by Rachel Hunter
The talents of Gouverneur High School students were displayed on the GHS Auditorium stage on Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 for the production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella is the new Broadway adaptation of the classic musical. The contemporary take on the classic tale featured Rodgers & Hammerstein's most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It's Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” alongside an up-to-date, hilarious and romantic libretto by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane brought the crowds at GHS to its feet. The production was used with permission from Concord Theatricals in New York City. The music was written by Richard Rodgers, and the lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II with orchestrations by Danny Troob and musical adaptations by David Chase. Additional lyrics were written by Douglas Carter Beane, David Chase, and Bruce Pomahac. The adaptation was nominated for nine 2013 Tony Awards, including Best Book of a Musical and Best Revival of a Musical. It won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Costume Design for a Musical and three 2013 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Orchestrations.
GHS Musical Director Emily Bason welcomed the Gouverneur community back to the GHS auditorium for the district’s first live theatre production since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, which was met with thunderous applause on opening night. “What a journey it has been,” Mrs. Bason said. “We began planning in the fall, just asking if we could even have a show, and then we found a show, and asked: “Can we have an orchestra?” “Can we have volunteers come in to help us?” “Do we have to limit audience numbers?” “Are we going to do masks with our actors?” “Do we have to order special performance masks?” All these things were going throughout the planning stages of our show but we continued to push forward. December came along and we had our auditions. Auditioning in masks, that was interesting. We also had virtual auditions. That was a new concept for us, because some students were in quarantine and had to audition virtually. Cast was set and we rehearsed in masks, but students never complained. My cast and crew were always willing and compliant. I can’t thank them enough for doing that, especially in this time. As we made Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and COVID protocols continued to change, March came along and masks were lifted, literally. The timing couldn’t have worked out better for our performance because now we can see the actors’ beautiful expressions on their faces. It’s back to an actual performance again, and that is a wonderful thing! To say that we are excited is an understatement.”
The GHS Production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella was over two hours in length, featuring two acts (with nine scenes in Act 1 and eight scenes in Act 2) with a 10-minute intermission. Allison Carvel made the role of Cinderella her own. She leaned into Ella’s quirky, socially awkward moments and had the audience in the palm of her hand from “In My Own Little Corner” to the very end.
GHS Senior Cole Siebels captured all the right notes as the charming Prince Topher and seemed completely enamored with the girl in the glass slippers. With an instinct in comedic timing and emoting excellence, Cole Siebels was integral in drawing the audience into the storyline – from the first scene when he expertly slayed the Giant (Owen Siebels) until the wedding scene at the end of Act 2.
In this version of the classic fairytale, Cinderella opens Prince Topher's eyes to the injustice in the kingdom. The Prince's parents have died, leaving the kingdom in the hands of a villainous prime minister, Sebastian (Hazen Given), who has been the Prince's mentor and has duped his young charge into approving oppressive legislation. With help from the revolutionary Jean-Michel (Jack Schroeder), Cinderella helps opens Prince Topher’s eyes to the injustices in his kingdom. The GHS production expertly portrayed the themes of social justice, of calls for charity, generosity, kindness and the ability to reform those around us through forgiveness.
Niciara House-Bowman shined as Marie, the fairy godmother. As crazy Marie, she adopted a physicality that is typical of the hags in the Brothers Grimm’s stories, but as the godmother, she was playful, graceful and thrilled the audience with her musicality. The stage chemistry between the fairy godmother and Ella in “Impossible/It’s Possible” was visible to the adoration of the GHS audiences, and was made even better by the acting excellence from the Fox/Footman (Brook Garrett) and Racoon/Coachman (Alexandra McDougall).
Ella’s stepmother Madame was expertly portrayed by Zaphire Hall, whose sass and confidence made the Madame’s vain and tyrannical nature (only concerned with her true daughters’ happiness) pop on the GHS auditorium stage. The cruel stepsisters Charlotte (GHS Senior Makayla Cassell-Beck) and Gabrielle (Jahonna Sloan) thrilled the audience with their almost loveable catty dynamic, and by the end of the show Charlotte revealed her self-involved nature and Gabrielle proved her willingness to give up her riches to be with her love, Jean-Michel and joins him in his efforts to change the world. The GHS audiences will long remember the scene in the castle ballroom, and the subsequent “Stepsister’s Lament.”
The role of Lord Pinkleton – Prince Topher’s second-in-command and herald – was expertly portrayed by GHS Senior Makyle Pankey, whose exceptional “Hear Ye” bell-ringing cries in the town’s center will long be remembered.
The GHS Musical was made complete with the ensemble of the energetic, color characters: townspeople and guests (Jaylynn Dalton, Mariah Manning, Faith Leader, Serenity Whitmarsh, and Abigail Lucas) and guards, guests and townspeople (Adam Dean, Maxwel Lucas, and Owen Nichols).
