Kaneland arts festival ends with staging of ‘Cinderella’

Submitted by Kaneland Community Fine Arts Festival

The last event in the 2011-12 Kaneland Community Fine Arts Festival performance series will be the summer theater production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.”

The summer theater production has been the closing event for the Kaneland Community Fine Arts Festival for the past three years. Previous musicals were “Bye Bye Birdie” (2011) and “The Music Man” (2010). This year, “Cinderella “will be directed by Rebecca Hof, an Elburn resident and music teacher in the Yorkville school district.

Members of the cast come from the surrounding communities as far as Elgin and Sandwich. For some of the actors onstage, “Cinderella” will be their first performance, while others have been onstage for more than 30 years. More than 65 individuals make up the company of “Cinderella” as actors, stage crew, production team, and pit orchestra members.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” was originally written for television and aired on March 30, 1957, starring Julie Andrews, who was playing Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady” on Broadway at the same time.

Since the 1957 event, “Cinderella” has played on television twice in versions starring Leslie Ann Warren and Brandi. On stage, “Cinderella” has become one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beloved shows.

The production’s popularity is due, in part, to its familiar storyline and timeless music. In celebration of “Cinderella,” guests are invited to create wands and crowns prior to the performances. After the performances, patrons are invited to have their picture taken with members of the cast for a small donation.

Performances for “Cinderella” will be Fridays to Sundays, July 13-22, in the auditorium on the campus of Kaneland High School, 47W326 Keslinger Road, Maple Park. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7 p.m. and Sunday performances are at 2 p.m.

Tickets are currently available for purchase at the festival website, www.kanelandartsfestival.org, for affordable prices. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 students and senior citizens, and $25 for the family ticket, which admits all family members currently living in one household.

Visit www.kanelandartsfestival.org for the complete listing of the 2012-13 season, as well as details on purchasing season tickets.

For details, call (630) 365-5100, ext. 180.