("In My Own Little Corner" (reprise)). Her Fairy Godmother appears and is moved by Cinderella's irresistible and powerfully-held wish to go to the Ball. She magically transforms the girl's plain clothing into a beautiful gown and her little mouse friends and a pumpkin into a glittering carriage with footmen ("Impossible; It's Possible"); Cinderella leaves for the Ball.

Act II Cinderella arrives at the palace at 11:30; before she enters, her Godmother warns her not to stay past midnight. The Prince is bored by the attention of all the young ladies with whom he has had to dance, including the stepsisters ("Gavotte"). Cinderella's radiant entrance immediately attracts everyone's attention, but her transformation is so complete that no one recognizes her. The Prince is intrigued. They dance together and instantly fall in love ("Ten Minutes Ago"). Seeing the Prince with a beauty whom they do not recognize, the stepsisters ruefully ask each other why he wouldn't prefer a "usual" girl like them ("Stepsisters' Lament"). As the Prince and Cinderella dance, he declares his love for her ("Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"). As they embrace, the clock strikes midnight, and Cinderella flees before the magic wears off, but in her haste she leaves behind a glass slipper.

Act III The next morning, Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters reminisce about the Ball and find Cinderella's "imagination" surprisingly accurate about what it must have been like going to the Ball ("When You're Driving Through the Moonlight") and dancing with the Prince ("A Lovely Night"). Meanwhile, despite his parents' cautions about a girl he just met, the Prince is searching for the owner of the slipper who fled so hurriedly from the Ball. The Herald tries the slipper on all the women of the kingdom ("The Search"). At Cinderella's house, the slipper will not fit any of the ladies. Cinderella's stepmother works to steer the Herald away from Cinderella, but she is not home; she is hiding in the Palace garden. The Herald returns to the palace to inform the Prince that he has not found the missing girl. The Herald then sees Cinderella hiding and places her under arrest. Prodded by the Fairy Godmother, he tries the slipper on Cinderella. It fits, and the Prince is called back to the garden where he recognizes his beloved ("Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (reprise)). The stepmother and stepsisters are now very solicitous and help Cinderella prepare for her wedding; she and the Prince marry with resplendent pomp, as her Fairy Godmother observes that "impossible things are happening every day".

Musical numbers The original version contains the following songs:

Act I "Overture" – Orchestra "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" – Town Crier and Chorus "Cinderella March" – Orchestra "In My Own Little Corner" – Cinderella "The Prince Is Giving a Ball" (reprise) – Chorus "Your Majesties" (Royal Dressing Room Scene) – King, Queen, Chef and Steward "In My Own Little Corner" (reprise) – Cinderella "Impossible; It's Possible" – Fairy Godmother and Cinderella

Act II "Gavotte" – Orchestra "Ten Minutes Ago" – Prince and Cinderella "Stepsisters' Lament" – Stepsisters "Waltz for a Ball" – Chorus "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" – Prince and Cinderella "Never in a Thousand Years" (eventually omitted from the production)

Act III "When You're Driving Through the Moonlight" – Cinderella, Stepmother and Stepsisters "A Lovely Night" – Cinderella, Stepmother and Stepsisters "The Search" – Orchestra "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (reprise) – Prince "Wedding" – Orchestra, Fairy Godmother and Chorus

In some productions, additional numbers added include "Loneliness of Evening" (cut from South Pacific and introduced in the 1965 broadcast), a song for the prince; and "Boys and Girls like You and Me" (cut from Oklahoma! and subsequently other shows), for the queen and king (in the Royal Dressing Room Scene), which appears in the show's published vocal score.Rendell, Bob. "A Special Treat for All Ages: Magical Cinderella at Paper Mill", Talkinbroadway.com, accessed November 23, 2020Liza Minnelli sings the song on The Tonight ShowListing of cast albums that include the song The 1993 New York City Opera production added "My Best Love", written for Flower Drum Song and "If I Weren't King", a song cut from the original broadcast, both for the King.Rothstein, Edward. "Review/Music: Cinderella; City Opera Tries on the Famed Footwear", The New York Times, November 11, 1993 The 1997 TV adaptation added "Falling in Love with Love" for the Stepmother,Purdom, Todd S. "Television; The Slipper Still Fits, Though the Style Is New", The New York Times, November 2, 1997, Section 2, p. 35 "The Sweetest Sounds" for Cinderella and the Prince, and "There's Music in You" (written for Main Street to Broadway), for the Fairy Godmother.Fink, Bert. "Background on Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Cinderella'", rnh.com, accessed November 13, 2013 The 2013 Broadway production was performed in two acts and included the songs "Me, Who Am I?" (cut from Me & Juliet), "Loneliness of Evening" and "Now Is the Time" (cut from South Pacific), "The Pursuit", and "There's Music in You" (written for the film Main Street to Broadway).Hathaway, Brad. "Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, CD release", DCTheatreScene.com, May 28, 2013, accessed February 14, 2015

Television productions

1957 original production