Practically every country has a version of the “Cinderella” story.
The Springer Opera House brings the Rodgers-and-Hammerstein version to the stage starting tonight.
“‘Cinderella’ dates back 2,000 years, before Grimm’s story about a servant girl who rises above her station in life. It’s about hopefulness. She’s a totally good person who doesn’t let anything get in the way. She impacts everyone around her,” show director Ron Anderson said.
Anderson, the Springer’s associate artistic director and director of the Springer’s Theater Academy, calls Cinderella a “heroic child.”
Playing the king, Raymond Campbell said he likes this particular version because it’s “bright and colorful.”
Jessica Hill, a Columbus State University junior, is making her Springer stage debut as the Fair Godmother, which the cast refer to as FGM.
“I’m so excited,” Hill said. “It’s so great being here. I get to perform and it feels like home. I can’t wait to get on stage.”
“She is so good as FGM that you believe that she can turn a pumpkin into a coach,” said Anderson.
Lisa Cesnik, who directed the Springer’s “Barefoot in the Park” earlier this season, plays the evil Stepmother.
Cesnik has found it challenging to play an evil character but embraces the fact that the characters are not one dimensional.
“We find out that the Stepmother is a single mom trying to raise two, um, two and a half daughters with little or no means of support,” Anderson said.
Guests shouldn’t expect a cartoon or a costume pageant from this production.
“This is a play,” he said. “These are real characters. They are not Snively Whiplash characters.”
He explained that “Rodgers-and-Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ is about a very, very good person. And that radiant person is in the form of Christi Watson. It tells a beautiful story. It is not as recognizable as the Disney version.”
Christi Watson, who plays Cinderella, was immediately impressive in auditions for the show.
“As soon as Christi walked into the room, the search was over,” he said. The same went for EJ Cameron as Lionel, the Prince’s manservant; Hill as the Fairy Godmother and Kern Clark and Johanna Cabatingan as the stepsisters.
Anderson was also happy that Alvaro Francisco, who was in “High School Musical” two seasons ago, was available to play the prince.
Right after “High School Musical” closed, Francisco bought a one-way ticket to New York City, where he went to many auditions before something unexpected happened.
He signed with a modeling agency and has had photos appear in magazines like GQ and Details.
“It’s so new,” he said. “I’m trying to figure it out. Right now, I’m focused on casting for models.”
Avery Jones, of Cusseta, Ga., is the puppeteer and has taught Springer Academy students to manipulate the puppets.
He and propmaster Dona Pierce have created many of the puppets.
“If you’re expecting a costume pageant, you’ll get a thoroughly beautiful show -- a real play,” he said.
THE CAST
Cinderella: Christi Watson has toured nationally as an actor and singer, performing Off and Off-Off Broadway and in regional theater. She has appeared in “Dracula” and “The Wizard of Oz” at the Springer Opera House. “Cinderalla” was one of the first books she learned to read. She loves to read, write, drink coffee and run, though never at the same time.
Prince: Alvaro Francisco has appeared in “High School Musical” (at the Springer), “A Chorus Line,” “Cats,” “Pippin,” “Rent,” “The Light in the Piazza” and “Altar Boyz.” He lives in New York City and is originally from Cartageña, Colombia.
Stepmother: Lisa Cesnik recently directed “Barefoot in the Park” at the Springer and played Libby in the most recent production of “Oliviatown.” She is producing artistic director of Rose of Athens Theater in Athens, Ga. She has directed “The Shape of Things to Come,” “As You Like It,” “Rumors,” “Lysistrata,” “The Complete History America (Abridged),” “The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged),” “Crimes of the Heart,” “Moonlight and Magnolias,” “The Odd Couple,” “Tartuffe” and “Winnie the Pooh.” She has acted in “Romeo and Juliet,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Father of the Bride” and “On Golden Pond.”
Joy: Johanna Cabatingan was in “High School Musical,” “Father of the Bride” and “Winnie the Pooh” at the Springer. She was a student in the very first session of the Springer Theater Academy, has taught several years and is the Springer's education coordinator. She earned her bachelor’s degree in theater education from the University of Evansville, where she was assistant stage manager of “Our Town,” stage manager of “Picnic” and “Shooting Stars,” and assistant director of “String of Pearls” and “Dark of the Moon.”
