Cinderella Reviews
LA Weekly- Highly Recommended
"...Top singing honors go to Jennifer Leigh Warren, whose Fairy Godmother croons a ringing rendition of "Over the Rainbow." Gorgeous Prince Charming (Harry Potter's Freddie Stroma) and lovely Cinderella (Veronica Dunn) are perfect foils for a cast of crazy characters, including comic Benny Harris as Cinder's best pal, who also guides the audience through the journey. Young, enthusiastic dancers move well through choreographer Mark Ballas' contemporary ballets. Magic, animals (real and pretend) and buckets of spectacle help make this family fare a great treat for the season."
Backstage- Somewhat Recommended
"...The timeless fairy tale "Cinderella" seems a natural fit for the whimsical British entertainment form panto, which is largely unknown in the U.S., though it was a forerunner to vaudeville and burlesque. The bawdiness that characterizes authentic panto isn't emphasized in director Bonnie Lythgoe and writer Kris Lythgoe's British-produced staging, offered as a holiday-season family attraction. Nonetheless, tongue-in-cheek humor and audience participation dominate this zany amalgam of the vaguely historic and the deliberately anachronistic. The results are sometimes amusing though quite rough around the edges."
Stage Scene LA- Recommended
"...I must admit to having approached this particular Cinderella with a grain of skepticism, but quickly found myself wowed by a show that made me feel like a kid again, booing the villainesses, cheering the heroes, and shouting out warnings, advice, and "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" like a panto audience pro. Throw away your pretensions and do like Cinderella's Prince. Have a ball. A Cinderella ball."
The Tolucan Times- Highly Recommended
"...The huge production has big stars with Freddie Stroma (from Harry Potter) as Prince Charming, Jerry Mathers (Leave It To Beaver) as Cinderella's father, and Broadway great Jennifer Leigh Warren as The Fairy Godmother. Plus, after an extensive talent search, Veronica Dunne will star as Cinderella."
Socal- Recommended
"...Veronica Dunne gives a charming performance as Cinderella a.k.a. Cinders with her charming vocals and youthful smile. Prince Charming is portrayed by Freddie Stroma, famed for his role in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince as Cormac McLaggen, who gives a lighthearted performance as a young man in search of his forest girl. Yet the classic tale of Cinderella is lost in this Lythgoe Family Production that feels more appropriate for a West Hollywood crowd then children with sparkling wands and glowing smiles. Not that children will understand the jokes about the economy, Tiger Woods' lovers and wanting "all of [Prince Charming]" who is only "giving a ball", but the combination of a sugary sweet storyline and adult jokes is at times a bit much."
Broadway World- Highly Recommended
"...This sparkling new version of the classic fairytale Cinderella is a joy for adults and kids alike. In fact, it's done in the style of a British Panto (short for Pantomime), which has nothing to do with silent mime, but is classified as a winter comedy with music hall or vaudeville sensibility and enough audience participation to make it raucous and fun for the entire family. The Lythgoe Family's new entertainment @ the El Portal is certainly that, judging by audience reactions the day I attended. Everyone was cheering, booing and participating in top form making for a fun-filled afternoon."