Cinderella: A Review by Mr. Smith

How wonderful it would be to be transported back to a magical fairytale world where dreams come true no matter how impossible they seem to be. A magical non-violent world that no matter what the conflict, the boy prince and the girl of his dreams are able to put cultural backgrounds and levels of status aside and just simply love each other for who the other is rather than what they are or what labels they represent in life. How magical that would be. We have all wondered what it would be like to have a supernatural fairy godmother who would sweep in at the last minute, set us straight on our attitudes and save the day by paving the way for our success and our future with a simple message that can still ring true today which simply put is: Seize the day, this is your moment to shine so don’t miss it.

Our theater director Rebekah Wittenberger certainly did not miss her moment to shine with this production of Rodger and Hammerstein’s, Cinderella. Together with her husband Merrill and cast, the audience was transported into such a magical land that was believable and inspiring. The students were outstanding in their performances and the choreography was superb and fun to watch. The Wittenberger signature of excellence that we’ve all come to expect in these productions was all over this one as well. They should expect another award for imaginative set design which they are no strangers to. It should also be noted that Mrs. Cho Hee Hwang assisted with vocal coaching on this production and deserves our thanks. 

As in past productions such as Greece and Little Shop of Horrors, the acting was amazing and the vocal talents of these young actors certainly defied my imagination. It was just fun. Amaii Tate played the lead role of Cinderella and one can only describe her vocal talent as……. a gift. What else is there to say? The prince played by Archer Beck complimented the Cinderella character very well and he sang well with Tate particularly on the duets which are not easy to pull off. Great job you two. 

Dewain Dukes has made his presence known on the Vista stage with his magic acts which have become more sophisticated with each appearance. We also recognized him from The Mouse Trap when he played the Giles character.There was definitely a magical, comic quality to his acting talent as well with what he seems to know about facial expression on stage. His abilities as an actor make him incredibly fun to watch; a skill that takes many actors years to master. 

As I sat in the audience, I listened to the innocent laughter in response to the mice who surround Cinderella and comfort her when she’s sad. The audience loved this. It was innocent and sweet and it reminded us of a time as children when we were all so innocent without any knowledge of a real oppressive world where we could retreat as if the stuffed animals on our beds were real and could talk to us. It was a great scene. 

This review would not be complete without mentioning the talents of Courtney Eakens who played the stepmother. She pulled this off with her bombastic delivery and forced us to hater her character the way the story is portrayed. We all wanted to go up on the stage and save Cinderella and stop the cruelty while we waited patiently for the fairy godmother, played by Akyra Cotto McPhaul to rescue her for us. Her performance seemed to strike a chord with the audience with a good voice and a perfect blend between classic and modern dialogue while encouraging Cinderella to believe in herself. It was joyful to watch and fun to listen to her vocal talent.

The mean stepsisters played by Melody Parra and Lea Fortier-Drolet, definitely pulled off the snobby mean stepsisters who miss the mark when it comes to kindness and congeniality while drowning in their own self-absorbed hearts. We didn’t feel sorry for them in their quest to win the prince over because they did such a great job and their singing was very well done.  

The King and Queen played by Josh Ortiz and Makayla Pacheco were executed well and the audience enjoyed these characters as concerned parents who don’t want to be left with an unmarried son without an heir to the kingdom.

The ensemble cast sang and danced wonderfully which kept us believing that we were in the magical land of fairytales and of course, the special effects, the sets and sound cannot happen without a dedicated tech crew. 

Congratulations to all on another incredible Vista production. 

So, if you haven’t seen this production of Cinderella, you are missing out but the good news is: The show runs through Saturday. 

Friday’s show begins at 6pm and Saturday’s show, the last performance begins at 12:00 noon. You will not want to miss this one!!!

Editor’s Note Two casts perform Wednesday/Friday and Thursday/Saturday.  Tickets are $8 for students and $12 for adults.  They can be purchased online at https://our.show/svhs-cinderella  or at the ticket table in the lobby of the theater.  Bring your friends, family, and little ones to this event that is sure to charm and enchant