The musical production of Cinderella by the Williams Lake Studio Theatre Society provides a little bit of magic just perfect for the holiday season.
Director Sandi Alaric said she chose the play after watching a YouTube video.
“It’s such a beautiful, light-hearted play,” said Alaric, who wanted to bring some of the beauty of it to the stage in Williams Lake.
With great sets, some spectacular costumes and more music than you can imagine, the show will be a seasonal highlight for sure and Alaric has succeeded in bringing something everyone can enjoy.
From behind a gossamer curtain a live band sets the mood to transport you into a fairytale world.
The sets were created by Jeff Rankin, who Alaric said did the bulk of the work himself.
“He’s brilliant,” she said.
Tanis Armstrong did the costumes, pulling it all together for a cast of 25.
And while you might wonder why you would want to watch a story where you already know how it ends, this production is sure to still provide some fun and perhaps even a few surprises.
Little things you may not have imagined perhaps, like who knew so many people in Williams Lake even wanted to sing, let alone were capable of it?
Alaric said auditioning for singing is the hardest thing, but all of the leads had experience singing and she noted how incredible a job the band leader Michael Bruce and his musicians did.
“I prefer working with a live band,” said Alaric, who said the ability of a live band to adapt to what is happening on stage can make for a better performance, in her opinion.
And you may know how it ends, but every great story is more about the journey than the destination.
The wicked stepsisters were brilliantly beastly, the stepmother was hilariously horrible and the fairy godmother was delightful and darling.
As well, in the age of the Barbie movie, Alaric adapted Cinderella a bit, and made the young heroine a slightly more self-sufficient version of the classic character, though she still gets plenty of help.
Not everyone believes in fairy tales, but this is a Cinderella even a cynic could fall for.
“Come out and enjoy, have some Christmas fun,” said Alaric.
The curtain goes up this week on Nov. 29, and the show will run Wednesdays through Saturdays, Nov. 29 until Dec. 16. These will be evening shows with doors at 7 p.m., curtain at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinee shows on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 will have doors at 1:30 p.m. and curtain at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors, students and children for evening shows. They are $20 for all seats at the matinees. Performances will be at the Williams Lake Studio Theatre Society at 4100 Mackenzie Ave. N and tickets are available online via wlstudiotheatre.ca or at The Open Book.
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