When the Prince and Lionel arrive at Cinderella's home, the Stepmother locks Cinderella in the kitchen hoping to keep her hidden. [12] Further development was inspired by the success of CBS' adaptation of the stage musical Gypsy (1993) starring Bette Midler which,[13][14] in addition to being credited with reviving interest in the genre,[14] Zadan and Meron had also produced;[15] CBS executive Jeff Sagansky asked Zadan and Meron to start brainstorming ideas for a follow-up shortly after Gypsy premiered. [90] The network also aired "Cinderella"-themed episodes of Brandy's sitcom Moesha and the sitcom Sister, Sister in commemoration. "[49] According to Paller, the screening resembled a Broadway tryout more than a film preview since the audience reportedly applauded at the end of every song. Tonight's trending movie pick is the Family/Fantasy/Musical movie Cinderella (1997).Synopsis: Although mis. [44] For Entertainment Weekly, Denise Lanctot praised the musical numbers and choreography but found Brandy's performance underwhelming, describing it as "oddly vacuous" and "Barbie-doll blank" while criticizing her singing. [38], Freedman continuously re-wrote the script between 1993 and 1997, particularly concerned about whether or not Houston would like his teleplay. [88] According to Ashley Lee of the Los Angeles Times, Cinderella was the most profitable television film of its time. [41] According to George Rodosthenous, author of The Disney Musical on Stage and Screen: Critical Approaches from 'Snow White' to 'Frozen', "traces of sexism" were removed from the script in favor of creating "a prince for a new era" while maintaining its "fundamental storyline";[42] this version of the story emphasizes that the prince has fallen in love with Cinderella because she is funny and intelligent, in addition to being beautiful. "[4], Casting the prince was significantly more time consuming, with Chase likening the process to searching for the owner of Cinderella's glass slipper. [70] However, the actress insisted that the film's queen should wear real jewelry instead and personally contacted jeweler Harry Winston to lend the production millions of dollars worth of jewels,[36] which ultimately included a 70-carat diamond ring and a necklace worth $9 million and $2.5 million, respectively. [52] Broadway lyricist Fred Ebb was recruited to contribute original lyrics to the new arrangement "that melded stylistically with the Hammerstein originals. [69] Mandy Len Catron, author of How to Fall in Love with Anyone: A Memoir in Essays, believes that the film remains "The only truly diverse version of the fairy tale" as of 2017. [55] Various elements from Freedman's script were incorporated into the 2000 national tour of Cinderella,[126] which is considered to be the first time the musical was adapted into a legitimate Broadway-style production. [21] Hoping to relaunch the series using "a big event", Disney CEO Michael Eisner approached Zadan and Meron about potential television projects; the producers suggested Houston's Cinderella, which Eisner green-lit immediately. [82] At the 50th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1998, the film was also nominated for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, and Outstanding Music Direction, ultimately winning one for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program, which was awarded to Julie Kaye Fanton, Edward L. Rubin and Randy Ser. [99][132] Brandy's performance earned her the titles "the first Cinderella of color", "the first black Cinderella" and "the first African-American princess" by various media publications,[32][98][140][141] while Shondaland.com contributor Kendra James dubbed Brandy "Disney's first black princess", crediting her with proving that "Cinderella could have microbraids" and crowning her the Cinderella of the 1990s. [9], In his book The Cambridge Companion to the Musical, author Nicholas Everett identified Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella among important television musicals that "renewed interest in the genre" during the 1990s,[54] with Playbill recognizing it as "the resurgence of televised movie musicals". "[20] The filmmakers also agreed that it would be wasteful to cast Peters without allowing her to sing. [25] Furthermore, the writer opined that future live-action remakes should watch Cinderella for reference. [16] Although he had not written a musical before, Freedman was fond of Warren's version and drawn to the opportunity to work with Zadan and Meron, whose plans to remake Cinderella he had first read about in a Variety article. [20] Houston explained that by the time she became a wife and mother, she was not "quite feeling like Cinderella" anymore, believing that portraying the ingenue would require significant "reaching" for herself as an actress. [138] Brandy is considered to be the first African-American to play Cinderella on-screen. Cinderella. [12] The idea to remake Cinderella for television a second time originated as early