Musicals On TV - Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997)

ABC/Disney, 1997
Starring Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, and Paolo Montalban
Directed by Robert Iscove
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and others

Whitney Houston had been wanting to remake Cinderella for years, but by the time Disney was interested, she thought herself too old for the role and suggested Brandy instead. This movie was important in several respects. Not only did it re-launch the beloved anthology The Wonderful World of Disney, but it was the first version of Cinderella to use color-blind casting, with a black Cinderella and an Asian prince. Did the gamble pay off? Let's head back to the square, where Cinderella and her stepmother and stepsisters are shopping, to find out...

The Story: While helping her stepmother (Peters) and stepsisters with their shopping, Cinderella (Brandy) encounters a handsome young man (Montalban) in the town square. She's smitten with him, but her stepmother thinks the idea of marrying for love is foolish. Queen Constatina (Whoopi Goldberg) would agree. She insists that her son holds a ball to find a bride, though her husband thinks their son should marry for love. Cinderella's stepmother is quite jealous of her pretty stepdaughter, who is so much sweeter than her own spoiled daughters, and has no intention of letting her go to the ball. Cinderella finally gets help from the glittering Fairy Godmother (Houston), who shows her that love and trust are the most important things in any relationship, and that real love comes from a kind and gentle heart.

The Song and Dance: Disney really went all out with this one. From the colorful fairy-tale costumes to the stunning sets, this is by far the best Cinderella to look at. The cast is mostly pretty decent, too. Bernadette Peters has a lot of fun as the scheming stepmother, who will do anything possible to push and shove her daughters into high society. Goldberg and Garber are equally amusing as the king and queen. The handsome and charming Montalban is a revelation as the Prince; easy on the eyes, sings like a dream, handles the dramatic and comedic moments equally well.

Favorite Number: We have a nice opening with "The Sweetest Songs" as Prince Christopher helps Cinderella out in the square, and they win each other's hearts. Jason Alexander, as the Prince's long-suffering steward Lionel, leads the chorus through an excitingly-choreographed "The Prince Is Giving A Ball." The stepmother was previously played by non-singing actresses. They beefed up Peters and the stepsisters' roles with the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart ballad "Falling In Love With Love." Montalban really ladles his instrument into "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" Houston finishes with the rare Rodgers and Hammerstein ballad "There's Music In You."

Trivia: "There's Music In You" is from the little-known film Main Street to Broadway. "The Sweetest Sounds" was written by Richard Rodgers alone and was taken from the 1961 stage musical No Strings. "Falling In Love With Love" comes from the 1930's Rodgers and Hart show The Boys From Syracuse.

What I Don't Like: I know this was Houston's project, but she and Brandy stick out like sore thumbs. Like Carrie Underwood, their pop sensibilities don't work with the music or the material (although, as mentioned, Houston does manage a nice "There's Music In You"). Brandy's voice is too small for the music, and she can come off as a little stiff. This being television, the CGI effects on Houston look fairly cheap and obvious.

While "Falling In Love" sounds great on Peters, the darker Rodgers and Hart tune is a bit out of place among the more romantic songs Rodgers did with his later partner.

The Big Finale: I saw this when it first debuted in 1997, and I still enjoy it today. Slightly older princesses and those who have equally fond memories will really enjoy this one.

Home Media: Only on DVD at the moment, but it can be found for under 5 dollars in most places.

DVD