Cinderella (1997 film)
Encyclopedia
Cinderella is a 1997 American musical telefilm
produced by Walt Disney Television
. The film stars Brandy
, Whitney Houston
, Paolo Montalban
, Bernadette Peters
, Whoopi Goldberg
, Victor Garber
and Jason Alexander
. It is a re-make of the Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella television movie musical, and the only one of the three versions to be shot as a film. It was adapted by Robert L. Freedman
and directed by Robert Iscove
, with choreography by Rob Marshall
, and was produced by Whitney Houston
and Debra Martin Chase
for Walt Disney Productions. It was part of a revival of The Wonderful World of Disney
series, on Disney-owned ABC
, and aired on November 2, 1997.
) explains that nothing is impossible in this magical, mystical realm. In the village, Cinderella (Brandy
) struggles under the weight of the numerous gaudy purchases of her imperious Stepmother (Bernadette Peters
) and her spiteful and envious Stepsisters Minerva (Natalie Desselle-Reid
) and Calliope (Veanne Cox
). Cinderella's imagination wanders ("The Sweetest Sounds"). Disguised as a peasant, the Prince (Paolo Montalban
) strolls through the marketplace. Cinderella is nearly crushed by the royal carriage, searching for missing royalty, but she is saved by the Prince's heroic intervention and is immediately charmed by his sincere, direct nature, just as he is drawn to her naive honesty and purity. Her Stepmother scolds Cinderella, and the Prince reluctantly returns to the palace.
Upbraided by his frantic loyal valet Lionel (Jason Alexander
) for his clandestine venture into the village, the Prince tries to explain his sense of isolation and sadness. His parents Queen Constantina (Whoopi Goldberg
) and King Maximilian (Victor Garber
) are making preparations for a ball where he is to select a suitable bride from all the eligible maidens in the kingdom. The Prince wishes to fall in love the old-fashioned way, but his parents dismiss this, and Lionel is dispatched to proclaim that "The Prince is Giving a Ball." Meanwhile, the Stepmother, determined to see one of her graceless, obnoxious and self-indulgent daughters chosen as the Prince's bride at the ball, plans their big night. Cinderella wonders if she, too, might go to the Prince's ball. Finding the idea humorous, Stepmother reminds Cinderella of her lowly station and warns against dreams of joy, success and splendor. Disappointed, Cinderella dreams of a world away from her cold and loveless life ("In My Own Little Corner").
Using his diplomatic skills, Lionel offers a compromise between the Prince and his parents: if a fitting bride is not selected at the ball, then the Prince may seek his true love in his own way. At the same time, thinking about her own lost opportunities, Stepmother drills itchy Minerva and snorting Calliope on royal etiquette and tricks to impress the Prince, vowing that one of them will snare him. As Cinderella questions the meaning of love and romance, Stepmother reminds the girls that going to the ball has nothing to do with finding love, but everything to do with getting a husband by any means necessary ("Falling in Love With Love"). Stepmother, Minerva and Calliope depart for the palace in their garish gowns.
Responding to Cinderella's tears, the beautiful Fairy Godmother appears and encourages Cinderella to start living her dreams ("Impossible"). She transforms a pumpkin into a gilded carriage, rats into footmen, mice into regal horses and adorns Cinderella in a gorgeous gown, a bejeweled tiara
and glass slippers. The Fairy Godmother cautions Cinderella that magic spells have time limits, and so Cinderella must leave the palace before the stroke of midnight. Cinderella finally begins to believe "It's Possible". At the ball, Lionel dutifully delivers eligible maidens to the Prince on the dance floor, and Stepmother fiendishly schemes behind the scenes on behalf of her daughters. The Prince is unimpressed by Minerva, who breaks out in an itchy rash, and Calliope, who snorts uncontrollably at everything the Prince says.
Cinderella appears at the top of the staircase, and the Prince has eyes only for her. Soon they are waltzing together ("Ten Minutes Ago"), as the "Stepsisters Lament" over their bad luck. The King and Queen are intrigued by this mysterious princess. Embarrassed by questions about her background, Cinderella escapes to the garden in tears, where Fairy Godmother magically appears for moral support. Reunited again, Cinderella and the Prince wonder, "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" Just as they share their first kiss, the tower clock begins to strike midnight. Cinderella flees, leaving behind a single clue on the steps to the palace, a sparkling glass slipper.
