Cinderella

Well this was fun. Literally just a fun night at the theater.

It was just so pretty to look at -- from the costumes to the sets and the lights.

I was sitting all the way on the side (rush seats) and could see backstage in the wings pretty much the entire time. I don't find this particularly distracting because I love being able to watch what's happening, but never before have I been in a theater where the lack of curtains to hide backstage was so apparent. At one point I watched while the Fairy Godmother was harnessed up for a flying sequence and it wasn't hidden at all. So while I don't normally find this distracting, it was a little bit.

They rewrote some of the story and I thought it all worked very well. The reworking seemed to be well-received and I think the political storyline was funny and current. I also appreciated that, although the majority of the audience was children, there were jokes that were for adults.

Laura Osnes was the perfect Cinderella. I didn't know what to expect from Santino Fontana, but he was my favorite. He was silly and adorable and charismatic and it didn't feel like watching Prince Charming, but rather just a young guy that was a little lost and needed someone to help him find his way.

Some of the songs are so fabulous. I like when a musical has memorable music that I walk out humming.