Theatre: Cinderella Eats Beans and Rice

It's the time of year when theatre is glutted with pantos galore, especially in the UK, many without much distinguishing information for me to share on this blog. I try to highlight unusual interpretations of fairy tales--and grand scale ones--but there are too many productions to cover them all. However this one caught my eye this week so here's one to share.


Hartford Children's Theatre Presents CINDERELLA EATS RICE AND BEANS: A SALSA FAIRY TALE 1/15-31/2010

CINDERELLA EATS RICE AND BEANS: A SALSA FAIRY TALE is a critically acclaimed, bilingual children's musical by the award-winning team of playwright Karen Zacarias and composer Deborah Wicks La Puma. The contemporary, Latin-American musical delightfully turns the classic fairy tale on its head, telling the story from both Cinderella and her stepsisters' perspectives. Cinderella, an exchange student from Puerto Rico, comes to the United States to visit her "stepsister" Rosa. The two girls must work together to cross language barriers and cultural differences in order to come to an understanding at the (basket) ball game. With a Fairy Godfather and other delightful twists to the original story, CINDERELLA EATS RICE AND BEANS teaches a subtle lesson on empathy, sportsmanship and respect in the form of a fresh and lively salsa musical.

You can read more about it here or even get tickets if you are anywhere near Hartford, CT: CINDERELLA EATS RICE AND BEANS A Salsa Fairy Tale.