StoryBook Theater's musical Cinderella opened at Kirkland Performance Center yesterday (in May, it moves to Everett, Seattle and Renton).
It's perfect stuff for under-9s: fast-moving; very, very silly; some audience participation action; and a
coupla messages about decent behavior (in this case, not judging people by how they look) tucked into the script. At 50 minutes, it was just about the right length for the legions of preschoolers that packed the theater.
Instead of glass slippers, this tomboy Cinderella wears GRASS slippers, and dang -- grass slippers. Why not? She also loves architecture and slyly teases her dim, constantly bickering stepsisters. She questions whether it's worthwhile to be good, and puts the Prince in his place.
My 7-year-old daughter (a frequent theatergoer and self-appointed spokeskid for her generation) called it "funny" and observed, with great seriousness, that
"Everyone should see Cinderella at least once in their lives."
Here's your chance, kids!