Grace: Kern Clark is a 2006 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a degree in dramatic arts. While at UNC, she served as producting artistic director for the Lab! Theatre and directed “Full Circle” and “Equus.” She also direccted the original production of the Sam Seldon Award-winning play, “Does the Body Good” for the 2007 New York International Fringe Festival. She directed “God’s Man in Texas” and has assistant directed “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Big River,” Ramona Quimby,” “Inherit the Wind” and “James and the Giant Peach” at the Springer.
Fairy Godmother: Jessica Hill is a junior at Columbus State University where she appeared in “Companeras,” “Nunsense,” “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” “The Edge,” “The Crucible,” “Ancient History” and “Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business.”
Lionel: EJ Cameron graduated from CSU where he appeared in “Blue’s Clues,” “The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Cloud Nine” and “Boy Gets Girl.” He is a cast member of Sherlock’s Mystery Dinner Theater.
King: Raymond Campbell has appeared in many, many, many Springer shows, including “St. Elmo,” “Carnival,” “The Fantasticks,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Hysterium, Pseudolus, Lycus but not in the same production), “Charm School,” “Carousel,” “Oklahoma!,” “My Fair Lady,” “Annie,” “A Christmas Carol.” He was last seen as Uncle Henry and the Guard in “The Wizard of Oz.” It’s hard to keep him off the stage. When he’s not on stage, he is a court reporter for the Muscogee County Superior Court.
Queen: Karen Lord has been in “Inherit the Wind,” “Carousel,” four productions of “A Christmas Carol,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Big River” at the Springer. She has appeared in many roles but she is particularly fond of her roles in “Man of La Mancha” and “Jekyll and Hyde.” She has also appeared in “The King and I,” “Ragtime,” “Camelot,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Annie,” “Phantom,” “The Music Man,” “The Sound of Music,” “My Fair Lady” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
Puppet Master: Avery Jones is making his Springer debut. His roles elsewhere include “Hairspray,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Seussical: The Musical,” “Beauty and Beast,” “Annie Get Your Gun” and “A Christmas Carol.”
Chorus: Laura Ayers recently moved to Columbus from Palm Coast, Fla., with her husband who is stationed at Fort Benning. She is from Scotland and studied acting at the Ramshorn Theatre in Glasgow.
Chorus: Claudia Valrie is working on her executive master’s degree in business administration at Wesleyan College. She has appeared in “Neat” and “The Wiz” at the Liberty Theatre.
Chorus: Beth Cooper has performed with the Family Theatre and danced with the Columbus Ballet. She is a Springer Theater Academy student.
Chorus: Emily Grover is a senior at Columbus High School where she has appeared in “Hairspray,” “Our Town” and “Edges.” She has been a crew member for “High School Musical,” “The Full Monty” and “Peter Pan,” but this is her acting debut at the Springer. She has been a Springer Theater Academy student for six years.
Chorus: Joy Holden appeared in “The King and I” and “Sideways Stories from Wayside School” at the Springer. She appeared in “Story Theater” at Columbus High School. She has performed in “The Nutcracker” since 2004. She won the Most Outstanding Student award for three years and the Most Enthusiastic Student for five years at the Springer Theater Academy.
Chorus: Caitlyn Molnar is a senior at Brookstone School, where she appeared in “The Music Man,” “The Boys Next Door,” "Seussical: The Musical,” and “Man of La Mancha.” She is a Springer Theater Academy student.
Chorus: Bekah Moon is a senior at Calvary Christian School, where she is very active with the choir. She has been a Springer Theater Academy student for two years and is excited to make her Springer debut.
Chorus: Gabina Ramroop has been a volunteer with the Springer. She has been an extra in several movies but this is stage debut.
Chorus: Breezie Ward is a sophomore at Smiths Station High School, where she has appeared in “Guys and Dolls.” She won the Most Improved award at the Springer Theater Academy this summer.
Chorus: Brittany Whitehurst made her Springer debut last Christmas in “The Wizard of Oz.” She has written and directed plays and musicals for the Family Theatre and Summerville United Methodist Church, where she is a youth leader. She is also a professional face painter.
Chorus: Alex Alston has appeared in “High School Musical,” “Amazing Grace” and “Peter Pan” at the Springer. He is a member of the Springer Student Advisory Board and a senior at Shaw High School. He has won many awards in his 14 years in the Springer Theater Academy.
Chorus: Brooks Bennett appeared in “Big River,” “Peter Pan,” “A Christmas Carol” and “The Wizard of Oz” at the Springer. He is a junior at Northside High School, where he was in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”
Chorus: Dureyea Rashad is a graduate of CSU where he appeared in “The Crucible,” “Cloud Nine,” “The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Fences,” “Fuddy Mears” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” He also choreographed “The Rocky Horror Show” for Fabrefaction Theatre Co. in Atlanta.
