BROOKHAVEN — “Cinderella,” takes center stage Thursday evening at the Brookhaven Little Theatre. It is a story so well known and the theater is excited to put on the Broadway version of the show.

Steven McMorris said most people are likely familiar with the Disney version of the Cinderella story. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s version incorporates music written specifically for the show and is a musical. 

Like any BLT production, there are a few returning veteran cast members and some debutants. Prince Charming will be one of the new faces taking center stage. 

“Reece Paulk is our Prince Charming. He has never been on stage. We are glad to have him. He is a great asset for us,” McMorris said. “Mary Lawrence McKay is a familiar face at BLT and she will be our Cinderella.” 

One neat thing about the Brookhaven Little Theatre is how people from all walks of life get together to perform a production in their community. Paulk is a veterinarian at Southwest Animal Hospital in Summit for example. McKay works in Brookhaven at For the Girls Boutique. 

McMorris said the cast starts to develop a community and deep bonds throughout the life of a show. For example, the past eight weeks the Cinderella cast has worked together to perform the show over the next two weeks. 

“You get close to these people for eight weeks because of so many hours committed to rehearsal. You can make a lot of new friends,” McMoris said. “People have no idea what it takes to put on these shows. They are your family for eight weeks.” 

Each set is put together by a set designer and tailored specifically to the show. One exception is the set for “The play that goes wrong,” which was designed to fall apart for comedy. 

McMorris quipped this time the show is a lot different because they want everything to go right. BLT’s set for Cinderella paired with lighting design will add to the fairy tale and magic feel of the show. 

“It is very much a beautiful set to look at and you create the world of this fairy tale story. You have the big majestic staircase which she will come down,” McMorris said. “So much of that set is part of the iconic work of the story. Part of the story takes place in the step mother’s home. The set design is meant to look dark and give an evil look to contrast with the very bright and vibrant palace. It will represent a happy place for the Cinderella and Prince Charming to fall in love.” 

McMorris said this show will have a lot of moving parts in the set. Logistically, Cinderella will be a challenge to pull off. He added the show will have some magic for patrons to really enjoy the experience, although he wouldn’t spoil the surprise and specify what he meant by magic. 

Lighting will help set the tone of the play as it does most plays. People may not notice McMorris working behind the controls in the balcony as he takes control of the lights to help tell the story. 

“It is something I love to work and do. I take pride in it,” McMorris said. “You don’t want to do lighting. You want them to enhance the show and tell the story. It takes on beauty. This show is all about beauty. It is a classic story and we want to use lighting to help with the beautiful and magical look.” 

Bank of Brookhaven is the proud sponsor of the April show. Tickets can be purchased online for $15 to $30. 

 

Showtimes:

• Thursday, April 18, 2024, 7:00 PM
• Friday, April 19, 2024, 7:00 PM
• Saturday, April 20, 2024, 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM 
• Sunday, April 21, 2024, 2:00 PM
• Monday, April 22, 2024, 7:00 PM
• Thursday, April 25, 2024, 7:00 PM
• Friday, April 26, 2024, 7:00 PM
• Saturday, April 27, 2024, 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
• Sunday, April 28, 2024, 2:00 PM