Updated “Cinderella” a musical the whole family can truly enjoy

The story of “Cinderella” has been told and retold across the world for centuries. Comparatively, the musical version, written for television by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II with Julie Andrews in the title role, has only recently celebrated its 60th birthday.

Still, the musical has seen a few updates, including a 1997 TV movie starring singers Brandy and Whitney Houston and stage productions everywhere from New York to London and across Asia.

For the musical’s 2013 Broadway debut, the story saw yet another revision thanks to a new book by Douglas Carter Beane, which brought a modern touch to the characters and the story of “Cinderella.”

Though she’s most often found by the cinders, hence the nickname Cinderella, or in her own little corner, alone on her own little chair, Ella (a fantastic Tatyana Lubov) has a generally positive outlook on life, enjoying friendships with Marie (the golden-voiced Leslie Jackson) and community organizer Jean-Michel (Chris Woods), who has a thing for Ella’s stepsister Gabrielle (Mimi Robinson).

Robinson and Woods make for a very cute couple, and their journey from harboring crushes for one another to becoming an official couple is fun to watch.

And while Ella does want to get away from her stepmother and stepsisters, she’s no longer a damsel in distress. She is aware of the goings-on of the kingdom and gets a few quips in herself.

“That man, a world leader?” Ella asks Marie after a brief first encounter with Prince Topher (Hayden Stanes, who is perfect for the role). “But he appears to have a heart and mind and soul?”

She also becomes a voice of counsel to Prince Topher, who is not flawless as princes so often are. A young prince, Topher is still trying to figure out who he is and doesn’t bother to question his counselor Sebastian (the convincingly conniving Ryan M. Hunt) about the documents he is asked to sign.

By the end of the musical, Topher has satisfyingly evolved from a passive to an active leader.

Topher’s “Don’t you forget who you’re talking to” during a heated moment between him and Sebastian elicited quite a few exclamations of “Yeah!” from the audience.

Beane has also updated the role of Gabrielle to give Ella an ally. While Madame (a wicked Sarah Primmer) and Charlotte (Joanna Johnson, great in the role, especially during solo “Stepsister’s Lament”) are as evil as you remember, Gabrielle sticks up for the underdog characters, chiding her mother for ridiculing Ella and yelling at Jean-Michel.

Later in the show, Ella and Gabrielle also vow to keep the secret the other is hiding.

Beane has also made the experience of Ella and Topher’s falling in love less superficial. Though both sing about the beauty of the other, Ella and Topher remember the other for kindness they showed one another during their initial meeting in the woods.

While maintaining the story of “Cinderella,” these changes bring a current feel to the production, making the characters seem more complex, not characters meant to be copied and pasted from one version of “Cinderella” to the next.

Adding to the beauty of the show was the seamless transition between locations. One second we were watching Madame, Charlotte and Gabrielle get ready for the ball inside their home, the next we were in the woods outside as Ella watched them leave. Just as quickly, we had arrived at the palace for the prince’s ball.

Lee Wilkins’ choreography throughout the musical, but especially during the ballroom scene, was gorgeous to watch, and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it costume changes on Ella and Marie were truly magical.

Also of note were Anna Louizos’ scenic design, William Ivey Long’s costume design, and Bill Elliott’s orchestration, all beautifully done.

Perhaps the most telling aspect of the production was how much the story meant to everyone in the audience, no matter their age.

A girl of about 8 or 9 and her mother sat in front of me, 26 years old, and my mother. As we were leaving, I heard two silver-haired women appreciatively discussing Beane’s updated characters.

“Family-friendly” often means “geared toward children,” but with Beane’s revisions and just the right amount of snark, “Cinderella” is truly a show the entire family can enjoy.