Stepmother and the Stepsisters return home telling exaggerated stories about their glorious adventures with the Prince. They speak in envious tones of a mysterious "Princess Something-or-other" who, they concede, also captured the Prince's attention. Cinderella "imagines" that her evening at the ball was "A Lovely Night." Stepmother coldly reminds Cinderella that she is common and should stop dreaming about a life she will never have. In the face of such cruelty, Cinderella decides to leave and goes to her room to pack her meager belongings. Her Fairy Godmother advises her to share her feelings with the Prince.
Meanwhile, Lionel and the heartbroken Prince seek the maiden who lost the glass slipper, but none of the endless supply of eligible female feet in the kingdom measure up. The Prince and Lionel finally arrive at the Stepmother's cottage. The daughters and even Stepmother try to fit their feet into the delicate slipper, but to no avail. As the dispirited Prince prepares to leave, Cinderella looks into the eyes of her Prince standing beside her. He recognizes her and, knowing that he has finally found his true love, places the slipper on her foot: it fits.
Cinderella and the Prince marry under the approving eye of King Maximilian and Queen Constantina. Fairy Godmother blesses the couple with the message that "There's Music in You" as they are cheered by their joyful royal subjects. The gates of the palace slam shut on the Stepmother and Stepsisters, left outside as the Prince and his new Princess start their lives of "happily ever after".
, Citadel
, Craig Zadan
and Neil Meron
(Storyline Entertainment) and Whitney Houston's production company BrownHouse, labeled as "Walt Disney and Whitney Houston present".
This was the third version of the TV movie; the original was broadcast in 1957 and there was another version in 1965. According to news reports, "Disney spent roughly $12 million to produce Cinderella -- more than three times the usual budget on a made-for-TV movie." The cast is "multi-cultural...Every family is a racially blended family." For example, "Cinderella (Brandy, who is African-American), has a white stepmother,...a white stepsister,...and a [sic] African-American stepsister."
Several songs were added to this version. "The Sweetest Sounds
" from Rodgers' No Strings
, was added, sung by Cinderella and the Prince. "There's Music in You," written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for the 1953 film Main Street to Broadway
, was sung as the finale by the Fairy Godmother.
The New York Times explains: "To show the stepmother as not just an evil harridan but the product of bitter experience, the team proposed "Falling in Love With Love," which Rodgers wrote with his first partner, Lorenz Hart, for The Boys From Syracuse...'We were pretty much against it until they cast it, and then we knew that Bernadette would be able to put a different kind of spin on it,' said the composer's daughter, Mary Rodgers. In the new show, Ms. Peters sings the song to her daughters, warning them not to confuse the emotional notion of love with the commercial concept of marriage."
signed on to the film, she was listed as producer and in the role of Cinderella. However, she later asked Brandy to audition for the role of Cinderella, saying "I'm already 33 years old, and I want you to play Cinderella [...] someone who probably had a lot more energy and who was Cinderella to me...". Brandy only agreed to do the part if Houston played her fairy godmother, because she was her "idol".
The television musical was a hit with audiences, but received mixed reviews from critics. Theatre historian John Kenrick
called it a "hideous desecration" of the musical. Caryn James, writing in the New York Times praised the performers: Montalban has "an old-fashioned luxurious voice"; Jason Alexander "provides comic relief"; Goldberg "winningly blends royal dignity with motherly meddling"; Peters "brings vigor and sly comedy". She commented that the musical "was always a pumpkin that never turned into a glittering coach... the songs are lesser Rodgers and Hammerstein... it doesn't take that final leap into pure magic. Often charming and sometimes ordinary, this is a cobbled-together Cinderella for the moment, not the ages." Also she stated that lead actress Brandy "As Disney's Cinderella for the 90's is amazingly good." She also addressed the multi-racial cast: "There is no cause to wonder why one stepsister is black and one white. The entire kingdom is blissfully multiethnic, with a black queen in Ms. Goldberg, a white king in Victor Garber and the Philippine-born Paolo Montalban as their son. (The fact that this racial utopia exists in a fairy tale only emphasizes its distance from reality.)" Other critics praised the presentation. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution wrote: "Grade: A, a version both timely and timeless." The San Diego Union-Tribune agreed: "this version has much to recommend it." An encore broadcast on Valentine's Night 1998 drew another 15,000,000 viewers. Rochelle O'Gorman from Amazon.com
rather disliked the movie and wrote that starring actress Brandy "can't act" and that Goldberg's performance as "the prince's mother and Jason Alexander as his valet [were] not helping matters". She went on to say: "The production cost millions, and is certainly lavish, but the whole affair feels forced and overdone, reminding one of a prom queen wearing too much makeup." Positive aspects of the movie according to O'Gorman are "a multi-ethnic cast, the addition of two new songs and a hip attitude." Bhob Stewart from the All Movie Guide
referred to this adaption as "rainbow Cinderella".
