Judy Kaye debuts as Fairy Godmother tonight
Tony Award winner Judy Kaye begins performances tonight in the role of Fairy Godmother in the Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. Ms Kaye takes over the role from Tony Award winner Victoria Clark, who was also nominated for the Tony Award in 2013 for her performance as the Fairy Godmother.
Judy Kaye has won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical twice: firstly, in 1988 for the role of Carlotta Guidicelli in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'The Phantom of the Opera' and then again in 2012 for the role of Duchess Estonia Dulworth in the Gershwin musical 'Nice Work If You Can Get It'. She has also appeared in several other Broadway productions including 'Grease', 'On the Twentieth Century', 'Ragtime', 'Mamma Mia!' and 'Sweeney Todd'.
Cinderella is currently in its second year on Broadway and last month celebrated its 600th performance on Saturday 9 August 2014. The production opened at the Broadway Theatre on 3 March 2013, following previews from 25 January 2013, and will end its run on 3 January 2015.
The current cast of Cinderella features Keke Palmer as Cinderella, Joe Carroll as Prince Topher, Sherri Shepherd as Madame, Judy Kaye as the Fairy Godmother, Ann Harada as stepsister Charlotte, Stephanie Gibson as stepsister Gabrielle, Peter Bartlett as Sebastian, Prince Topher's mentor and Lord Chancellor, Todd Buonopane as the rebel Jean-Michel and Phumzile Sojola as Lord Pinkleton.
Cinderella features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane adapted from the original book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical opened to mixed reviews: Glittery patchwork of a show (NY Times); Crowd-pleasing family entertainment (Hollywood Reporter); A solid and congenial framework for Rodgers and Hammerstein's wonderful songs (Record).
Douglas Carter Beane's new book for Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella re-charts the journey of the tale's maid-turned-princess: with pumpkin, glass slippers, fairy godmother and other classic story elements intact, it is now Cinderella's turn to rescue the Prince. In addition to musical numbers from the original score, including 'In My Own Little Corner,' 'Impossible/It's Possible,' 'Ten Minutes Ago' and 'Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?,' this new production will include several songs from the Rodgers & Hammerstein trunk.
The musical is being produced on Broadway by Robyn Goodman, Jill Furman, Stephen Kocis, Edward Walson, Venetian Glass Productions, The Araca Group, Luigi Caiola & Rose Caiola, Roy Furman, Walt Grossman, Peter May/Sanford Robertson, Glass Slipper Productions/Eric Schmidt, Ted Liebowitz/James Spry, and Blanket Fort Productions, in association with Center Theatre Group.
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