Cinderella 2015

The creative team includes scenic design by Tony® Award nominee Anna Louizos, costume design by six-time Tony® Award-winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony® Award-winner Kenneth Posner and sound design by Tony® Award nominee Nevin Steinberg.

The Cinderella tour is produced by Robyn Goodman, Jill Furman, Stephen Kocis, Edward Walson, Venetian Glass Productions, The Araca Group, Caiola Productions, Roy Furman, Peter May, Sanford Robertson, Eric Schmidt, James Spry and Blanket Fort Productions.

TUTS will offer several special events and add-on packages in conjunction with the show to make for an unforgettable musical experience:

TUTS' production of Cinderella is made possible by the generosity of Ballard Exploration Company Inc., Locke Lord LLP and Enbridge.

TUTS’ 2014/15 season is generously sponsored by CHI St. Luke’s Health. For all shows, air transportation is provided by United Airlines, the official airline of TUTS. Media sponsors include ABC-13 and Houston Chronicle. Season support is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Theater District Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

An examination of current pop culture events while reviewing the history of CINDERELLA

Even though the Great Texas Flood of 2015 devastated the city streets making them unpassable by overflowing the Bayou City and resulting in over five fatalities, it didn’t damper the showing of Theatre Under the Stars’ presentation of Rodger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella on May 27th, 2015 in the Houston downtown theatre district. Cinderella still made it to the ball. As they say, the show must go on.

The story of Cinderella and real-life Princesses still rings true today when on May 2nd, 2015 with the birth of Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Princess Kate of the United Kingdom. The name was chosen as Charlotte, a nod to her grandfather Prince Charles, Elizabeth after her great-grandmother the reigning Queen, and her late grandmother Diana.

As I recently discovered, the newly minted Princess has a little bit of USA All-American blood in her lineage. I learned, in watching the TV show Million Dollar American Princesses, that the late Diana Princess of Wales’ great, great, great grandmother was Frances Work who was born in Newport, Rhode Island. Frances’ father was the American millionaire Frank Work who built his million dollar empire from hard work and a mere five dollar start. In 1878, Frances Work meets James Burke Roach, a second son of an Irish Baron. They marry and she becomes Frances Burke Roche. Frances has a son Maurice Roche who becomes the 4^th Baron Fermoy in 1920. Maurice has a daughter Viscountess Althorp who marries the 8^th Earl Spencer. Princess Diana’s brother Charles is the 9^th Earl Spencer and they are both the great grandchildren of Frances Work. Thereby, when Princess Diana’s son Prince William marries Kate Middleton, their new baby girl Princess Charlotte, who today is fourth in line to the British throne, has a fraction of American blood line.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA is the Tony Award® winning Broadway musical from the creators of Oklahoma! and The King and I that’s delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more—plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” in this hilarious and romantic Broadway experience for anyone who’s ever had a wish, a dream... or a really great pair of shoes.

Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston’s acclaimed non-profit musical theatre company. Since its founding by Frank M. Young, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres. As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS’ Education provides barrier-free instruction and stage experience, through the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre and The River program for children

with special needs. TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston’s high school theatre programs. TUTS is housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Glance towards the sky before you enjoy a performance at the Hobby Center; the fiber-optic ceiling keeps TUTS “under the stars” all year long. TUTS is pleased to present the 2014/15 season.

But enough about real life Princesses. The story of Cinderella is not about that. It is about a girl, born poor, outside of the privileged life that she was made to work among the cinders. This little girl dreams of one day becoming a Princess, much like a lot of little girls today. That is probably why the popularity of ultra-talented Taylor Swift is more akin to the Cinderella story as she becomes a real life Princess not because of her royal lineage but due to her All-American talented rise from obscurity.

