Cinderella story turned on its head in 'Ella Enchanted'

Dobama Theatre celebrates the holiday season with a regional premiere of "Ella Enchanted." This family-friendly musical, adapted from the best-selling novel by Gail Carson Levine, is directed by Nathan Motta and will run from Nov. 30 through Dec. 30.

Dobama is thrilled to be partnering with Robin VanLear, community arts director at the Cleveland Museum of Art, to create puppets for the production.

With music, puppets, adventure, and plenty of girl power, "Ella Enchanted" is a modern Cinderella story. Ella is given the "gift" of obedience as an infant by a misguided fairy and cannot disobey any order. The strong-willed Ella goes on a quest to rid herself of this so-called gift. During her adventure, she encounters a wicked stepmother, ogres, giants, a magical bird, and a best friend. 

BroadwayWorld described the play as “admirably balanced between humor and pathos . . . [with] wonderful messages: learning to communicate with one another, appreciating the differences, being true to oneself, exploring the world, never giving up.”

“I grew up in Mexico, where the Cinderella myth is alive and well in both good ways and bad,” said playwright Karen Zacarías. “Cinderella is both a story of hope, redemption and justice while also being a story of passivity, obedience and physical attraction. ['Ella Enchanted'] sets Cinderella on her head by giving her grit and vision.” 

“'Ella Enchanted' is a fun and frolicking musical,” said Zacarías, “but it also carries a powerful message about each child’s responsibility to discover his or her own unique voice and use it to make the world a better and more inclusive place.”

The cast for this holiday production includes Natalie Green, Joshua McElroy, Tina D. Stump, Amy Fritsche, Kelly Elizabeth Smith, Neely Gevaart, Eugene Sumlin, Madeline Krucek and Arif Silverman. Dobama is thrilled to be partnering with Robin VanLear, community arts director at the Cleveland Museum of Art, to create puppets for the production.

Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for this holiday show range from $37–$40. Senior, student and military discounts are available. The performance on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m., is pay-as-you-can.

For more information and to purchase tickets, call the box office at 216-932-3396, or visit Dobama’s website, www.dobama.org. for special holiday performances and added family matinees.

Colin Anderson

Colin Anderson is the assistant to the artistic and managing directors at Dobama Theatre.

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Volume 11, Issue 11, Posted 7:18 PM, 10.31.2018