BWW Reviews: Boulder's Dinner Theatre Presents CINDERELLA - Some Enchanted Evening!

Boulder's Dinner Theatre presents a enchanting version of Rogers & Hammerstein’s classic CINDERELLA playing now through September 1st. The story concerns a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother and self-concerned stepsisters, who dreams of a better life. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella is transformed into a Princess and finds her Prince.

For 34 plus years, Boulder's Dinner Theatre has been entertaining Colorado and the service (especially for the massive amount of diners that descend upon this theater) is friendly and efficient; and kudos on impeccable time-management! Our server was Shelly Cox-Robie, who was a very friendly server and not the sinister step-mother that she plays onstage. The food was diverse, quite tasty, and featured several new menu items. I dined on their new dish - the vegetable curry with chicken (fresh steamed vegetables tossed in an aromatic curry tomato sauce and mounded on fluffy brown rice) that was flavorful and had a nice heat to it. Be sure to get the hummus plate to start. This delicious Mediterranean spread is a zesty blend of garbanzo beans, sesame tahini and savory spices. Served with mixed olives marinated in Greek herbs, crisp vegetables and pita chips for dipping it is the perfect dish for sharing. At intermission be sure to devour one of their new desserts - the bread pudding (spiced bread with apples and raisins served with a rich caramel sauce and topped with whipped cream) and be sure to ask for it ala mode!!!

PHAMALY favorite, Jenna Bainbridge was simply adorable in the lead role of Cinderella. The only thing that bothered me was not mentioning her disability. Honestly, I would have mentioned it in the program (Jenna has Transverse Myelitis, a neurological disorder), so that parents can be sensitive to this and explain it to their children. With that said her voice was amazing and really carried the show. Her focus and drive made you forget about her disability and she sparkled in personality and costume. Prince Christopher was played efficiently by Arvada Center veteran, Matthew Daily. He had such a silky smooth voice and a killer smile. The two scene stealers were the audiences favorite drag-queens, the wicked step-sisters (Matthew D. Peters and Bob Hoppe) who were tacky, over-the-top and absolutely fabulous! Shelly Cox-Robie as the wicked stepmother was deliciously…Wicked and Alicia Dunfee as the Fairy Godmother was sarcastic and funny. King Maximillian (Wayne Kennedy) and Queen Contantine (Tracy Warren) were very endearing and had great chemistry together. Also - total props to the servant (Seth Caikowski), who was hilarious!

I have to say that this show was so lovely and endearing. An interesting aspect that I would like to point out is that this Rodgers & Hammerstein musical is different than their other classics as it focuses more on solos and not the big choral numbers that they are known for; and I did miss that aspect. But even with that said, the entire ensemble did such an amazing job and had such high energy. The grand dance and the glass slipper sequence had the audience in stitches!

The scenic design by Amy Campion was larger than life and enchanting, and I could not believe how many sets they had backstage for this show. I also loved the rotating feature that kept everything flowing. Cinderella’s transformation into princess covered every aspect of the stage and was magical and luminescent (thanks to thoughtful lighting design by Rachael Dugan and sound design by Wayne Kennedy. Costume designer Linda Morken really had her work cut out for her with this large cast and several costume changes. The outfits were colorful, flowy and gorgeous. I must give her total props on her outlandish and loud dresses for the step-sisters! Alicia Dunfee was pulling double duty as the Fairy Godmother and Director of this production and she handled both capably. Her husband, Neal Dunfee was also wonderful as the music conductor. I also have to mention that the marketing department had some genius ideas for this production, by offering additional amenities such as tea parties with the princess and well as photos with the prince and princess after the show!

This is a great show for kids and families, so grab your tiara and head on over to Boulder for this fabulous show! Boulder's Dinner Theatre production of CINDERELLA is enchanting audiences now until September 1st. For tickets or more information, contact the box office at 303-449-600 or online at www.bouldersdinnertheatre.com. Boulder's Dinner Theatre is located at 5501 Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder, Colorado.

Michael Mulhern has lived in Denver and been active in it's theater scene for over 10 years. He is originally from Wiesbaden, Germany and graduated with a BFA in Theater Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Currently he performs in one to two shows a year and is a proud member of the Denver Gay Men's Chorus. Some of Michael's favorite performances include - Lend Me a Tenor, Guys and Dolls, The Shadow Box, Buried Child, and Jeffrey. He is proud to represent Denver and it's growing theater community on BroadwayWorld.com!

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