Taylor Swift was born in 1989 (the title of her current album) in Pennsylvania and grew up in a Christmas tree farm. In real life, as opposed to fairy tales, the character roles albeit the same, take on different names. The evil stepmother and stepsisters are now called haters, (heart) breakers, players and fakers. And in the immortal words of Taylor Swift:

Cause the players gonna play, play, play
Haters gonna hate, hate, hate
I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake
Shake it off
Breakers gonna break, break, break
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake
I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake
Shake it off, Shake it off

Just recently, at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2015, Taylor Swift won several awards to her already burgeoning collection of accolades. At the start of the Awards show, her new music video Bad Blood debuted. It stars Selena Gomez (named after the late Tejano songstress and born in Grand Prairie, Texas); Hayley Williams lead singer of the band Paramore; Ellie Goulding who hails from the UK; Serayah and Zendaya; Supermodels Karlie Kloss, Carla Delevigne, Lily Aldridge, Cindy Crawford and Martha Hunt; creator of the TV show Girls Lena Dunham; movie stars Jessica Alba and Hailee Steinfeld (Pitch Perfect 2); TV stars Ellen Pompeo (Grey’s Anatomy) and Mariska Hargitay (daughter of Jayne Mansfield).

The Billboard Awards opened with the performance of Panama by Van Halen with David Lee Roth as the lead singer. Hosted by Ludacris and John Legend’s wife Chrissy Tiegen, the first award Top Duo or Group went to One Direction. After Taylor Swift won the Top Billboard 200 Album Award for her Album 1989, there was a performance by Fall Out Boy with the song Uma Thurman. Fall Out Boy was accompanied by rapper Wiz Khalifa (who is touring with them this summer) and several dancers looking like Uma Thurman’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s movie Pulp Fiction. The next performance was by Nick Jonas of Jonas Brothers fame, after which was followed by a performance by John Legend and Meghan Trainor in her ballad “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”

Isn’t that sweet? The 2015 Billboard Music Awards was attended by Taraji P. Henson (star of the TV show Empire), Idina Menzell of Frozen fame; Hozier performed “Take Me to Church”; performance by Mariah Carey who is a Las Vegas resident headliner at Caesar’s Palace; performance by Pit Bull and Chris Brown introduced by Jennifer Lopez.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is based on their 1957 production which was originally written for television. In the classic fairy tale, poor Cinderella is endlessly abused by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters and is not allowed to attend the Royal Ball. With help from her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella goes to the ball, meets the Prince, falls in love and lives happily ever after.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's CINDERELLA starring Laura Osnes and female ensemble is showing from May 26 - June 7, 2015 at the Sarofim Hall of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas USA. Photo by Carol Rosegg. For more information, click on www.TUTS.com

Best Rap Song which was presented by Danica McKeller who starred as Wendy in The Wonder Years, went to Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX. Introduced by Fast & Furious 7 movie stars Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris, Rapper Wiz Khalifa performs ”See You Again” a moving tribute to the late Paul Walker. Wiz Khalifa’s performance was with Charlie Puth as lead vocals and keyboards and Lindsey Stirling playing the violin. The Top Male Artist award was presented by Celine Dion who gave it to Sam Smith. Unfortunately, Sam Smith just recently had vocal surgery so he couldn’t speak or sing. His acceptance speech was written on white cardboard paper where he thanked the Billboard Awards and his fans. Sam asked Taylor to put $100 on black since they were in Las Vegas and he was in New York recuperating. Sam mentions Nicki, Oh My God! Look at her bum! And he writes to Ed Sheeran, “I’ve organized a special dance for you at Chippendales.”

The next day, I mentioned to my friend Jesse that Sam Smith “outted” Ed Sheeran at the Billboard Music Awards. To which, overheard by my other friend Catherine vehemently defended Ed Sheeran saying he was “not necessarily outted.” Catherine explained that Ed Sheeran is not gay. “Well, he could be gay or bi-sexual,” I argued. Catherine says, “That’s what people used to say about Harry Styles.” To which I said, “No way.” Catherine happens to like Ed Sheeran a lot and said he couldn’t possibly be gay since he came to the 2015 Brit awards show with his girlfriend Athina Alderos and that they dated for about a year. Nowadays, Ed Sheeran is dating Hungarian supermodel Barbara Palvin. I apologized to Catherine with my ignorant assumption and told her that my opinion was probably influenced by outted persons such as George Michael and Bruce Jenner. We finally ended the argument with the conclusion that Sam Smith is definitely in love with Ed Sheeran and Sam probably wishes Ed was gay. No doubt.