as 1992, at which time producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron first approached the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization about obtaining the screen rights to the production. [20][52] Few songs remaining in Rodgers and Hammerstein's repertoire were deemed suitable until they re-discovered "There's Music in You", a little-known song from the film Main Street to Broadway (1953),[20] in which the songwriters play themselves. [143], According to Ruthie Fierberg of Playbill, Brandy's performance "immortalized the role on screen",[144] while Hollywood.com's Jeremy Rodriguez ranked her seventh out of "10 Actresses Who Played Cinderella Like Royalty", praising her for introducing "a more independent version of the classic character. Several well-known actors auditioned for the role, including Wayne Brady, Antonio Sabato, Jr., Marc Anthony and Taye Diggs, the latter of whom was highly anticipated due to his starring role in the musical Rent at the time. [42][52] She advises her own daughters about love and relationships,[52] warning them not to confuse love with marriage. future bride. [39] Casting the stepmother proved particularly challenging since most of the white actresses considered for the role felt uneasy about acting cruelly towards a Black Cinderella; Bette Midler was among several actresses who declined. Although mistreated by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella is able to attend the royal ball through the help of a fairy godmother. Its recreation in 1965 . The film was directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi. "[145] Fuse TV dubbed Brandy's performance as Cinderella "iconic" and "arguably the most groundbreaking portrayal at time," inspiring the character to become more diverse in the following years. (Rating bulletin 2680 (cert #52631), 5/12/2021) Running Time: 113 minutes. [49] The actor concluded "There's no reason why this can't be the norm. [47] Den of Geek ranked the film the second best "Cinderella" adaptation, describing it as "the first time the story truly felt magical" and writing "Almost twenty-five years later, this adaptation still feels like the television event it was when it premiered. [52], "Falling in Love With Love", which Rodgers wrote with lyricist Lorenz Hart for the musical The Boys from Syracuse (1938), was adapted into a song for Cinderella's stepmother, a character who seldom sings or expresses her innermost feelings in previous adaptations of the fairy tale. [36][70] The Brooklyn Paper estimates that Goldberg wore approximately $60 million worth of jewelry for the film. [27] Both Polygon and Mashable named 1997's Cinderella the best version of the story,[100][132] while Entertainment Tonight ranked the film the third greatest adaptation of the fairy tale. [20] Freedman was more concerned with writing a film suitable for young girls in the 1990s than writing a multi-cultural film, inspired by stories about his wife being affected by women's representation in films when she was growing up. The timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn with Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance. When Christopher recognizes Cinderella from the marketplace, he tries the slipper on her foot, and it fits perfectly. Critics Consensus: Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine finds the director in peak late-period form -- and benefiting from a superb cast led by Cate Blanchett. However, she called Montalban "perfectly charming" and "The real fairy tale". [20] The filmmakers wanted to prove that Stepmother is not simply "an evil harridan" but rather a "product of bitter experience",[20] for which Freedman himself suggested "Falling in Love With Love". [5][6] Songwriters Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II originally wrote Cinderella as a musical exclusively for television starring Julie Andrews,[7] which aired in 1957 to 107 million viewers. [90] Essence's Deena Campbell credited the singer with "inspiring other young girls to be Black Cinderellas". [122] According to Zadan, Cinderella's success "helped secure a future for musicals in the 'Wonderful World of Disney' slot", whose film company Storyline Entertainment started developing new musicals for the series shortly afterward, including Annie (1999). [127] A Broadway adaptation of the musical premiered in 2013, in which several songs from the 1997 film are re-used, including "There's Music in You". "[69] The costume department originally created fake jewelry for Goldberg's character, which consisted of rhinestones for her to wear during the film's ballroom and wedding sequences. [123] According to Vulture.com entertainment critic Matt Zoller Seitz, both productions "stood out for their lush production values, expert control of tone, and ahead-of-the-curve commitment to diverse casting. [102] Despite calling the supporting cast "unusually strong", the critic felt Brandy and Houston acted too much like their own selves for their performances to be considered truly compelling. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella is regarded by contemporary critics as a groundbreaking film due to the unprecedented diversity of its cast and Brandy's role. [35][72] Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was a major ratings success, breaking several television records much like the original did. [12] However, this idea was abandoned due to conflicts between Houston and Brandy's respective record labels. [20][56] Additionally, samples of "Impossible" and the wedding march were interpolated into its melody. Cinderella is soon visited by her Fairy Godmother for the first time, who encourages her to go to the ball; she magically transforms a pumpkin into a carriage, rats into footmen and a coachman, mice into horses, and her rags into a beautiful ballgown, complete with a pair of glass slippers. [24] Fitzpatrick went on to write that the supporting cast lacks "a weak link" entirely, finding it obvious that Houston enjoyed her material and commending the contributions of Peters, Alexander, Goldberg, Garber, Cox and Deselle. $14.00. "[147] Similarly, Elle writer R. Eric Thomas crowned Cinderella "One of the Most Important Movies of the '90s". Although mistreated by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella is able to attend the royal ball through the help of a fairy godmother. Budget $95,000,000. [9][20] CBS originally intended to air the completed film by the end of the 1994-1995 television season, but the project was continuously delayed. Pertarungan tinju perwakilan dari Indonesia seperti Daud Yordan, Ongen Saknosiwi, dan lainnya (bersama iNews dan web- app Vision+ serta RCTI+) Cinderella grows dismayed and wishes to leave when the King and Queen ask her about her background, but her Fairy Godmother encourages her to stay. Brandy Norwood, left, and Whitney Houston are part of why "Cinderella" (1997) has withstood the test of time. [16] Despite quickly earning approval from the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization,[12] Houston typically took longer to make decisions, and although the producers sent and continuously reminded her about the script, it remained unread for several months. [16] Although they were originally concerned that the organization would dismiss the idea of a multi-cultural cast, they were surprised when the company did not protest whatsoever. [53] Despite praising Houston, Montalban, Alexander and Peters, People's Terry Kelleher found Brandy's vocals inferior to Houston's and "lack[ing] the vocal command and emotive power to" support the film's ballads. "[4] Houston found the most impressive part of the remake to be "the lessons youngsters can learn about dreams and self-image". [16] In a final attempt to earn Houston's approval, Meron and Zadan enlisted Broadway actors to perform a read-through for the singer, namely La Chanze as Cinderella, Brian Stokes Mitchell as the prince, Theresa Meritt as the Fairy Godmother and Dana Ivey as the Stepmother. [45] These segments were again interpolated with excerpts from the 1957 version. The original cast included Brandy and the late Whitney Houston, as well as Whoopi Goldberg as Queen Constatina, Paolo Montalban as Prince Christopher, Victor Garber as King Maximillian, Bernadette . [86] ABC's chief researcher Larry Hyams recalled that few "predicted the magnitude of Cinderella's numbers". [78], In addition to being the most-watched program of the evening, Cinderella remained the most-watched program of the entire week, scoring higher ratings than the consistently popular shows ER and Seinfeld. Cinderella (TV Movie 1997) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. [19][31] Montan, who oversees most of the music for Disney's animated films, had been interested in crossing over into live-action for several years and identified Cinderella as one of the first opportunities in which he was allowed to do so. That in stories, there are no constraints; the only limit is your imagination. Nov 21, 2022, 2:52 PM UTC jordan 11 low concord boss amp margaritaville hotel in pigeon forge roadrunner financial payments ark industrial forge gfi boho lamp. [37] "The Sweetest Sounds", a duet Rodgers wrote himself following Hammerstein's death for the musical No Strings (1962), was used to explore the lead couple's initial thoughts and early relationship upon meeting each other in the town square,[20] performing separately until they are united. [23] Brandy had been starring on the sitcom Moesha at the time but was still relatively new to television audiences, despite her success as a recording artist. The program's success inspired Disney and ABC to produce several similar musical projects. In addition to Cinderella herself, Mirojnick costumed all female guests attending the prince's ball in various shades of blue, ranging from aqua to sapphire;[49] Meron believes that Mirojnick's use of color in the characters' costumes distracts from the various skin colors of the film's