“Bad Cinderella” Is a Show Without an Audience

Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

The opinions reflected in this review are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, faculty and students of The King's College.

(REVIEW) For those among you wondering how many retellings of the Cinderella fairytale is too many, we may have finally hit a breaking point. The latest retelling of the classic Brother’s Grimm story opens on Broadway this month at the Imperial Theatre as a brand-new musical. It features a brand new score written by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber (Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Sunset Boulevard), lyrics by David Zippel (Disney’s Hercules) and directed by Laurence Connor (Miss Saigon, School of Rock, Les Miserables, Oliver!). This new incarnation is entitled “Bad Cinderella,” a title that, despite the promising list of people involved in the show, is not ironic.

Set in the fictional city of Belleville where everyone is expected to live up to perfection, the plot of “Bad Cinderella” mostly follows the conventional narrative of the fairy tale but with a few “twists.” Cinderella (Linedy Genao) is the rebel of her town. She doesn’t care about the town’s obsession with fashion or gossip, traits that make her attractive to her childhood friend and the only other potentially sane person in this show—Prince Sebastian (Jordan Dobson).

Following the disappearance of Prince Charming, this take on “Cinderella” focuses on the monarch’s need to marry off the spare heir, Sebastian, a less “perfect” marriage prospect than his elder brother in the eyes of the town. This show’s book is a generally predictable plot with a few not-to-important changes thrown in. But the core problem with the show’s book isn’t its predictability (fairy tales still work on stage despite predictability).

The problem with “Bad Cinderella” is that it doesn’t seem to appeal to any particular audience. The show is far too commercialized to appeal to seasoned theater-going snobs, it’s far too loose with its humor and profanity to appeal to families, and it’s far too simple and cliche to appeal to young adults. In trying to be a little of all things to all people, this is a script that doesn’t really appeal to the wide audience it needs in a large, Broadway theater.

There are a few bright spots amidst the chaos of this show. Most of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music struggles alongside the show’s flimsy lyrics, but a few songs, most notably Sebastian’s Act 1 solo “Only You, Lonely You,” recalls the musical wonder of Lloyd Webber’s well-known romantic melodies.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is most well known for composing “The Phantom of the Opera,” Broadway’s longest-running show that will conclude its run next month just a block away from the theater where “Bad Cinderella” opens. This show is naturally hoping to draw an audience by putting the composer’s name prominently on their sign (if you don’t believe me check out the airplane-hanger-sized sign on the west side of the Imperial Theatre), and I was amused to find several homages to “Phantom” in “Bad Cinderella.” Most notably, the ballroom dance features choreography that is strikingly similar to that of the “Masquerade” in “Phantom.”

Another highlight is the talented acting duo of Grace McLean and Carolee Carmello. Playing the Queen and Stepmother, respectively, each actress leans into the absurdity of their characters in a hilarious way and manages to salvage some of the more cringe-worthy moments of the evening.

This show isn’t a complete mess, but it rarely rises among mediocrity. It’s far from being considered high-art and isn’t really sure enough of its identity to appeal to the tourists that it seems to need to make a profit. Time will tell if it’s able to find its footing, but for now, you can certainly find better shows to check out.

“Bad Cinderella” is currently running at the Imperial Theatre.

Eli Johnson is the Theatre Columnist for the Empire State Tribune. He is a sophomore at The King's College majoring in Business. He is an avid theatre-goer and always enjoys a game of chess.