Greely Players ready 'timeless' production
Posted Feb 26, 2010 By Charelle Evelyn
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Tweet ThisEMC Entertainment - Audiences will be in for a magical evening when the Greely Players' production of Cinderella takes the stage next month.
The community theatre group is enthusiastically getting ready for the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that will open March 24 at the Greely Community Centre.
"I think it's going to be fabulous," said Anne Petersen, Players' president, adding that the cast has just recently been able to run through the entire show in rehearsal.
"It's starting to come together," she said. "It's starting to feel more real."
Not to be mistaken for the Disney version, the stage production of Cinderella was adapted from a 1957 television presentation starring Julie Andrews. With completely different songs, this version has far less emphasis on talking mice, instead delving deeper into the relationships between Cinderella and her family, and the prince and his own desire for freedom.
Ms. Petersen praised the strong talent making up the cast. They include Tanya Guimond, a post-graduate student at the University of Ottawa, as Cinderella, Matt Chin, a North Gower high school student, as the Prince, and Kate Brownlee, a graduate of Canterbury High School, as the Fairy Godmother.
The supporting roles and chorus are also stacked with great talents, including many who originally tried for the lead roles, said Ms. Petersen.
"If you get a lot of strong singers and they come out for a lead role and they don't get it, yes, there's disappointment," she said, adding that because the Greely Players' atmosphere is so enjoyable, many stayed on to be a part of the production anyway.
"We want to make this as fun for the cast as possible while producing a high-quality product for the audience."
Along with seeing a great show, Ms. Petersen explained the audience members are also encouraged to think of the production when planning birthday parties. The Greely Players will be offering opportunities for party groups to have their picture taken onstage with Cinderella and other cast members, she said.
As a part of their school outreach program, cast members will be visiting rural schools on March 5 to perform and answer questions.
"That will be a great way to promote the show and, at the same time, give kids some idea of what it's like to prepare to be onstage," said Mrs. Petersen.
Even though this year's show hasn't hit the stage yet, next year isn't far from Mrs. Petersen's mind. The theatre group has already settled on Willy Wonka for next spring, which will need a younger cast than this year's show.
Cinderella will run for six performances between March 24 and 28. To purchase tickets or arrange a Princess Party visit the Greely Players' web site at www.greelyplayers.ca or call (613) 821-5407.
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