actors. [37] Meanwhile, the villagers' costumes range in style from "nineteenth-century peasant chic to '40s-esque brocade gowns with exploding collars, bustles, and ruffles. "[2] Similarly, television critic Ken Tucker, writing for Entertainment Weekly, praised Brandy and Alexander but found that Houston "strikes a wrong note as a sassy, vaguely hostile Fairy Godmother" while dismissing Montalban as "a drearily bland prince" and describing most of the musical numbers as "clunky", predicting that children "will sleep through" the film. [89], Fuse broadcast Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella on November 2, 2017 in honor of the film's 20th anniversary,[51] naming the television special A Night Of Magic: 20th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. [17] The musicians were not interested in completely modernizing the material in the vein of the musical The Wiz (1974), opting to simply "freshen" its orchestration by incorporating contemporary rhythms, keyboards and instruments, similar to the way in which the studio approaches animated musicals. MPAA G. Running Time 1 hr 14 min. "[134] On February 11, 2021, the day prior to the film's premiere on Disney+, Entertainment Weekly held a virtual reunion with the surviving principal cast members. [37] Although the producers agreed that Houston's character would sing the film's closing number,[52] selecting a song for Houston proved a challenge. [4][19] The film has a total of five executive producers: Houston, Chase, Zadan, Meron and David R. [16] The day after Gypsy's original broadcast, Whitney Houston's agent Nicole David asked the producers if they were interested in developing a similar project starring her client,[17][18][19] to whom they suggested Cinderella with Houston playing the titular role. [80] The broadcast attracted a particularly high number of younger audience members, including children, teenagers and young adults, in turn making Cinderella the television season's most popular family show. [17] Houston was retained as an executive producer, alongside Chase. "[102] McDonagh observed that the color-blindness of the entire cast spares the film from potentially suffering "disturbing overtones" that otherwise could have resulted from images of an African-American Cinderella being mistreated by her Caucasian stepmother. Despite being apprehensive about introducing herself to him, the pair bond upon realizing that both are dissatisfied with their sheltered home lives. The Cinderella: Sarah Michelle Gellar The Gist: A critical and box office bomb, this computer-animated film feels a bit like a warmed-over Shrek, combining the Cinderella story with elements from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.Cinderella must escape from Fairy Tale Land after her power-hungry stepmother (Sigourney Weaver, 71) tips the scales of . Home video promotional poster, featuring Houston and Brandy as their respective characters. In a special 20/20 episode that aired to commemorate the . Cinderella: Directed by Robert Iscove. [129][130], Despite its initial reception, Cinderella has become widely revered as one of the best film adaptations of the fairy tale. ", "From Hilary Duff to Brandy: The Top 7 Cinderella Movies", "Watch Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella cast reunion with Brandy, Whoopi Goldberg, and more: 'It was a game changer', "A 25th anniversary special for the Brandy Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella will air on ABC", "How a PR problem led to Disney's first Latina princess, "Elena of Avalor", "Keke Palmer Makes History Again As The First Black Cinderella On Broadway! [17][19] Zadan explained that, because of her popularity, Houston "had so many other concrete things that she was doing that 'Cinderella' took a back seat". [101] Similarly, Martha Tesema wrote in an article for Mashable that "seeing Brandy as Cinderella on screen was groundbreaking" having "grown up in a time where future Disney characters like Tiana did not exist and the reason why didn't cross my minduntil this Cinderella. New condition. [16] Mary Rodgers and James Hammerstein, relatives of the original composers, also approved this casting decision, with Mary maintaining that the production remains "true to the original" despite contemporary modifications to its cast and score,[35] and James describing the film as "a total scrambled gene pool" and "one of the nicest fantasies one can imagine. Despite this, Cinderella proved a major ratings success, originally airing to 60 million viewers and establishing itself as the most-watched television musical in decades, earning ABC its highest Sunday-night ratings in 10 years. [115] Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was the 13th most nominated program at that year's ceremony. The special will reunite some of the original members of its heavy-hitting cast, including Brandy, Whoopi Goldberg, Paolo Montalban, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander and Veanne Cox.