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
produced by Walt Disney Television
Walt Disney Television
Walt Disney Television was the former name of the television production division of The Walt Disney Company.-History:It was formed in 1983, as the Walt Disney Pictures Television Division, the name was later shortened to Walt Disney Television in the mid-1980s...
. The film stars Brandy
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, Paolo Montalban
Paolo Montalbán
Paolo Montalban is a Filipino-American actor and singer best known for his performance in ABC/Disney's telepic of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella....
, Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
, Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, Victor Garber
Victor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber is a Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. Garber is known for playing Jesus in Godspell, Jack Bristow in the television series Alias, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, and Thomas Andrews in James Cameron's Titanic.-Early life:Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Garber is...
and Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
. It is a re-make of the Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella television movie musical, and the only one of the three versions to be shot as a film. It was adapted by Robert L. Freedman
Robert L. Freedman
Robert L. Freedman is an American screenwriter, playwright, and lyricist. He is probably best known for his teleplays for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella and the acclaimed 2001 miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, for which he was nominated for Emmy Awards as both writer and...
and directed by Robert Iscove
Robert Iscove
Robert Iscove is a Canadian film and television director, television producer and a choreographer...
, with choreography by Rob Marshall
Rob Marshall
Rob Marshall is an American theater director, film director and choreographer. He is a six-time Tony Award nominee, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe nominee and four-time Emmy winner whose most noted work is the 2002 Academy Award for Best Picture winner Chicago.-Life and career:Marshall was...
, and was produced by Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and Debra Martin Chase
Debra Martin Chase
Debra Martin Chase is a Hollywood producer and former lawyer who was named by Savoy magazine in August 2003 as one of the 100 most influential African Americans in the United States and by Black Enterprise magazine in 2007 as one of the Top 50 Powerbrokers in Hollywood. Chase is the first African...
for Walt Disney Productions. It was part of a revival of The Wonderful World of Disney
Disney anthology television series
The Walt Disney anthology television series refers to a television series which has been produced by the Walt Disney Company under several different titles from 1955 to 2008...
series, on Disney-owned ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and aired on November 2, 1997.
Plot
Cinderella's Fairy Godmother (Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
) explains that nothing is impossible in this magical, mystical realm. In the village, Cinderella (Brandy
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
) struggles under the weight of the numerous gaudy purchases of her imperious Stepmother (Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
) and her spiteful and envious Stepsisters Minerva (Natalie Desselle-Reid
Natalie Desselle-Reid
Natalie Desselle-Reid is an American actress.Desselle-Reid was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, the daughter of Thelma and Paul Desselle. She graduated from Peabody Magnet High School and attended Grambling State University...
) and Calliope (Veanne Cox
Veanne Cox
Veanne Cox is an American stage and screen actress and former ballet dancer.Cox was born in Norfolk, Virginia. She studied ballet at the Washington School of Ballet, acting at the Studio Theatre's Conservatory in Washington, D.C., and voice at Catholic University.Her Broadway debut was in the...
). Cinderella's imagination wanders ("The Sweetest Sounds"). Disguised as a peasant, the Prince (Paolo Montalban
Paolo Montalbán
Paolo Montalban is a Filipino-American actor and singer best known for his performance in ABC/Disney's telepic of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella....
) strolls through the marketplace. Cinderella is nearly crushed by the royal carriage, searching for missing royalty, but she is saved by the Prince's heroic intervention and is immediately charmed by his sincere, direct nature, just as he is drawn to her naive honesty and purity. Her Stepmother scolds Cinderella, and the Prince reluctantly returns to the palace.
Upbraided by his frantic loyal valet Lionel (Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
) for his clandestine venture into the village, the Prince tries to explain his sense of isolation and sadness. His parents Queen Constantina (Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
) and King Maximilian (Victor Garber
Victor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber is a Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. Garber is known for playing Jesus in Godspell, Jack Bristow in the television series Alias, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, and Thomas Andrews in James Cameron's Titanic.-Early life:Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Garber is...
