PLEASANT GROVE — Following last months grand opening of Ragtime at The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theatre at dōTERRA, Cinderella takes the stage on the second performance venue, the Legacy Lindsay Theater. “The Ruth” is the new home of the Hale Center Theater Orem going forward and the Legacy Lindsay stage is designed to mimic the original Orem space with an updated flair. Selecting this classic musical, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and new book by Douglas Carter Beane, as the inaugural production continues the historic legacy. Directed by Rodger Sorenson, Cinderella is a sparkling fit, especially for an opening night on Valentine’s Day.
The highlight of the show is the endearing, lovely, and bright performance of Ella played by Hailey Bennett Sundwall. H. Sundwall stands out as a strong vocalist and her clear voice is easy to listen to and enjoy especially as she features in so many numbers. Ella’s positive influence on the kingdom is established early by H. Sundwall giving a foundation for the bigger changes Ella is able to make after meeting the Prince. H. Sundwall’s strength as the titular character is a feeling of natural connection all other characters on the stage.
In particular, Prince Topher is played by Jeff Sundwall, Hailey Sundwall’s husband. Together the two successfully communicate the romantic attraction and chemistry of their characters. I believe Ella is made more enchanting because of how J. Sundwall plays Topher’s growing love and admiration. Additionally he develops Topher’s strength of character throughout the show changing from an naive, oblivious ruler to a more assured, strong leader. The scene where Ella and Topher interact prior to the banquet and sing “Do I Love Because You’re Beautiful” exudes romantic feeling credited to H. Sundwall and J. Sundwall developing the closeness of their characters onstage. The lighting design, by Brian Healy, during the number enhanced the feeling by using projections of stars and twinkling lights on a dimly lit stage spotlighting the couple.
CINDERELLA plays in the Legacy Lindsay Theater at The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theatre at dōTERRA through May 3rd, 2025.
One of the earliest scenes where Ella demonstrates her kindness is in showing care and kindness for Marie. Marie, played by Michelle Sundwall, is Ella’s fairy godmother, and M. Sundwall is humorous and fun bringing the magic into the story. M. Sundwall and H. Sundwall both show excitement in joy as the impossible becomes possible in transforming the rags to riches during “Impossible” and “It’s Possible”.
Julia Jolley is stunningly cruel as Madame, accentuated by wearing shimmering black and red gowns. Jolley embraces this disdain for others, especially “Cinder” Ella, and does well in playing Madame. One of the significant changes in the newer book by Douglas Beane is the relationships of the stepmother, Madame, and the stepsisters, Charlotte and Gabrielle. Gabrielle, played by Jaymie Lambson, isn’t hostile toward Ella, but Gabrielle becomes an ally to Ella in order to express a love for revolutionary Jean-Michel (Tanner Sumens). I found Lambson’s performance earnest and sincere though I missed the shared antagonism of both stepsisters throughout and during “Stepsister’s Lament”.
Now, Kalena Nielson as Charlotte retains this antagonism and leads the performance of the Lament. Nielson is terrific – confidently denouncing the prince’s preferred preferences and this number was a personal favorite. The choreography by Sayoko Knode during “Stepsister’s Lament” and the other ball numbers was a good blend of romantic dancing with appropriate rhythmic movement.
The look of the show opens like a page of a fairytale. The set, designed by Carter Thompson, features a stationary backdrop of hand sketched village accented with vines of autumn leaves. Trees and bushes placed on the stage create and inviting space to imagine a story unfolding as the show begins. These vines prove more versatile that they look as twinkling lights placed in these vines and trees are used effectively to enhance the magic of the show. Other set pieces, such as the carriage and horses, add to the stage and maintain a theatrical storybook effect.
I found the costumes of the show extremely effective and gorgeous. Costume Designer Elizabeth Banks Wertz, with Assistant Costume Designer Christa Didier, lifts the look of the show with the variety and richness of the costumes. At first, Prince Topher in armor and his Knights look like they are brought to life from a fairytale book. The solid colors of the Royal Court in blue and green stand out from the ragged neutrals of the villagers and Ella. Madame and Ella’s Stepsisters are almost garish in red, pink, and blue. However, at the ball, the royalty are many colored showing distinct wealth and status in the kingdom. This contrast highlights a central theme in this book of the struggles the poor endure compared to the royalty.
Particularly, I admired the beauty of Ella’s dresses for meeting the prince. The initial ballgown is a stunning reveal and stands out from the rest of the stage. Ella’s arrival to the ball in this gown and reveal is staged perfectly by Director Sorenson making the moment a showstopper. As a designer, Banks Wertz designed ball gowns for Ella (and a wedding dress) that are dreamy, elegant, and lush so each feels like it was spun by fairy godmother magic.
With a new space, there are bound to be adjustments as performances begin and continue. One issue that recurred was difficulty hearing soloist’s during the larger group numbers over the accompaniment and ensemble singers. I had the most trouble hearing J. Sundwall as Prince Topher in “Me, Who Am I?” then later with Pinkleton during “The Prince is Giving a Ball”. It was difficult to clearly hear solos from ensemble members without microphones in the back of the theater.
The fog effect used during “Impossible”/”It’s Possible” was so dense in the space it was hard to see the stage and performers for a couple minutes while it faded. Other little flubs like music cues starting early or the intermission announcement playing at the beginning of the show are charming realities of opening night and in this case the stage’s first performance for a full audience.
Prior to this historic inaugural production of Cinderella, the Founders spoke of the new space named for Joan and Dean Lindsay and family who were present and celebrated for this opening night. There is much to celebrate and anticipate with this new theater and this production shows the potential for a continuing legacy. Cinderella is a great classic appealing to many and this production highlights the best of the story and the magic of fairytales. Don’t lose your shoes rushing to the theatre to see this magical, enchanting, and romantic musical at “The Ruth”.