The fairy tale world in the GHS production of Cinderella was enlivened by the set design under the instruction of GHS Art Teacher Robert Decker. The set builders included the following: Gianna Manning, Hannah Trimm, Carly Bartholomew, Kendra Murdie, Piper Simmons, Destiny Blair, Phoebe Labarr, Zoe Griffith, Madison Bell, Emily Infield, Owen Siebels, Tatum Mulder, Reigan Ayen, Shane Muyano, Alexis Youngs, Rylynn Martin-McIntyre, McKenzie Winters.
The GHS production was also made possible due to the hard work of the crew: Stage Manager (Haile Morrissiey), Stage Crew (Destiny Blair, Carly Bartholomew, Akaysha Shippee-Ray, Shane Muyano, Gianna Manning, Kendra Murdie and Alexis Youngs), Property Mistress (Kaitlyn Gibson), Lights (Alex Clancy, Madison Hopper), Sound (Kaden Wells, Gavin Davis), Slides (Amelia Beaver), Costumes (Mya Conner, Allysa Byrd, Carly Bartholomew, Judi Bates, and Emily Bason). Director Bason also extended a special word of gratitude to Music Director Kathy Buell and Paul Buell and Choreographer Judi Bates for their work in ensuring the production’s success. The musical numbers included the following. In Act One: “Prologue” (Ella and Ensemble), “Me, Who Am I?” (Topher, Sebastian, Lord Pinkleton, and Soldiers), “In My Own Little Corner” (Ella) and “In My Own Little Corner Tag” (Ella and Topher), “Your Majesty” (Lord Pinkleton and Topher), “The Prince Is Giving A Ball” (Sebastian, Jean-Michel, etc,), “Now Is The Time” (Lord Pinkleton, Ensemble), “Cinderella March” (Madame, Gabrielle, Charlotte), “In My Own Little Corner Reprise” (Ella and Marie), “Impossible/It’s Possible” (Ella and Marie), “Ten Minutes Ago” (Topher and Ella) and “Ten Minutes Ago Reprise” (Ella, Topher, and Ensemble),
In Act Two: “Stepsister’s Lament” (Charlotte, Gabrielle, Ensemble Ladies), “Call To Arms” (Lord Pinkleton and Topher), “He Was Tall” (Ella), “When You’re Driving Through the Moonlight” (Ella, Charlotte, Gabrielle, Madame), “A Lovely Night” (Ella, Charlotte, Gabrielle, and Madame), “A Lovely Night Reprise” (Ella and Gabrielle), “Loneliness of Evening” (Topher and Ella), “The Prince Is Giving a Ball” (Sebastian, Lord Pinkleton, Madame), “There’s Music In You” (Marie), “Now Is The Time Reprise” (Jean-Michel, Gabrielle, Marie), “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful” (Topher and Ella), “Eight O’clock and All Is Well” (Lord Pinkleton), “Ella In Rags” (Marie), “The Proposal” (Ella Topher, Ensemble), and “The Wedding Finale” (Ella, Topher, Marie, Ensemble). At the end of the performance, the crowds at GHS offered a standing ovation, and extended gratitude to all who made the performances a success.
Director Bason also offered a word of appreciation to her former students who assisted in any way possible for the production – Connor Canell, Corryn Canell, Brandon Griffin, and Kolby Wells.
Also, for the support from the following: Hairdressers (Emile Jesmer, Kathy Stamper, Betsy Cummings, Tiffany Tuttle, Gloria Browe, Nicki Jo Travis-Colburn, as well as Southwest Tech Cosmetology Students Raneissa Way, Emma Riley and Melanie Peabody), Make-Up (Bridgette LaPierre, Jessica Miller, Melissa Terpstra), Box Office (Stacy Canell, Beth Siebels, Lindsey Carvel, Brandon Griffin, Norma Clancy), Ushers (Members of the GHS National Honor Society), Publicity and Programs (Emily Bason and the cast and crew of Cinderella), Photographer (Gidget Wainwright), and Cast Party (Lindsey Carvel and parents of the cast and crew).
Special gratitude was also extended to the parents of the cast and crew, GCS Superintendent of Schools Jacquelyn Kelly, GCS Board of Education, GHS Principal Cory Wood, Harold Simmons and the GCS Custodial Staff, St. James School, Tammy Mullin and Michelle Hassett, the Gouverneur Recreation Center, Gouverneur Community Center, Stowell’s Printing, Ferguson Printing, the Gouverneur Tribune Press, Kinney Drugs, WWNY-TV, The Flower Girls, Magnolia’s Formal Wear in Evans Mills, Joe Laurenza, Sheila Callahan, and Captain Knight. Musical Director Emily Bason also extended gratitude to the entire Gouverneur community for their attendance and support of the GHS Theatre Program.
For more information about Gouverneur Central School District, visit gcsk12.org.