) are making preparations for a ball where he is to select a suitable bride from all the eligible maidens in the kingdom. The Prince wishes to fall in love the old-fashioned way, but his parents dismiss this, and Lionel is dispatched to proclaim that "The Prince is Giving a Ball." Meanwhile, the Stepmother, determined to see one of her graceless, obnoxious and self-indulgent daughters chosen as the Prince's bride at the ball, plans their big night. Cinderella wonders if she, too, might go to the Prince's ball. Finding the idea humorous, Stepmother reminds Cinderella of her lowly station and warns against dreams of joy, success and splendor. Disappointed, Cinderella dreams of a world away from her cold and loveless life ("In My Own Little Corner").
Using his diplomatic skills, Lionel offers a compromise between the Prince and his parents: if a fitting bride is not selected at the ball, then the Prince may seek his true love in his own way. At the same time, thinking about her own lost opportunities, Stepmother drills itchy Minerva and snorting Calliope on royal etiquette and tricks to impress the Prince, vowing that one of them will snare him. As Cinderella questions the meaning of love and romance, Stepmother reminds the girls that going to the ball has nothing to do with finding love, but everything to do with getting a husband by any means necessary ("Falling in Love With Love"). Stepmother, Minerva and Calliope depart for the palace in their garish gowns.
Responding to Cinderella's tears, the beautiful Fairy Godmother appears and encourages Cinderella to start living her dreams ("Impossible"). She transforms a pumpkin into a gilded carriage, rats into footmen, mice into regal horses and adorns Cinderella in a gorgeous gown, a bejeweled tiara
Tiara
A tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to.Traditionally, the word "tiara" refers to a high crown, often with the shape of a cylinder narrowed at its top, made of fabric or leather, and richly ornamented. It was used by the kings and emperors of...
and glass slippers. The Fairy Godmother cautions Cinderella that magic spells have time limits, and so Cinderella must leave the palace before the stroke of midnight. Cinderella finally begins to believe "It's Possible". At the ball, Lionel dutifully delivers eligible maidens to the Prince on the dance floor, and Stepmother fiendishly schemes behind the scenes on behalf of her daughters. The Prince is unimpressed by Minerva, who breaks out in an itchy rash, and Calliope, who snorts uncontrollably at everything the Prince says.
Cinderella appears at the top of the staircase, and the Prince has eyes only for her. Soon they are waltzing together ("Ten Minutes Ago"), as the "Stepsisters Lament" over their bad luck. The King and Queen are intrigued by this mysterious princess. Embarrassed by questions about her background, Cinderella escapes to the garden in tears, where Fairy Godmother magically appears for moral support. Reunited again, Cinderella and the Prince wonder, "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" Just as they share their first kiss, the tower clock begins to strike midnight. Cinderella flees, leaving behind a single clue on the steps to the palace, a sparkling glass slipper.
Stepmother and the Stepsisters return home telling exaggerated stories about their glorious adventures with the Prince. They speak in envious tones of a mysterious "Princess Something-or-other" who, they concede, also captured the Prince's attention. Cinderella "imagines" that her evening at the ball was "A Lovely Night." Stepmother coldly reminds Cinderella that she is common and should stop dreaming about a life she will never have. In the face of such cruelty, Cinderella decides to leave and goes to her room to pack her meager belongings. Her Fairy Godmother advises her to share her feelings with the Prince.
Meanwhile, Lionel and the heartbroken Prince seek the maiden who lost the glass slipper, but none of the endless supply of eligible female feet in the kingdom measure up. The Prince and Lionel finally arrive at the Stepmother's cottage. The daughters and even Stepmother try to fit their feet into the delicate slipper, but to no avail. As the dispirited Prince prepares to leave, Cinderella looks into the eyes of her Prince standing beside her. He recognizes her and, knowing that he has finally found his true love, places the slipper on her foot: it fits.
Cinderella and the Prince marry under the approving eye of King Maximilian and Queen Constantina. Fairy Godmother blesses the couple with the message that "There's Music in You" as they are cheered by their joyful royal subjects. The gates of the palace slam shut on the Stepmother and Stepsisters, left outside as the Prince and his new Princess start their lives of "happily ever after".
Cast
- BrandyBrandy NorwoodBrandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
– Cinderella - Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
– Fairy Godmother - Paolo MontalbanPaolo MontalbánPaolo Montalban is a Filipino-American actor and singer best known for his performance in ABC/Disney's telepic of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella....
– Prince Christopher - Bernadette PetersBernadette PetersBernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
– Cinderella's stepmother - Natalie Desselle-ReidNatalie Desselle-ReidNatalie Desselle-Reid is an American actress.Desselle-Reid was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, the daughter of Thelma and Paul Desselle. She graduated from Peabody Magnet High School and attended Grambling State University...
