From Jan. 6 through Jan. 29, Rogers and Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ is playing at Everett’s Village Theater, engineered by acclaimed director, Desdemona Chiang. The show is bright and modern. It ditches the beloved mid-1800s French costumes and flamboyance, but is nevertheless charming and silly.

Ays Garcia, a second-year actress at Village Theater, plays the scullery maid, Cinderella. While not the strongest lead I’d ever heard at Village Theater, she had a pretty voice and portrayed Cinderella’s child-like demeanor quite well. During the first act, we follow her and her stepsisters as they prepare for the prince’s ball. As usual, the stepsisters tear up Cinderella’s dress and tell her not to go. While Cinderella cries to her stuffed friends, the mice, her Fairy Godmother appears (Cassi Q Kohl), dressed in a sparkling pantsuit, who magically helps Cinderella get dressed up, and even transforms her furry friend into not-so-furry horses (to the audience’s delight). While I missed the sparkly blue gown usually seen on Cinderella, the new short, white and red one was modern and still very lovely. Intermission began right as Cinderella made it to the outside of the prince’s castle.

During act two, the curtain opens at the beginning of the prince’s ball. Played by James Schilling, a debut actor at Mainstage Village Theater, the prince is very shy and cheeky, wanting to wait for love to come to him instead of forcing it at a bachelor’s ball. The ballroom is set with hanging white petals and chandeliers and while dressed in all white, the ensemble was not at all boring as they dressed in a variety of textures from feathers, to sparkles, to leather. Cinderella stood out as she, unlike the original, stumbled into the ballroom. Of course, for the prince, Christopher, it’s love at first sight. He spends the rest of the night with her and when she runs away at midnight, her sparkly glass shoe is left behind. In the end, Christopher finds Cinderella, and they live happily ever after.

Throughout the show, the orchestra was professional and impressive as they played a modern version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s soundtrack which debuted in 1957. The actors and actresses all had satisfactory singing voices and acting skills. Until Sunday, Jan. 29, this delightful show will be playing at Everett’s Village Theater, and although it’s not like Disney’s classic tale, I would recommend it to any fan of fairy tales, theater, or colorful and fun costumes and music.