The Slipper and the Rose (sub-titled The Story of Cinderella) is a musical theatre retelling of the classic fairy tale

Fairy tale

A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...

 of Cinderella

Cinderella

"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...

. Originally made as a motion picture

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...

, the stage musical version was created in 1984. It runs for approximately two and a half hours over two acts and an intermission.

Plot

Based on the original Cinderella fairy-tale, the story revolves around a central theme of love

Love

Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...

 between Prince Edward of Euphrania and Cinderella. There are also elements of wish fulfillment

Wish fulfillment

Wish fulfillment in psychology is the satisfaction of a desire through such involuntary thought processes such as dreams, daydreams, an neurotic symptoms. In Freudian psychoanalysis, it is when desires of the unconscious are unacceptable to the ego and superego because of feeling of guilt or...

 notably conveyed through the character of the Fairy Godmother

Fairy godmother

In fairy tales, a fairy godmother is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies...

.

The story begins with Edward's unsuccessful search for a bride and ends with love fulfilled as Prince Edward and Cinderella marry. The plot contains many elements from the well known Cinderella story (a bride-finding ball, fitting the slipper for example), with additional twists (a betrayal).

Characters

• Cinderella
• Prince Edward
• the Stepmother
• the King
• the Queen
• the Dowager Queen

• the Fairy Godmother
• the Lord High Chamberlain
• John, the Prince Edward's valet and friend
• the Duke of Montague, cousin to the Prince
• Isobella, Stepsister
• Palatine, Stepsister

Musical numbers

Act I

• Overture Graveyard/Palace stable yard
• Scene 1 - Interior of Cinderella's House
• Scene 2 - Interior of Palace
• Scene 3 - Graveyard
• Scene 4 - Cinderella's Kitchen
• Scene 5(a) - Field
• Scene 5 - Interior of Palace
• Scene 6 - Hallway of Cinderella's House
• Scene 7(a) - A Bedroom at the Palace (insert)
• Scene 7(b) - Interior of Dress Shop (insert)
• Scene 8 - Cinderella's Kitchen
• Scene 8(b) - Fairy Godmother's Hideaway (insert)

Act II

• Scene 1 - Interior of Palace
• Scene 1(b) - Field
• Scene 2 - Hallway of Cinderella's House
• Scene 3 - Interior of Palace
• Scene 3(a) - Street
• Scene 4 - Interior of palace
• Scene 5 - Field
• Scene 5(a) - A Bedroom at the Palace (insert)
• Scene 6 - Interior of Palace
• Scene 7 - Faraway
• Scene 8 - The Cathedral

Songs

• "Why Can't I Be Two People?"
• "What Has Love Got to Do With Getting Married?"
• "Once I Was Loved"
• "What a Comforting Thing to Know"
• "Protocoligorically Correct"
• "Bride-Finding Ball"
• "Suddenly It Happens"
• "The Slipper and the Rose Waltz Theme" (an instrumental version of "He Danced With Me")

• "Secret Kingdom"
• "He Danced With Me/She Danced With Me"
• "Position and Positioning"
• "Tell Him Anything (But Not That I Love Him)"
• "I Can't Forget the Melody"
• "Secret Kingdom (Reprise)"

United Kingdom

This musical production has been run many times on the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 stage. Notably in 2001 by the Bilston Operatic Company, Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...

, in May 2008 at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, and more recently in April 2011 at the York

York

York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

 Theatre Royal.

United States

It made its US premiere in February, 2004 at the Hale Center Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah. A production was also put on in Nov.-Dec. 2008 at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse in Tacoma, Washington.

Canada

The Slipper and the Rose had its Canadian premiere on Saturday May 28, 2011 at the Beaubois Theatre in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

.

See also

• The Slipper and the Rose
  The Slipper and the Rose
  The Slipper and the Rose is a 1976 British musical film retelling the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. This film was chosen as the Royal Command Performance motion picture selection for 1976....
  
  
• National Operatic and Dramatic Association
  National Operatic and Dramatic Association
  NODA has a membership of 2500 amateur theatre groups and 3000 individual enthusiasts throughout the UK, staging musicals, operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of performing venues, ranging from the country’s leading professional theatres to tiny village halls.Founded in 1899,...
  
  

External links

• Information from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA)
• Bilston Operatic Company
• York Theatre Royal
• Les Productions Coracole (Montreal, Canada) website showcasing their recent presentation of The Slipper and the Rose.
• The Slipper and the Rose fan site
• Reference at guidetomusicaltheatre.com