By Ruth Ross
The world premiere of a play is exciting. The world premiere of a musical play has added fizz. And The world premiere of a musical play at the Paper Mill Playhouse is a special treat for local audiences and fans of the genre—witness the amiable new musical, Ever After, now closing out the 2014-2015 season at the venerable playhouse in Millburn.
Not having seen the 1998 film starring Drew Barrymore, I was unfamiliar with the story about a spunky young heiress who, after her doting father's untimely death, is consigned to the manor scullery by her wicked stepmother and mistreated by her two nasty stepsister and is redeemed when she meets the prince and lives...you get the idea. Sound familiar? It should: It's "Cinderella." But in this updated version by Marcy Heisler (book and lyrics) and Zina Goldrich (music), the heroine Danielle is a young woman with modern values, a belief in her self-worth and an ability to affect the affairs of her kingdom through her influence on the rather clueless prince she eventually weds. It is a fairy tale play for children, families and those of us who are still kids at heart.
Starring some heavy-hitting Broadway talent, Ever After is directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, whose vast experience with the drama is evident in all aspect of the show. Scenes change effortlessly and quickly, the energy onstage never flags and the two hours are over in the wink of an eye. Derek McLane's lavish set recreates a small French backwater (and later the court at Avignon) of the Renaissance era appropriate to the fairy-tale atmosphere; Olivia Sebesky and McLane use projections on the stage's back wall to transport us to a forest, farm fields and a monastic library, to name just a few.
As Danielle de Barbarac (aka Cinderella), Margo Seibert (right, with Christine Ebersole) more than holds her own in her Paper Mill debut. She's adorable, feisty, sings with a lovely voice and dances well. She's a winning heroine for this old chestnut retold, especially as revealed in two comic numbers, "Who Needs Love?" and "My Cousin's Cousin," in which she tries to avoid revealing her identity to the prince after crashing court to defend a maligned and mistreated servant. She is a worthy offspring of her late father, who encourages her to see everyone on the manor (even his servants) as human beings. In contrast, James Snyder (top image with Seibert) plays her intended, Prince Henry, as a rather clueless narcissist, unsure of what it means to govern a country other than by being an autocrat like his father, but intrigued by this stranger who suddenly appears at court. Influenced by Danielle's rather revolutionary views about education, reading and human relations, Snyder's Henry gives us hope that the Renaissance will really arrive in France during his reign.
The magnificent Christine Ebersole (center) thoroughly inhabits the role of Rodmilla, Baroness de Ghent, Danielle's evil stepmom who, unhappy at being left a widow in this rural French town, takes out her ire on her stepdaughter while giving in to every whim of her spiteful daughters Marguerite (Mara Davi, right) and Jacqueline (Annie Funke, left). The former has a grand time spitting venom; the latter is more sympathetic, especially because Rodmilla never misses a chance to demean this rather chubby, dim young woman. The ever-professional Ebersole sings beautifully as she "swans" around the stage, stopping to bare her nails and teeth from time to time. However, she does gives us a glimpse of the source of her malevolence: Unloved as a child, she is incapable of giving love to even this motherless child of eight years.
Instead of a fairy godmother, this version introduces the great artist/inventor Leonardo da Vinci, who really did sojourn at the French court for a while. The character doesn't have much to do, except reveal to Danielle that she can unlock any locks that bind her—all by herself. Tony Sheldon (right)is an affable, warm Leonardo, and some of sleight-of-hand he performs is clever. Charles Shaughnessy (left) is an imperious King Francis and a distant father to Henry, so it falls to his softer wife Queen Marie to give the boy love and acceptance. Julie Halston is the quintessential mother, sticking up for her son no matter what, and doing it with great affection too. John Hillner as neighbor Pierre Mallette is a villain nasty enough to match Rodmilla; he does well with a small part, as does Fred Inkley as August de Barbarac, Danielle's father. His opening scene with her sets the tone for the entire show and shows us very well the emotional lineage of this unusual girl.
With such a large cast, it is difficult to single out individual actors. But the choruses of courtiers (left) and gypsies provide moments of fun (especially the latter who become enraptured when they think Danielle is their queen) in spirited dance and movement.
Costumes designed by Jess Goldstein with hair/wigs by Leah J. Loukas and makeup by Brian Strumwasser are fitting for the tone, time and place of Ever After. Peter Kaczorowski's lighting and Nevin Steinberg's sound really enhance the production.
This musical version of Ever After sports lilting melodies, a wide range of tempos and styles, and clever lyrics. Even the depiction of a more feminist Cinderella never gets cloyingly "cute"; it is perfect for the young girls and boys who will come to see this production.
Ever After may not have the sly humor of the musicals today, but its simplicity and optimism are just the ticket for families and children of all ages. My compliments to the Paper Mill Playhouse for going out on a limb to produce an original musical; in this tough economic climate, it was a daring undertaking. And I'm glad they did it. Now, I’ve got to purchase tickets to take my granddaughters...
Ever After will be performed at the Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, through June 21. There will be audio-described performances Sunday, June 14, and Saturday, June 20, at 1:30 PM. Prior to these performances at noon, the theater will offer free sensory seminars for patrons with vision loss to hear an in-depth description of the production elements of the show and hands-on interaction with key sets, props and costumes. There will be a sign-interpreted and open-captioned performance on Sunday, June 21, at 7 PM. For information and tickets, call the box office at 973.376.4343 or visit www.papermill.org online.
Photos by Jerry Dalia.
