#grimms notes

5. Cinderella’s Castle.

This version only just came out last yar, and I already feel no hesitation or doubt in placing it among my personal top five here. This musical adaptation of Cinderella is the work of StarKid Productions (formerly known as “Team StarKid”), a theatre company probably most well-known for creating various parody musicals of popular works, such as the Harry Potter films and Disney’s Aladdin. The musical is a dark comedy reimagining of the classic story, which aesthetically pays homage to the cinematic work of the Jim Henson Creature Shop in the 1980s, with films like “Labyrinth” and “The Dark Crystal.” Once again, it starts off basically as the story we know, but at some point veers off in another direction: in this take, Cinderella’s stepfamily are revealed to not even be human beings, but man-eating trolls in disguise, who plan to - what else? - take over the world. The story quickly changes from a tale of romance to one of righteous revenge, as Cinderella seeks to stop her stepfamily’s evil schemes, save the kingdom, and - most importantly - avenge the death of her father, as well as the constant cruelties the trolls heap upon her. The musical is similar in tone to some of the more original works StarKid has done, mingling dark fantasy and horror elements with a sort of raunchy, vulgar sense of adult humor. It’s an acquired taste, not for everybody…but personally, this has become my favorite of their creations so far, and is easily one of my favorite takes on the timeless tale.

4. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

If you want a much, MUCH more traditional stage musical take on Cinderella than our previous pick, look no further than Rodgers & Hammerstein’s popular take on the tale. Unlike most of the famous theatre duo’s work, this show was made not for the stage, initially, but for television: it was first performed live on TV in 1957, with Julie Andrews (a few years before she played Mary Poppins, and hot off the success of her work in My Fair Lady) in the role of Cinderella. Since then, the show has not only been performed numerous times onstage by various people, ranging from big Broadway theatres to small children’s companies, but has also been brought back to television no less than twice: first in 1965, with Lesley Ann Warren in the title role, and future Ursula from the Little Mermaid, Pat Carroll, as one of the Ugly Stepsisters. Then, in 1997, a TV movie version was made starring pop star Brandy, of all people, in the role of Cinderella; this one featured Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother, Bernadette Peters as the Stepmother, and Jason Alexander - of all people - as the Prince’s servant, Lionel. All three TV versions are honestly REALLY good, and the show is still mainstay onstage in many places across America. While it’s never gotten the extreme accolades and praised as a perfect masterpiece like some other Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals (such as Sound of Music or The King and I), it’s still an excellent retelling of the story with a lot of heart and humor.

3. Into the Woods.

Our third stage musical rendition in a row…can you tell I’m a theatre geek? Ha Ha. ANYWAY, “Into the Woods” is one of my all time favorite musicals, and while Cinderella is only part of the overarching story here, the way she and her tale are integrated into the larger narrative is really interesting. “Into the Woods” is a fairy-tale mash-up, in which four famous stories (Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and - of course - Cinderella) are interwoven together by an original subplot involving a Baker and His Wife. The first act of the show pretty much just tells the stories as they are, and has a sort of darkly comedic tone to it. The second act, however, is where things REALLY get interesting: more emphasis is placed on the “dark” than the “comedic” (although the humor never truly goes away, I should add) as we find out Happily Ever After ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, and the characters have to face the consequences of their actions and inactions from the first half of the show. Cinderella is no exception; her story is one of trying to figure out where she really belongs in the world, as she goes from one nightmare with her abusive family to a completely different set of problems after she marries her Prince. She, like all the others, learns a number of valuable lessons, perhaps the biggest among them being that old maxim, “be careful what you wish for: you just might get it.” The original Broadway version of the musical had Cinderella played by Kim Crosby. In the 2014 film adaptation (which I personally like, but seems to be divisive among people), she was played by Anna Kendrick (pictured here). Other notable actresses to tackle the part have been Phillipa Soo, Sierra Boggess, Helen Dallimore, and Laura Benanti, just to name a few. The show has been performed and revived multiple times in theatres worldwide, and is also very popular - both in its full form and in the first-act-only “Junior” edition - with many regional and community theatres. While sometimes considered one of Stephen Sondheim’s weaker works, it remains one of my Top 10 favorite musicals, and Cinderella is one of my favorite characters in it.