– Minerva, Cinderella's stepsister - Veanne CoxVeanne CoxVeanne Cox is an American stage and screen actress and former ballet dancer.Cox was born in Norfolk, Virginia. She studied ballet at the Washington School of Ballet, acting at the Studio Theatre's Conservatory in Washington, D.C., and voice at Catholic University.Her Broadway debut was in the...
– Calliope, Cinderella's stepsister - Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
– Queen Constantina, the Prince's mother - Victor GarberVictor GarberVictor Joseph Garber is a Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. Garber is known for playing Jesus in Godspell, Jack Bristow in the television series Alias, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, and Thomas Andrews in James Cameron's Titanic.-Early life:Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Garber is...
– King Maximillian, the Prince's father - Jason AlexanderJason AlexanderJay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
– Lionel, the Prince's butlerButlerA butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
and valetValetValet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
Production
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was a co-production of Walt Disney TelevisionWalt Disney Television
Walt Disney Television was the former name of the television production division of The Walt Disney Company.-History:It was formed in 1983, as the Walt Disney Pictures Television Division, the name was later shortened to Walt Disney Television in the mid-1980s...
, Citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
, Craig Zadan
Craig Zadan
Craig Zadan is an American executive producer, director, and writer. Zadan is openly gay and is one half of the successful production team Storyline Entertainment with partner Neil Meron since their meeting many years ago in the New York theatrical community.-Early life:Zadan was born in Miami,...
and Neil Meron
Neil Meron
Neil Meron is an American film producer known for producing the 2002 film Chicago and the 2007 film Hairspray. With partner Craig Zadan he runs the production company "Storyline Entertainment".-Life and career:...
(Storyline Entertainment) and Whitney Houston's production company BrownHouse, labeled as "Walt Disney and Whitney Houston present".
This was the third version of the TV movie; the original was broadcast in 1957 and there was another version in 1965. According to news reports, "Disney spent roughly $12 million to produce Cinderella -- more than three times the usual budget on a made-for-TV movie." The cast is "multi-cultural...Every family is a racially blended family." For example, "Cinderella (Brandy, who is African-American), has a white stepmother,...a white stepsister,...and a [sic] African-American stepsister."
Several songs were added to this version. "The Sweetest Sounds
The Sweetest Sounds (song)
"The Sweetest Sounds" is a popular song, written by Richard Rodgers for the musical No Strings, in 1962....
" from Rodgers' No Strings
No Strings
No Strings is a musical drama with a book by Samuel A. Taylor and words and music by Richard Rodgers, his only Broadway score written without a collaborator. The musical opened on Broadway in 1962 and ran for 580 performances...
, was added, sung by Cinderella and the Prince. "There's Music in You," written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for the 1953 film Main Street to Broadway
Main Street to Broadway
Main Street to Broadway is a 1953 MGM musical comedy starring Tom Morton and Mary Murphy about an aspiring playwright who hopes to stage a Broadway production starring Tallulah Bankhead...
, was sung as the finale by the Fairy Godmother.
The New York Times explains: "To show the stepmother as not just an evil harridan but the product of bitter experience, the team proposed "Falling in Love With Love," which Rodgers wrote with his first partner, Lorenz Hart, for The Boys From Syracuse...'We were pretty much against it until they cast it, and then we knew that Bernadette would be able to put a different kind of spin on it,' said the composer's daughter, Mary Rodgers. In the new show, Ms. Peters sings the song to her daughters, warning them not to confuse the emotional notion of love with the commercial concept of marriage."
Casting
When Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
signed on to the film, she was listed as producer and in the role of Cinderella. However, she later asked Brandy to audition for the role of Cinderella, saying "I'm already 33 years old, and I want you to play Cinderella [...] someone who probably had a lot more energy and who was Cinderella to me...". Brandy only agreed to do the part if Houston played her fairy godmother, because she was her "idol".
Reception
The television film was the #1 show of the week, with over 60 million viewers. It became the highest-rated TV musical "in years".The television musical was a hit with audiences, but received mixed reviews from critics. Theatre historian John Kenrick
John Kenrick (theatre writer)
John Kenrick is an American author, teacher and theatre and film historian. Kenrick is an adjunct teacher of musical theatre history at New York University, Brind School – University of the Arts and The New School, and lectures frequently on the subject elsewhere...
called it a "hideous desecration" of the musical. Caryn James, writing in the New York Times praised the performers: Montalban has "an old-fashioned luxurious voice"; Jason Alexander "provides comic relief"; Goldberg "winningly blends royal dignity with motherly meddling"; Peters "brings vigor and sly comedy". She commented that the musical "was always a pumpkin that never turned into a glittering coach... the songs are lesser Rodgers and Hammerstein... it doesn't take that final leap into pure magic. Often charming and sometimes ordinary, this is a cobbled-together Cinderella for the moment, not the ages." Also she stated that lead actress Brandy "As Disney's Cinderella for the 90's is amazingly good." She also addressed the multi-racial cast: "There is no cause to wonder why one stepsister is black and one white. The entire kingdom is blissfully multiethnic, with a black queen in Ms. Goldberg, a white king in Victor Garber and the Philippine-born Paolo Montalban as their son. (The fact that this racial utopia exists in a fairy tale only emphasizes its distance from reality.)" Other critics praised the presentation. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution wrote: "Grade: A, a version both timely and timeless." The San Diego Union-Tribune agreed: "this version has much to recommend it." An encore broadcast on Valentine's Night 1998 drew another 15,000,000 viewers. Rochelle O'Gorman from Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
rather disliked the movie and wrote that starring actress Brandy "can't act" and that Goldberg's performance as "the prince's mother and Jason Alexander as his valet [were] not helping matters". She went on to say: "The production cost millions, and is certainly lavish, but the whole affair feels forced and overdone, reminding one of a prom queen wearing too much makeup." Positive aspects of the movie according to O'Gorman are "a multi-ethnic cast, the addition of two new songs and a hip attitude." Bhob Stewart from the All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
Allrovi is a commercial database launched by the Rovi Corporation in 2011. It compiles information about music and movies from the former services Allmovie and Allmusic.-Content:...
referred to this adaption as "rainbow Cinderella".
Musical Numbers
- "Prologue" - Whitney Houston
- "Overture" - Orchestra
- "The Sweetest Sounds" - BrandyBrandy NorwoodBrandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
& Paolo MontalbánPaolo MontalbánPaolo Montalban is a Filipino-American actor and singer best known for his performance in ABC/Disney's telepic of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella.... - "The Prince is Giving a Ball"/"Your Majesties" - Jason AlexanderJason AlexanderJay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
, Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, Bernadette PetersBernadette PetersBernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
, Veanne CoxVeanne CoxVeanne Cox is an American stage and screen actress and former ballet dancer.Cox was born in Norfolk, Virginia. She studied ballet at the Washington School of Ballet, acting at the Studio Theatre's Conservatory in Washington, D.C., and voice at Catholic University.Her Broadway debut was in the...
, Natalie Desselle-ReidNatalie Desselle-ReidNatalie Desselle-Reid is an American actress.Desselle-Reid was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, the daughter of Thelma and Paul Desselle. She graduated from Peabody Magnet High School and attended Grambling State University... - "In My Own Little Corner" - Brandy
- "Falling in Love with Love" - Bernadette Peters, Veanne Cox & Natalie Desselle-Reid
- "In My Own Little Corner" (reprise) - Brandy
- "Impossible" - Brandy & Whitney Houston
- "It's Possible" - Brandy & Whitney Houston
- "Ten Minutes Ago" - Brandy & Paolo Montalbán
- "Stepsisters' Lament" - Veanne Cox & Natalie Desselle-Reid
- "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" - Paolo Montalbán & Brandy
- "A Lovely Night" - Brandy, Veanne Cox, Natalie Desselle-Reid & Bernadette Peters
- "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (reprise) - Whoopi Goldberg & Paolo Montalbán
- "Finale Ultimo" - Whitney Houston
- "There's Music in You" - Whitney Houston
Awards
- Art Directors GuildArt Directors GuildThe Art Directors Guild is an American labor union and branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees representing almost 2,000 motion picture and television professionals....
– Excellence in Production Design Award, Variety or Awards Show, Music Special or Documentary (Winner)
- Emmy Awards
- Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program (Winner)
- Outstanding Choreography (nomination)
- Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program (nomination)
- Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program (nomination)
- Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (nomination)
- Outstanding Music Direction (nomination)
- Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special (nomination)
- Image Awards
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series – Whoopi Goldberg (nomination)
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series – Brandy (nomination)
- Outstanding Television Movie or Mini-Series (nomination)
- Satellite AwardsSatellite AwardsThe Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television – Jason Alexander (nomination)
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television – Bernadette Peters (nomination)
- Writers Guild of America AwardWriters Guild of America AwardThe Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
– Children's Script (nomination)