Following the success of the 1993 television adaptation of the stage musical Gypsy (1959), Houston approached Gypsy's producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron about starring in a remake of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella for CBS. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella: Musical: Video: $0 : November 7: Cold Around the Heart . It was the 5th most popular movie at the British box office in 1951. [17] Houston was retained as an executive producer, alongside Chase. "[41] While lauding Brandy and Montalban's efforts, James described the film's feminist re-writes as "clumsy" and accused it of wasting Houston's talent. Its recreation in 1965 . Con Brandy Norwood, Bernadette Peters, Veanne Cox, Natalie Desselle Reid. csl plasma price per donation. Release Date Title Production Budget Opening Weekend Domestic Box Office Worldwide Box Office; Jun 25, 2019: Cinderella II: Dreams Come Feb 6, 2007 MPAA Rating: PG for suggestive material and language. This became the highest-selling home video release of any made-for-television film at that time,[81][82] selling one million copies its first week. [91] 1.5 million viewers watched. [17][19] Zadan explained that, because of her popularity, Houston "had so many other concrete things that she was doing that 'Cinderella' took a back seat". [69] Mandy Len Catron, author of How to Fall in Love with Anyone: A Memoir in Essays, believes that the film remains "The only truly diverse version of the fairy tale" as of 2017. Yang Hormat Dato' Sri Idris bin Md. [84] AllMusic biographer Steve Huey attributes the film's high ratings to its "star power and integrated cast". [105] In a mixed review, The New York Times journalist Caryn James found the film's multi-racial cast and incorporation of stronger Rodgers and Hammerstein material improve Cinderella overall, but admitted the production fails to "take that final leap into pure magic", dismissing it as "a cobbled-together 'Cinderella' for the moment, not the ages. [133] CinemaBlend ranked the film the fourth most charming film adaptation. [20][56] Additionally, samples of "Impossible" and the wedding march were interpolated into its melody. 16. Originally presented on television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was the most widely viewed program in the history of the medium. "[36] Due to the well-known cast, tabloid newspapers often fabricated stories of the cast engaging in physical altercations, particularly among Brandy, Houston and Goldberg, all of which were proven false. What better message could we send than that? "[25] Ashley Rey, a writer for Bustle, opined that the film "helped show the world that black and brown faces should have just as much of a presence in fairytale land as white faces do. [9][48] Alexander accepted the role despite being paid significantly less than his Seinfeld salary because, in addition to hoping to earn Zadan and Meron's favor for the title role in a potential film adaptation of the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), he hoped that Cinderella would positively impact the future of television musicals. [2] Houston remained heavily involved in the film's production aspects, despite being relegated to a supporting acting role, retaining final approval over all creative decisions, particularly its multiracial cast. Critics Consensus: Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine finds the director in peak late-period form -- and benefiting from a superb cast led by Cate Blanchett. [22] Mary and James often visited,[35] as well as Chapin. [21] Hoping to relaunch the series using "a big event", Disney CEO Michael Eisner approached Zadan and Meron about potential television projects; the producers suggested Houston's Cinderella, which Eisner green-lit immediately. The Stork Club . The film was directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi. "[2] Similarly, television critic Ken Tucker, writing for Entertainment Weekly, praised Brandy and Alexander but found that Houston "strikes a wrong note as a sassy, vaguely hostile Fairy Godmother" while dismissing Montalban as "a drearily bland prince" and describing most of the musical numbers as "clunky", predicting that children "will sleep through" the film. I know it was important for Whitney to leave this legacy for her daughter. [15] The film became ABC's most-watched Sunday night program in more than 10 years,[81][82] as well as the most-watched program during the network's two-hour 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm time slot in 1314 years,[9][15][78][83] a record it broke within its first hour of airing. Order of credits adapted from Variety magazine and the British Film Institute:[2][3], Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was the third screen version of the musical. "[106] Describing the film as "big, gaudy, miles over the top and loads of fun", Variety's Ray Richmond found some of its aspects distracting and opined that the entire project "could have been toned down a notch and still carried across plenty of the requisite spunk. Worldwide$10,000,000. After revisiting the 1997 Cinderella on Disney+, . The decision to use a color-blind casting approach originated among the producers to reflect how society had evolved by the 1990s, with Brandy becoming the first Black actress to portray Cinderella on screen. "[16] Similar to the film, the stage adaptation has consistently demonstrated color-blind