Sherri Shepherd Joins Broadway's Cinderella as Madame
Following on from the news that Keke Palmer will join the company of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, producers have since announced that comedian and talk show host Sherri Shepherd will also join the cast in the role of Madame, the Evil Stepmother, from 9 September 2014.
Just as Palmer will make history as the first African-American Cinderella on Broadway, Shepherd will also be the first African-American to portray the role of 'Madame'. The show was awarded the Actors Equity "Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway" Award in 2013.
Cinderella is currently in its second year on Broadway and will be celebrating its 600th performance on Saturday 9 August 2014. The production opened at the Broadway Theatre on 03 March 2013, following previews from 25 Jan 2013, and is currently booking through 3 Jan 2015.
Sherri Shepherd will take over the role from current 'Madame' Nancy Opel, who will play her final performance on Sun 7 Sept 2014. She will join Keke Palmer and the current cast which includes Joe Carroll as Prince Topher, Victoria Clark 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.
Shepherd is most widely known from her TV work, as a host on popular daytime show 'The View'. Other television credits include 'Dancing With the Stars', and a recurring role in the popular '30 Rock' as Tracy Morgan's wife, Angie Jordan, alongside Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. She has also produced her own talk show, 'SHERRI' for Lifetime, and had guest roles in 'Less than Perfect', 'How I Met Your Mother' and 'Everybody Loves Raymond'.
Her work on film includes 'Precious', 'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa', 'Guess Who' and the upcoming comedy 'Ride Along 2'. Her theatre credits have also included the off-Broadway production of 'Love, Loss and What I Wore'.
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 and Aged in Wood Productions.
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