Once upon a time in a faraway forest, a young girl named Ella does chores for her stepmother, Madame, while dreaming of a more beautiful world. In another part of the land, Prince Topher is struggling to find his purpose in life, though he is soon to become king. After defeating a giant in battle, Prince Topher stumbles upon Ella in front of her home. After witnessing her kindness towards a homeless woman (named Marie), he is in awe. As Prince Topher and his advisor, Sebastian, head back to the palace they meet Jean-Michel, a political radical who has come to share his ideas about the problems between the rich and the poor. After Madame and her daughters, Gabrielle and Charlotte, return from shopping, Jean-Michel offers a book to Gabrielle, whom he loves, but Madame quickly rejects it. Jean-Michel instead offers Ella the book, and through the pages, Ella dreams of life beyond her rags. Miles away at the palace, a ball is being prepared to find Prince Topher a wife. While the noble and gallant are excited about the ball, Jean-Michel rallies the poor to do something. As the stepsisters get ready for the ball, the Lord Chancellor Sebastian visits Madame’s house and discusses plans for Gabrielle and Prince Topher to marry. Jean-Michel visits afterwards, this time with flowers for Gabrielle, but Madame throws him out. After Madame and the stepsisters leave, Marie magically reveals herself as Ella’s Fairy Godmother and sets a plan in motion for Ella to go to the ball. Ella becomes dressed for the ball with beautiful glass slippers, animals have magically transformed into royal attendants, and a carriage is made out of a pumpkin; anything is possible! Ella arrives just in time, completely transformed and unidentifiable. “Ridicule” is played at the ball, a royal game where people trade insults and complaints. She plays against Madame, but instead of swapping insults, she compliments Madame. The court is surprised and confused by this concept of kindness, and the palace fills with warmth and joy. Prince Topher becomes smitten with this beautiful stranger. Just as they are going to share a kiss, the clock strikes twelve, and Ella tells Prince Topher that his people are suffering and that he must do something. In her hate she drops one of her glass slippers, which she immediately retrieves as she runs for the carriage. The Prince is so determined to discover Ella’s name that he chases her carriage through the woods.

While Prince Topher and his royal guards search for Ella, Charlotte is left at the palace. Eventually, Madame and her daughters return home, and as they rehash the evening, Ella describes how she would imagine the evening. Charlotte, Gabrielle and Madame join in, dreaming about a true love. After Madame and Charlotte head to bed, Gabrielle and Ella bond over their secrets: Ella was the girl at the ball, and Gabrielle is in love with Jean-Michel. At the castle, Prince Topher is sullen and demands a banquet be held to find Ella. News spreads, and as the women head back to Madame’s cottage to quickly prepare, Gabrielle pretends to be sick so she can help Jean-Michel at a soup kitchen. She also offers her dress to Ella for the banquet. Madame and Charlotte race off to the banquet, while Jean-Michel arrives to pick Gabrielle up. They are unexpectedly interrupted by Madame returning home. She banishes Gabrielle from the house and rips up Ella’s borrowed dress. Marie visits Ella and encourages her to truly believe in herself. Marie transforms Ella’s torn-up dress, once again, into a beautiful gown and sends her off to the banquet. There Ella finds Prince Topher and shares with him that the poor are heading to the palace soon. Quickly after the poor arrive, Prince Topher finds himself inspired by their concerns and decides that there will be an election to elect the first Prime Minister of the kingdom. With all this excitement, Prince Topher and Ella question their newfound love, but the clock strikes twelve, and Ella must run again this time leaving behind the glass slipper. A day later, Lord Pinkleton announces that the election and search for Ella are in full swing. Ella appears in her normal, ragged clothes, and Prince Topher permits her to try on the slipper. He is ecstatic when it fits and proposes to Ella. And of course, everyone lives happily ever after! NOTE: Performance contains one intermission.

There was a tribute to the King of Blues, B. B. King (born 1925) who recently passed away this month of May 2015 in Las Vegas. He came from his humble roots in Mississippi and he became the King of music royalty with the sound he made from his legendary guitar he named Lucille. Imagine Dragons performed “Stand By Me” as a tribute to the King, introduced by the cast of the movie Entourage.

Incidentally, the Entourage movie starring Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrare and Kevin Dillon has Mark “Marky-Mark” Wahlberg as an executive producer. Mark Wahlberg recently attended the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight also held in Las Vegas earlier in this month of May 2015. In attendance were Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck, Louis CK, , NBA stars Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson. Justin Bieber accompanied Floyd Mayweather to the boxing ring and Jamie Foxx sang the USA national anthem. With so many A-Listers in attendance, no wonder someone paid over $300,000 for one ticket.