casting. [8] In 2007, theatre historian John Kenrick dismissed the film as "a desecration of Rodgers & Hammerstein's only original TV musical" despite its popularity, advising audiences to only watch the previous versions of the musical. "[34] The Sistahs' Rules author Denene Millner was less receptive towards the fact that Brandy's Cinderella falls in love with a non-Black prince, arguing, "When my stepson who's 5 looks at that production, I want him to know he can be somebody's Prince Charming. "[104] Leonard also praised the actors' musical performances, particularly Peters' "Falling in Love with Love", but admitted that he prefers the songs used in Disney's 1950 animated adaptation of the fairy tale. Home video promotional poster, featuring Houston and Brandy as their respective characters. "[102] McDonagh observed that the color-blindness of the entire cast spares the film from potentially suffering "disturbing overtones" that otherwise could have resulted from images of an African-American Cinderella being mistreated by her Caucasian stepmother. [37] "The Sweetest Sounds", a duet Rodgers wrote himself following Hammerstein's death for the musical No Strings (1962), was used to explore the lead couple's initial thoughts and early relationship upon meeting each other in the town square,[20] performing separately until they are united. Despite being apprehensive about introducing herself to him, the pair bond upon realizing that both are dissatisfied with their sheltered home lives. [16] Although he had not written a musical before, Freedman was fond of Warren's version and drawn to the opportunity to work with Zadan and Meron, whose plans to remake Cinderella he had first read about in a Variety article. Disney's recent streak continued over the weekend with the $70.1 million North American debut of its traditional, sumptuously costumed fairy tale adaptation "Cinderella," according to studio . [82] At the 50th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1998, the film was also nominated for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, and Outstanding Music Direction, ultimately winning one for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program, which was awarded to Julie Kaye Fanton, Edward L. Rubin and Randy Ser. Back at their own home, Cinderella wishes to attend the ball herself, but her stepmother ridicules the idea, advising her that a prince would never be interested in her and to remain grateful for her current life. It was adapted by Robert L. Freedman and directed by Robert Iscove, with choreography by Rob Marshall, and was produced by Whitney Houston and Debra . [37] Zadan agreed that "We've only been able to make [expensive musicals] because of the home-video component. You might also like See More Riding High. [117] Freedman's teleplay was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Children's Script. Distributor Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. [4], According to Ray Richmond of Variety, Freedman's teleplay is faster in pace and contains more dialogue than previous versions,[2] although A Problem Like Maria: Gender and Sexuality in the American Musical author Stacy Ellen Wolf believes that the teleplay borrows more from the 1957 version than Joseph Schrank's 1965 version due to sharing much of its humor, dialogue and gender politics with Hammerstein's book. After being scolded for speaking to a stranger, Cinderella returns to her stepfamily's aid before she was able to realize the young man is Prince Christopher. [16] Despite quickly earning approval from the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization,[12] Houston typically took longer to make decisions, and although the producers sent and continuously reminded her about the script, it remained unread for several months. ", "TV's Hit "Cinderella" Musical May Waltz to the Stage", "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) Miscellaneous Notes", "Cinderella, Michael Crawford, Stomp Get Emmy Nominations", "Stage to Screens: Storyline's Zadan and Meron Discuss TV 'Music Man', "7 Cinderella Movies Ranked By How Charming Their Love Stories Are", "Cinderella's Gown Throughout the Decades Brandy Norwood in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella", "EXCLUSIVE: Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1997 Cinderella Makes a Strong Case for DiverseNot Color BlindCasting", "The Whitney/Brandy Cinderella Was One of the Most Important Movies of the '90s", "7 Memorable Movies from ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney", "Disney's 'Wonderful World' spins again on ABC", "Whitney Houston, superstar of records, films, dies", "Bobbi Kristina Brown Through the Years (Photos)", "Behind 'The Princess Diaries,' a Regal Eagle", "ABC HAS 'CINDERELLA' NIGHT (Entertainment/Weekend/Spotlight)", "Cinderella and Oprah help ABC to season's first ratings win", "Commentary: Critics ridiculed Brandy's 'Cinderella.' [16] In a final attempt to earn Houston's approval, Meron and Zadan enlisted Broadway actors to perform a read-through for the singer, namely La Chanze as Cinderella, Brian Stokes Mitchell as the prince, Theresa Meritt as the Fairy Godmother and Dana Ivey as the Stepmother. ", "From Hilary Duff to Brandy: The Top 7 Cinderella Movies", "Watch Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella cast reunion with Brandy, Whoopi Goldberg, and more: 'It was a game changer', "A 25th anniversary special for the Brandy Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella will air on ABC", "How a PR problem led to Disney's first Latina princess, "Elena of Avalor", "Keke Palmer Makes History Again As The First Black Cinderella On Broadway! [64] During the 25th anniversary reunion special aired on ABC on August 23, 2022,[68] Brandy revealed that all of the closeup shots of Cinderella's feet in the glass slippers were done by a foot model with smaller feet than her own size 9, joking that "size nine shoes look like size 12 on TV". [96][97], Playbill's Rebecca Paller reviewed the New York screening as "overflowing with star performances, lavish sets" and "lush rainbow-hued costumes", describing its score as "fresher than ever. [53] Despite praising Houston, Montalban, Alexander and Peters, People's Terry Kelleher found Brandy's vocals inferior to Houston's and "lack[ing] the vocal command and emotive power to" support the film's ballads. [62], The film also won an Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design Awards Show, Variety, Music, or Non-Fiction Program,[116] awarded to Ser. I love the fact that millions of children are going to hear her sing 'I can be whatever I want to be.' [37] Although the producers agreed that Houston's character would sing the film's closing number,[52] selecting a song for Houston proved a challenge. [143], According to Ruthie Fierberg of Playbill, Brandy's performance "immortalized the role on screen",[144] while Hollywood.com's Jeremy Rodriguez ranked her seventh out of "10 Actresses Who Played Cinderella Like Royalty", praising her for introducing "a more independent version of the classic character. [59] To film the "Impossible" musical sequence, Houston rode on a wooden pulley to simulate the effect that she was flying alongside Cinderella's pumpkin carriage. [27] Both Polygon and Mashable named 1997's Cinderella the best version of the story,[100][132] while Entertainment Tonight ranked the film the third greatest adaptation of the fairy tale. [5] The final actor to audition for the film,[36] Paolo Montalban was ultimately cast as Prince Christopher in his film debut;[23] Montalban had been an understudy in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical The King and I at the time. When Cinderella's stepfamily return home, they begin sharing embellished recounts of their evening. Piala AFC. [16] Houston remained silent for most of the reading, barely engaging with the participants until the end of the table read when she finally declared her approval of the script and eventually sent the actors flowers to apologize for her tardiness. The Cinderella: Sarah Michelle Gellar The Gist: A critical and box office bomb, this computer-animated film feels a bit like a warmed-over Shrek, combining the Cinderella story with elements from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.Cinderella must escape from Fairy Tale Land after her power-hungry stepmother (Sigourney Weaver, 71) tips the scales of . ", "TV Weekend; The Glass Slipper Fits With a 90's Conscience", "11 Cinderella Movie Adaptations, Ranked", "It's Beauty and the Beast: A multiracial 'Cinderella' and a bloody-bad 'House of Frankenstein' kick off sweeps", "Bernadette Peters will star in a new production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, Cinderella, to be aired on ABC-TV Nov. 2", "Why Brandy's Cinderella Is Actually the Best Cinderella (Yes, Including the Original)", "Cinderella Screening: A Star Sapphire Evening", "Brandy & Whitney Houston's 'Cinderella' Is Airing In Honor Of Its 20th Anniversary & You Won't Want To Miss It", "Adding More To Cinderella's Score? "[29] Chase hoped that the film mirroring an evolving society "will touch every child and the child in every adult",[19] encouraging "children of all colors [to] dream. [49] Most of the film's cast Brandy, Houston, Cox, Garber, Desselle and Montalban was present; Goldberg and Alexander were unable to attend. [110] The Oxford Handbook of The American Musical editor Raymond Knapp believes that Brandy's sitcom experience negatively affected her acting, writing that she often overreacts and delivers lines "as if they were punch lines rather than emotionally generated phrases. "[51], Martha Tesema, a writer for Mashable, called the film "the best live-action princess remake", writing that it "deserves just as much praise now as it did then. [16] After relocating their production company, Storyline Entertainment, from CBS to Disney Studios,[18] Zadan and Meron re-introduced the project to Houston. [46][47], Jason Alexander was cast as the prince's valet Lionel, an entirely new character created for comic relief. [37] Iscove identified the film's time period as "nouveau into deco," while also incorporating influences from the work of Gustav Klimt. Using all the gifts I've been given as an advocate, philanthropist, photographer, and author, I bring more than twenty years of leadership, fiscal accountability, stewardship, communication, and . "[46] Theater director Timothy Sheader found the production "harsh and unmagical". One of the best Disney movies from the 90s, 101 Dalmatians live-action is based on the book by Dodie Smith. [37] This version of Cinderella was the first live-action fairy tale featuring color-blind casting to be broadcast on television,[50] boasting one of the most diverse ensemble casts to appear on television at the time. Based on the French fairy tale by Charles Perrault, the film is the second remake and third version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, which