Chorus: Omar Colon appeared in “Kelly’s Truck Stop Bop” at the Loft, and starred in “Blood Wedding,” “Why Mosquitos Buzz,” “Once Upon a Mattress,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Tartuffe” and “Man of La Mancha.”
Chorus: Alan Giles appeared in “Sideways Stories from Wayside School,” “Peter Pan” and “Carousel” at the Springer. At Hardaway High School, where he is a junior, he has been in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “Kindergarten,” “The Love of Three Oranges” and “The Dining Room.” He has been a Springer Theater Academy student since kindergarten. He is a member of the International Thespian Society.
Chorus: Jay Glover is a sophomore at Chattahoochee Valley Community College. He appeared in “High School Musical,” “Madeline and the Gypsies” and “Big River” at the Springer. At Central High School, he appeared in “Forbidden Broadway,” “Grease,” “Murder in Maui,” “Back to the ‘80s” and “Once Upon a Mattress.”
Chorus: Payton Pryor is a senior at Smiths Station High School, where he appeared in “Guys and Dolls” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
Chorus: Josh Rebuck appeared in “A Piece of My Heart” and “The Breakfast Club” at CSU and “The Rocky Horror Show” and “The Taming of the Shrew” with Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co. He graduated from CSU with a bachelor’s degree in English.
Chorus: Austin Sargent appeared in “The Wizard of Oz” and “High School Musical” at the Springer. He appeared at the 2009 Music Theater International Junior Theater Festival and was in “Bye, Bye Birdie,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Once Upon a Mattress” at Harris County High School. He plans to study art administration at Viterbo University in LaCrosse, Wisc.
THE BLUE TEAM
Chorus/puppeteer: Sophie Brown is a sixth grader at Veterans Memorial Middle School, where she appeared in “Annie Jr.” She was in “The Wizard of Oz” at the Springer.
Chorus/puppeteer: Anna Katherine Drew is in the eighth grade at Brookstone School, where she appeared in “General Valley Hospital,” “Sideways Stories from Wayside School,” “Fifty Nifty United States” and “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Revue.” She appeared in “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer” and has been a Springer Theater Academy student for five years.
Chorus/puppeteer: Alyssa Applegate is a seventh grader at Midland Middle School. She’s been a student of the Springer Theater Academy for three years. She appeared in “Ramona Quimby” and “The Wizard of Oz” at the Springer.
Chorus/puppeteer: Darby Ashe is an eighth grader at St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School and has been a Springer Theater Academy student for three years. This is her Springer debut.
Chorus/puppeteer: Nick Garcia is in the seventh grade at Richards Middle School, where he appeared in “Bye Bye Birdie.” He has been a Springer Theater Academy student for three years and appeared in “The Wizard of Oz.”
Chorus/puppeteer: Benjamin Johnston has appeared in “The Nutcracker” with the Columbus Ballet, and “Ramona Quimby” and “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” at the Family Theatre. He has been a Springer Theater Academy student for two years.
THE RED TEAM
Chorus/puppeteer: Hadley Gilpatrick is a sixth grader at Faith Middle School. She appeared in “The Wizard of Oz” at the Springer and has been a Springer Theater Academy student for three years.
Chorus/puppeteer: Claire LeGallais is a seventh grader at Veterans Memorial Middle School, where she appeared in “We’ve Come This Far” and “Annie Jr.” She has been a Springer Theater Academy student for three years.
Chorus/puppeteer: Emily Kohl is a seventh grader at Blackmon Road Middle School. She has been a Springer Theater Academy student for three years. She appeared in “Peter Pan” and “The Wizard of Oz” at the Springer.
Chorus/puppeteer: Lizzie Martin has been a Springer Theater Academy student for six years and appeared in “The Wizard of Oz” at the Springer. She is a sixth grader at Richards Middle School.
Chorus/puppeteer: Shannon Casleton appeared in “High School Musical,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” at St. Luke School and has been a Springer Theater Academy student for four years.
Chorus/puppeteer: Cody Montesclaros appeared in “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejr” in the Springer Children’s Theater. He is an eighth grader at Veterans Memorial Middle School, where he performed in “Annie Jr.,” “We’ve Come So Far” and “Remains to Be Seen.”
