Cinderella Never Gets Old; Brick School’s Young Performers Prep for April Curtain Time
A cast that has kids as young as pre-K playing mice is hard at work on a version of Cinderella that will be presented by the Brick Church School on April 19, 20 and 21 at the 200-seat Watson Hall. Michele Willens chats with the forces behind the scenes–musical director Mary Goebel and director Courtney Edwards–as they prep for the big day with some of the youngest budding stars.
Will young kids ever tire of the girl with the wicked sisters and stepmother...and ultimately, the right shoe size? The people behind Brick Church’s school certainly hope not.
I attended a rehearsal of “Cinderella” to watch about two dozen of the students—along with some carefully picked grownups—this past week. This is leading up to a trio of performances April 19, 20 and 21. The venue’s Watson Hall can seat up to 200, so the show’s creators are hoping for supportive buzz. “This is really a way to bring art, education, religion and our community together,” says Meagan Hooper of Brick Church. “And we’re bringing back theatre to the Upper East Side.”
According to the Brick Church School web site, it “aspires to enhance the children’s self-confidence through appreciation of their ventures in all areas and through a concerted effort to develop their independence so that they can exercise a growing control over themselves and their ability to influence their environment positively.”
The 195 person student body is young. And it’s all female behind the scenes here; the musical director, stationed at her piano while leading the students along, is Mary Goebel. And the overall director is Courtney Edwards, guiding everyone on this busy Saturday. The youngsters, from pre-schoolers on, (the youngest portray mice) are learning a new kind of lingo and being asked to use their imagination on stage: ”Where are the wings?” the director asks; “This is when you go to stage left, so you get to decide what you want to be doing there;” This is our first run off book;” “Keep in mind the audience is out there,” she says pointing.
Courtney Edwards says, “the beauty of directing an all ages ensemble is that the children get to watch and learn from experienced actors. It’s definitely a full circle moment for many of the adults in our cast because they started out their theatre journey in a community like this.”
While this school’s student body can hardly be called diverse, there is an attempt, says Goebel, to make some of the dialogue and directions a bit more in keeping with the times. “You know I have your back, your highness,” was a line likely not in the original. I chatted with the little girl who plays Cinderella, early in the production. “I’m in the flashback,” she then explained.
“The prince is giving a ball!” was the big number being worked on this day. Connor Wright is the adult prince here. In real life...when he’s not giving balls—he’s a program director of Children’s Ministries in Brick Church. He started performing when he was three, he told me, and continued while at college. The other “older” man is Brandon Warren who, in real life, is a hospital administrator. One of the adult females is the nanny for some of the students. Others are teachers or school workers.
The folks at Brick hope this perennial rags-to-riches tale will find yet another new audience. Not all recent attempts worked. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Bad Cinderella” closed last season after only four months on Broadway. (He probably asked for it with that title. The London version which was just called “Cinderella” was a smash hit) Yet, as one of many iconic characters in Sondheim’s “Into the Woods,’ Cinderella never gets old.
And then there is New York writer Arnold Margolin, whose musical—which I saw in one production-- is called “Cinderellish.” His lyrics may say it all.
Who do you root for when she’s mopping for floorwood/who do pull for when her life’s one big chore/The World’s against her and there’s nobody for Cinderella/Cin-Cinderella.
But isn’t it thrilling when her godmother shows/Aren’t you excited when she gets her new clothes/I’ll be you were cheering when the handsome prince chose.
And so it goes...hey, that rhymes too!
According to the Brick Church School web site, it “aspires to enhance the children’s self-confidence through appreciation of their ventures in all areas and through a concerted effort to develop their independence so that they can exercise a growing control over themselves and their ability to influence their environment positively.”
The 195 person student body is young, pre-k and kindergarten.
Michele Willens’ “Stage Right..Or Not” airs on robinhoodradio.