originally aired on television in 1957. Ginsburg. [9][62] Surprisingly, 70 percent of Cinderella's total viewership that evening consisted of females under the age of 18,[15][79] specifically ages two to 11. [49] The actor concluded "There's no reason why this can't be the norm. [87] On February 14, 1999 (Valentine's Day), ABC re-aired the film,[21] which was watched by 15 million viewers. [12] During a scheduled visit in July, approximately midway through the filming process, Mary and James previewed early footage of the film and met the cast. [70] However, the actress insisted that the film's queen should wear real jewelry instead and personally contacted jeweler Harry Winston to lend the production millions of dollars worth of jewels,[36] which ultimately included a 70-carat diamond ring and a necklace worth $9 million and $2.5 million, respectively. [58] Brandy learned to waltz for the role,[32] a task which took her two weeks to perfect. In 2014, actress Keke Palmer was cast as Cinderella on Broadway, becoming the first Black actress to play the role on Broadway. (4,798) 7.7 1 h 17 min 1965 X-Ray G. A sparkling fantasy of music, magic and romance, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella captivates from overture to finale with a delightful score and stunning flittering performances from an all-star cast. [16] The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization allowed the filmmakers an unusual amount of freedom to modify the musical's script, among these changes making Cinderella a more active heroine;[37] Meron credits Freedman with "giv[ing] her a little bit more of a backbone", ultimately developing the character into a more independent woman. [122] According to Zadan, Cinderella's success "helped secure a future for musicals in the 'Wonderful World of Disney' slot", whose film company Storyline Entertainment started developing new musicals for the series shortly afterward, including Annie (1999). Synopsis: After her marriage to a wealthy businessman (Alec Baldwin) collapses, New York socialite Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) flees to San Francisco. At Lionel's suggestion, Constantina and Maximillian compromise that should Christopher not be successful in choosing a bride at the ball, he be allowed to find one on his own terms. [9] Hirschhorn interpreted the film's success as an indication that "there is a huge family audience out there for quality programming," expressing interest in eventually "fill[ing] in the ground between feature animated musicals and Broadway". [79] Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella was released on VHS February 10, 1998, a mere 101 days after premiere. [44] For Entertainment Weekly, Denise Lanctot praised the musical numbers and choreography but found Brandy's performance underwhelming, describing it as "oddly vacuous" and "Barbie-doll blank" while criticizing her singing. [12] However, this idea was abandoned due to conflicts between Houston and Brandy's respective record labels. ''[20] James also believes Hammerstein would have approved of the color-blind casting, claiming he would have asked why the process took as long as it did. [108] Television critic Howard Rosenberg, in a review for the Los Angeles Times, described Brandy's singing as superior to her acting, resulting in "a tender, fresh Cinderella". Hallmark Keepsake Ornament "Little Red Riding Hood" By Madame Alexander/New In Box Dated 1997/"Cinderella"/Madame Alexander 1996 [20] Agreeing that Cinderella required a certain "naivete that's just not there when you're 30-something",[17] the producers suggested that Houston play Cinderella's fairy godmother instead,[20] a role she accepted because it was "less demanding" and time consuming. 'Cinderella' becomes the servant of the house. [44] Attributing most of the "magic" to Alexander, Peters and Goldberg, Rosenberg was unimpressed with Montalban and Houston, who he described as "pastel as a prince can get (although it's not his fault the character is written as a doofus)" and "not much of a fairy godmother", respectively. [49] Although well-received by audiences,[27] Cinderella premiered to generally mixed reviews from most critics,[89][98][99][100] who were critical of some of its songs, cast and feminist approach,[34][41] at times deeming it inferior to the 1957 and 1965 versions. "[37] A writer for Newsweek believed that Brandy's Cinderella falling in love with a non-Black prince reflects "a growing loss of faith in black men by many black women", explaining, "Just as Brandy's Cinderella falls in love with a prince of another color, so have black women begun to date and marry interracially in record numbers. [12] Music producers Chris Montan and Arif Mardin were interested in combining "Broadway legit with Hollywood pop",[12] re-arranging the musical's original orchestration in favor of achieving a more contemporary sound by updating its rhythm and beats. [94][99][131] The Daily Telegraph deemed the 1997 adaptation "The final of the trio of classic Cinderella remakes". People were clearly still thinking, 'Multicultural is one thing, but do we have to have two black leads? [20] The filmmakers wanted to prove that Stepmother is not simply "an evil harridan" but rather a "product of bitter experience",[20] for which Freedman himself suggested "Falling in Love With Love". . '", citing its diverse cast, combating of sexist stereotypes often depicted in other Disney films, and empowering themes that encourage children to make their own dreams come true as opposed to simply "keep on believing" among "three important reasons the 1997 version has maintained relevance today. makes preparations for her two daughters to attend in the hope the Prince may choose one of them to be his. MPAA PG. Cinderella currently has a score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. [37] Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella premiered on October 13, 1997 at Mann's Chinese Theatre,[75] which Houston attended with her husband and daughter. The original cast included Brandy and the late Whitney Houston, as well as Whoopi Goldberg as Queen Constatina, Paolo Montalban as Prince Christopher, Victor Garber as King Maximillian, Bernadette . Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. "[20] The filmmakers also agreed that it would be wasteful to cast Peters without allowing her to sing. Cinderella is a musically-driven bold new take on the traditional story you grew up with. [28] A BET biographer referred to the production as a "phenomenon" whose cast "broke new ground. For example, 2017's Beauty and the Beast, 2019's Aladdin and Lion King each surpassed $1 billion in box office earnings. [12] The idea to remake Cinderella for television a second time originated as early as 1992, at which time producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron first approached the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization about obtaining the screen rights to the production. "[34], The film received several accolades. Possibili progetti. [4] Victor Garber, who was cast as King Maximillian, also enjoyed the film's multicultural cast, describing the fact that his character has an Asian son with an African-American queen as "extraordinary". [47] In order to give Cinderella's ballgown a "magical look", Mirojnick combined blue and white detailing into the dress, in addition to incorporating a peplum, a design element that had not been used in previous versions of the gown. [16] Aware that the film could potentially be groundbreaking, Freedman, Zadan and Meron collaborated on several new ideas for the remake, among them ensuring that Cinderella "was defined by more than falling in love", providing her with her own story arc that is beyond simply finding a love interest. Despite this, Cinderella proved a major ratings success, originally airing to 60 million viewers and establishing itself as the most-watched television musical in decades, earning ABC its highest Sunday-night ratings in 10 years. "[16] Executive producer Debra Martin Chase explained that, despite enjoying Warren's performance as Cinderella, she and Houston "realized we never saw a person of color playing Cinderella", explaining, "To have a black Cinderella is just something. Seeing a princess with box braids like mine and a fairy godmother like Whitney gave me and girls who looked like me a glimpse at an early age of why it is necessary to demand representation of all types of people playing all types of roles in films. 2 Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) . "[16], Television writer Robert L. Freedman became involved with the project as early as 1993. She's directed music videos, which I'm not turning my nose up at, many directors have started out directing music videos, but it's just not the same thing. "[69] The costume department originally created fake jewelry for Goldberg's character, which consisted of rhinestones for her to wear during the film's ballroom and wedding sequences. Solely determined to bolster their own wealth and social status by marrying the prince, Cinderella's stepfamily leaves for the ball, leaving Cinderella home alone. [113] Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards,[18][114] including Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special. [15] According to the Nielsen ratings, Cinderella averaged a 22.3 rating and 31 share (although it was originally estimated that the program had earned only an 18.8 rating),[9][78] which is believed to have been bolstered by the film's strong appeal towards women and adults between the ages of 18 and 49. They save the original sound while updating it. "[12] With a then-unprecedented production budget of $12 million, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella is one of the most expensive television films ever made;[21][62] some media publications dubbed the program "the most expensive two hours ever produced for television. [51], ABC aired Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella on August 23, 2022 for the film's 25th anniversary, following Cinderella: The Reunion, A Special Edition of 20/20. [24] Fitzpatrick went on to write that the supporting cast lacks "a weak link" entirely, finding it obvious that Houston enjoyed her material and commending the contributions of Peters, Alexander, Goldberg, Garber, Cox and Deselle. All of these elements make watching or re-watching the film incredible, but a deeper look reveals a main reason why it was enchanting to begin with: The whole film is refreshingly diverse. [36] Whoopi Goldberg accepted the role of Queen Constantina because Cinderella reminded her of a period when television specials were "major event[s]" before home video made such programs available and re-watchable at virtually any time, and hoped that the film would re-introduce the tradition of watching it live and "become part of the fabric of our lives again.