Also in attendance was the great Robert De Niro, who also made the news later this month when he dropped the F-bomb as the guest speaker at NYU’s TISCH School of the Arts commencement address. Also present was Jake Gyllenhall who stars in the upcoming movie South Paw. The underdog in this historical boxing fight is Manny Pacquiao who has his own Cinderella story. Born in the poverty-stricken slums of General Santos, Philippines, he was paid over $100 million to lose against Floyd Mayweather. This makes him the Biggest Loser, pun intended. He is probably destined to become the next President of the Philippines. My mother, Doctor Portia “Peewee” Del Castillo Tello, who is a full-blooded Filipina like I am, knew all the words to the Philippine national anthem.

Ella (Cinderella): a young lady with the kindest heart in the kingdom. She dreams of escaping her endless chores so she might one day see the world.

Madame: Ella’s stepmother, a vain and tyrannical woman only concerned with her wealth and her daughters’ happiness. Madame does not consider Ella, her stepdaughter, a true daughter.

Prince Topher: the Prince of the entire kingdom, but he needs a bit of inspiration to realize his full potential.

Sebastian: Topher’s Lord Chancellor. Although Sebastian wants to protect the Prince, he does so by shielding the Prince completely from what is going on in the kingdom.

Lord Pinkleton: Sebastian’s second-in-command and the herald for all important events or information.

Marie: enters the story as a senile poor woman, but she magically transforms into her true form as Ella’s wise and compassionate Fairy Godmother.

Jean-Michel: a poor revolutionary with many ideas about how to improve society. Jean-Michel is in love with Gabrielle.

Gabrielle: begins the story as just another selfish stepsister but finds camaraderie in Ella when she reveals to Ella that she would give up her riches to be with Jean-Michel.

Charlotte: one of Ella’s stepsisters who treats Ella cruelly but, quite honestly, doesn’t know much better because she is so self-involved. Charlotte’s a bit of a clown and definitely the last one in on the joke.

Going back to the 2015 Billboard Awards, the next performance was introduced by C&W group Florida Georgia Line: “Girl Crush” sung by Faith Hill and Little Big Town (the ABBA-like country group who sang the summer smash hit D-D-D-Day Drinking). When asked by my friend Jesse who my Girl Crush is, at first I said, Scarlett Johansson. I asked Jesse who her Girl Crush is and she said Kendall Jenner. Which makes perfect sense since Jesse is in love with Drake and I reminded her that Drake performed at Kendall Jenner’s surprise sweet 16 birthday party. After which, I changed my Girl Crush to Eva Mendez because she recently had a baby with Ryan Gosling. Perfectly in tune with their country hit song, the brunette in Little Big Town Karen Fairchild said her Girl Crush is Faith Hill who is married to Tim McGraw. Coincidentally, I’d like to remind everyone that Taylor Swift wrote a song entitled Tim McGraw. After which, Jesse told me, his three daughters with Faith Hill went crazy after they heard it.

Taylor Swift wins (again!) Top Female Artist and One Direction wins Top Touring Artist. The Top Hot 100 Song, which was introduced by Fifty Cent and Rita Ora went to Meghan Trainor for “All About That Base”. And then there was the long-awaited premiere performance of Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea’s song “Pretty Girls” which was very colorful. Prince Royce presented the award for Billboard Chart Achievement by Samsung Galaxy to Taylor Swift (again). Introduced by Fifth Harmony, Nicki Minaj performed with David Guetta “The Night is still Young and so are we” and “Hey Mama” a Caribbean style, calypso beat music. Now, Nicki Minaj, born in Trinidad & Tobago is one Cinderella story that will not be denied. It goes without saying, in 2015, female Rappers Rule!

By the way, also in May 2015, another pop culture event and Cinderella story was when Rumer Willis won the Mirror Ball trophy at Dancing with the Stars. For those of you who don’t know, Rumer is one of three daughters of movie stars Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. Incidentally, Demi Moore is an executive producer of all three Austin Powers movies starring Mike Myers. Currently, the number one movie in America is the a capella movie Pitch Perfect 2 directed by Elizabeth Banks and starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Hailee Steinfeld. A-ca-awesome!

Richard Rodgers was born in Arverne, Queens, New York City in 1902. He began playing the piano at age six. Rodgers spent his early teenage summers in Camp Wigwam (Waterford, Maine) where he composed some of his first songs. He attended Columbia University. In 1921, Rodgers shifted his studies to the Institute of Musical Art (now Juilliard).

Oscar Hammerstein II was born in New York City in 1895, to a family who worked in theater. While Hammerstein was studying pre-law at Columbia University, he began acting in the school’s varsity show revues.

Douglas Carter Beane is an American playwright-librettist and screenwriter best known for Xanadu and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything , Julie Newmar . He was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and now lives in New York. He trained at The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Musical Theatre Workshop. He has received many accolades for his works, including a Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical for Xanadu in 2008. He would later win a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical for Xanadu . He is currently working on an autobiographical play.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, authors of Cinderella , hold one of the most successful legacies in American musical theater history. Together, they created eleven musicals and received thirty-five Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards. Many describe Rodgers and Hammerstein’s work between the 1940s and 1950s as the “golden age” of musical theater. Richard Rodgers first saw success with his partner Lorenz Hart with over 40 shows and film scores, while Oscar Hammerstein II had worked successfully on several operettas. In 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein created Oklahoma! Thereafter, they collaborated on Carousel (1945), Allegro (1947), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Me and Juliet (1953), Pipe Dream (1955), Flower Drum Song (1958) and The Sound of Music (1959). Together they wrote State Fair (1943) as a movie, which also arrived on Broadway in 1996, and, of course, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1957) as a made-for-television movie. Rodgers and Hammerstein were the best at integrating dialogue and music to tell vivid stories. These stories were capable of not only entertaining with great humor, but also challenging notions of racism, classism and sexism. This impressive combination of form and content would inspire future generations of musical theater writers. Today, their influence on American theater and culture is undeniable. Time magazine and CBS News named Rodgers and Hammerstein one of the top 20 most influential artists of the 20th century. They also received The Hundred Year Association of New York’s Gold Medal Award “in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York” in 1950. The 46th Street Theatre was named The Richard Rodgers Theatre in March of 1990. That same year, they were commemorated with a United States Postal Service stamp. With many awards in hand and a body of work that continues to be produced for its relevance and artistic mastery, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s work lives on as one of the most beloved canons in American musical theater.

Back to the 2015 Billboard Awards, Kia’s One to Watch up and coming singer Tori Kelly was introduced by Scott “Scooter” Braun, Justin Bieber’s promoter. Tori sang her hit song “Ain’t Nobody Love Like You Do” while playing her guitar solo. The next performance was introduced by Molly Ringwald, who thirty years ago starred in The Breakfast Club directed by John Hughes. To celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of The Breakfast Club, Molly introduced the #1 Hot 100 Billboard song 30 years ago “Don’t You Forget About Me” performed by Simple Minds. Which incidentally, was performed in the first Pitch Perfect movie by Anna Kendrick.

Pentatonix (the a capella group) introduces Kelly Clarkson who sang her new song “Invincible”. Pentatonix is going on tour with Kelly Clarkson this summer 2015. And Kelly Clarkson just recently had a baby with the son of country music legend Reba McEntire. The Top Country Artst award goes to Florida Georgia Line. And finally, the Top Artist Award goes to Taylor Swift (again). Last but not least, Kendall and Kylie Jenner introduces the performance of their brother-in-law by way of Kim Kardashian, Kanye West. Incidentally, Kendall and Kylie’s biological father the Olympian Bruce Jenner recently outted himself as a transgender woman to Dianne Sawyer during an interview.

In conclusion, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, Frank Work, Taylor Swift, Manny Pacquiao, Caitlyn Jenner or Nicki Minaj. It’s your own Cinderella story, your own struggle to reach your own hopes and dreams are what really matter. Each of us has our own individual endeavor that has to be nurtured and cultivated to be able to reach our own goals. Upon reaching our goal, we have to re-assess the situation and strive for a higher goal. If we fail, we mustn’t skulk in our little corner as the lyrics of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella teach us. We must accept our failure and “keep building up impossible hopes. Impossible things are happening every day.” And what makes your own Cinderella story unique is that nobody else can claim your dreams, your failures and successes because they are your own. Now who wouldn’t want a Cinderella story like that?

Rodgers and Hammerstein's CINDERELLA starring Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana and the ensemble is showing from May 26 - June 7, 2015 at the Sarofim Hall of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas USA. Photo by Carol Rosegg. For more information, click on www.TUTS.com

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the only musical of theirs that was written for television. It was largely based on Charles Perrault’s version of the tale, entitled Cendrillon. Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote Cinderella for CBS, starring Julie Andrews in the title role and Ralph Nelson as director. It premiered on CBS on March 31, 1957, and was seen by over 100 million people. Staged versions of the musical began with a premiere at the London Coliseum by Harold Fielding on December 18, 1958. Other versions of Cinderella continued to play in US theaters after 1961. CBS decided to take a stab at another television version, with Richard Rodgers as executive producer. Rodgers wanted to stay truer to Perrault’s classic, but for the most part, the music and story were retained from the original. It premiered on February 22, 1965. The New York City Opera produced the musical in 1993, 1995 and 2004 with such renowned performers as Eartha Kitt and Dick Van Patten. One of the most famous tours of Cinderella occurred in the US in 20002001.

In 1997, Walt Disney Productions released a remake of C inderella starring Brandy as Cinderella. It premiered on November 2, 1997 and had great success, with about 60 million viewers tuning in. The Disney production was applauded for its diversity in casting; the royal family was comprised of an African-American mother, a Caucasian father and an Asian-American Prince. This innovative choice showed the universality of the story, continuing to make it accessible to more audiences. Now, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella makes its way back to the stage with new twists and turns by writer Douglas Carter Beane.

• Seen by over 100 million viewers (about 60% of the US population at that time

1st televised remake airs on CBS staring Lesley Ann Warren with Richard Rodgers as executive producer

Fairy tales have been firing our imaginations and hearts for centuries. A fairy tale is a short story with folkloric characters and comes from a long oral and written tradition. In the 17th century, French writer Madame d’Aulnoy was the first to use the term “fairy tales.” Her books Les Contes des Fées ( Tales of Fairies - 1697) and Contes Nouveaux, ou Les Fées à la Mode ( New Tales or Fairies in Fashion - 1698) tell tales of kings and queens, animals, dwarves and, sometimes, fairies. These stories existed long before Madame d’Aulnoy, yet through her work, a literary genre was created.

French writer Charles Perrault was one of the first writers to pen the story of Cinderella, laying important groundwork for the fairy tale genre. Perrault spent most of his time advocating modern work and serving for the Academie Francaise. At age 67 he lost his post and devoted the rest of his life to his children. In 1697, he published Histoires ou Contes du Temps passé ( Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals ), subtitled Les Contes de ma Mère l’Oye ( Tales of Mother Goose ), a collection of ancient tales and one of the most important pieces of literature of all time. The collection contained such legendary tales as The Master Cat ; or, Puss in Boots , The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood , Little Red Riding Hood and one of the most famous versions of Cinderell a, entitled Cendrillon ; or, The Little Glass Slipper . Although these weren’t new stories, Perrault helped to preserve them in the literary tradition for generations to come.

Germany’s Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (The Brothers Grimm) are credited with the greatest impact on the fairy tales genre. While attending the University of Marburg, the brothers were instructed by Friedrich von Savigny, who sparked their interest in medieval German literature and other folklore. Meanwhile, the German Romantic movement was on the rise, seeking to bring literature back to nature. Influenced by both Charles Perrault and Johann Karl August Musäus, a fellow German who had written a collection of folktales between 1782 and 1787, the brothers began to collect German songs and tales. They gathered most of their stories not only from peasants but also from middle-class and aristocratic acquaintances. In 1812, they published Kinderund Hausmärchen ( Children’s and Household Tales ), their first collection of stories. Some of their most famous tales include Rapunzel , Hansel and Gretel , Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , and Aschenputtel ( Cinderella ). Between 1816 and 1818, they published Deutsche Sagen (German Legends) and Altdeutsche Wälder (Old German Forests). From 1812 to 1857, the brothers continued to publish and rework their collection of fairy tales. Today, fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm can be found in over 100 different languages and continue to be the source material for books, movies, television, theater, etc. Their ability to convey universal themes through a child’s imagination has helped to bring their stories to audiences of all ages.