2. Disney’s Cinderella (1950).

While many people today often seem to poke fun at the perceived “weaknesses” of this Disney classic…let’s face it, this is, without a doubt, the DEFINITIVE depiction of the Cinderella story. When most people think of the story, the title, and the characters involved, this is the one they think of first, and many adaptations that have come since have essentially drawn more from the original Disney version than almost any other. The movie is essentially split into two major plotlines, as Cinderella’s struggles to deal with her stepmother, Lady Tremaine (and her stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella), are paralleled by the slapstick antics between the friendly mice who live in the walls of her family estate, and their attempts to overcome the vicious gluttony of Tremaine’s pet cat, Lucifer. After the events of the royal ball, the two plots essentially come together, as the mice help Cinderella escape Tremaine and, in the process, Lucifer’s own devilish ways do him in. While the film is not perfect, and I can’t say it’s one of my absolute biggest favorite Disney movies, it’s not a bad feature by any means: the animation remains breathtaking, the songs are catchy, and the characters are memorable. I’m especially fond of this film’s version of the Fairy Godmother: her time onscreen is short, but they manage to not only make her an amusing character, but also one filled with a genuine warmth and sense of comfort, which I feel a lot of other takes lack. Cinderella, herself, I think is an underrated member of the Disney Princess lineup; she may not be Moana, but she’s not as passive and blithe as I think a lot of people make her out to be. The film is not perfect, of course, but I still think it’s more than worthy of the recognition it gets, and its given birth to a whole slew of spin-offs and sequels (at least ONE of which was actually good, and you all probably know which), which have expanded the story and its characters further. So…what rendition could possibly top this?

1. Ever After.

Though somewhat forgotten today, this 1998 film was a decent success in its own time - both critically and financially - and seems to be gaining more of a following as the years go on. It is a following well-deserved. I actually didn’t even hear of this movie till about eight years ago, but when I found out about, I KNEW I had to check it out. Since then, it has not only become my favorite take on Cinderella, but also quite possibly one of my favorite fantasy films (if you can even properly call it that, for reasons I’ll get to in a bit) of all time. The film postulates itself as the “True Story” behind Cinderella. It removes a lot of the more fantastical elements from the original fairy-tale and other interpretations (no fairy godmother, no talking mice, etc.), and makes some interesting changes to the plot and characters. Like the later 2016 film, it attempts to toughen up the heroine while still making her vulnerable enough to fit the mold of the story, makes the villains more sympathetic while keeping them a legitimate threat, and also emphasizes the romance between the main character (here named Danielle) and the Prince, as the movie is really about their budding relationship and the many twists and turns it takes. Just about every single one of the main figures from the story featured here have become my favorite takes on those characters: Drew Barrymore as Danielle is quite likely my favorite Cinderella, Angelica Huston as Baroness de Ghent is my favorite Wicked Stepmother, Dougray Scott as Prince Henry is my favorite take on the Prince Charming character…I think the only exception there is the Fairy Godmother, since in this version, the substitute for that role is none other than frickin’ Leonardo da Vinci (played by Patrick Godfrey), and even then, that’s till pretty dang cool! On that note, it even manages to add some action and adventure to the plot, not unlike “Ella Enchanted,” and while it takes itself plenty seriously, it also knows when to have a sense of humor! In short, this is a REALLY darn good movie, and as much as I will always respect other versions such as the Disney takes or the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, this is, without a doubt, my favorite Cinderella story. If you haven’t seen it yourself, check it out soon: whether you’re a fan of fairy-tales or not, you will not regret a second, I can almost guarantee it.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Festival of Family Classics.

This one gets on here because it was actually one of the first versions of Cinderella I ever saw growing up. “Festival of Family Classics” was an animated series by Rankin/Bass, the same people behind “Frosty the Snowman” and other Christmastime classics. The “Cinderella” episode is still a nostalgic favorite of mine. Not much else to say, I just have a soft spot for it.

The Glass Slipper.

A more obscure rendition from 1955. This film was a box office bomb when it came out, and seems to be judged as sort of “meh” by most critics and audiences. Like the Rankin/Bass version, I saw it growing up, and still have a soft spot for it, but I ultimately like the ten on the main list more.

Once Upon a Time.

This famous ABC TV series featured MULTIPLE Cinderella stories, which got a little confusing, to be honest, as the show went on. With that said, as bizarre as this creative choice may have been, the different Cinderellas, Stepmothers, and so on were all, at least, interesting in their own rights, and seeing how the other famous fairy-tale figures sort of connected to this oft-repeated fable was always fun.

Smile! Pretty Cure.

Grimm Notes:

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Mary Skelter: