"If the Slipper Fits" (aka Occupy the Palace) At Philly Fringe Fest

While this new, and relatively small, production of Cinderella is only running for one more night (tonight, September 21st) as part of Philadelphia Fringe Festival, I feel it's noteworthy for the interpretation and modern parallel it makes with the very current issues of today.

Whoever would have thought the Occupy Wall Street issue was playing out a version of a fairy tale? (Note: By fairy tale I mean variation of the old tale, not "fairytale" aka happily-ever-after definition that the media and general public tend to use.)

Here's an excerpt from an article in Newsworks, explaining a little of the production and how the characters are represented:

"The class thing is in the original story," he said, explaining that his inspiration to revamp the story in favor of the "99 percent" was due in part to his own daughter's involvement with the original Occupy movement in New York City, adding that she was in Zucotti Park the first night of the movement.  

"If the Slipper Fits," performed in the church hall, opens in a rather timeless setting: The kingdom is getting ready for its Jubilee, a three-day celebration that happens once every 40 years. Once upon a time, the Jubilee was a time for the crown to release prisoners, forgive debts and party with the villagers. But now it's a ritzy gala exclusively for the very rich, who have been raising taxes on the uninvited commoners so the palace can afford the festivities. 

"This system is really starting to stink," the Occupy chorus sings. "We gotta do...something." 

A local singer named Lisa DeChristofaro lends a beautiful voice to the principal maiden, known to her friends as Cindy. The home she shares with her stepmother and stepsisters (Susan Blair, Adrianna Marino and Kiera Mersky) isn't an acrimonious one. The stepsisters are just a little distracted by their tap-dancing career. 

When they leave Cindy to wash the windows during the Jubilee Ball, an impatient yet theatrical Fairy Godmother (Trudy Graboyes) pays a visit. "You've gotta understand, I've got other clients," she sings. But the plot really thickens when a Fairy Godfather and his lackey, Rob, show up in dark suits and posh vests with a little proposition for Cinderella. They have their own reasons for crashing the ball. 

Posing as the Countess Von Wiggandbottom, Cinderella charms her way through the palace, but instead of losing her shoe, she hurls it at Rob's angry pursuers (good thing it's not actually made of glass). When it's time for the besotted Prince Charles (Nick Picknally) to put her shoe back on, it's more of a fairy-tale fingerprinting than a moment of true love.Cindy finds herself in an unfortunate love triangle that never made the original story, caught between an amorous prince and a would-be gangster with a Robin Hood complex. The musical (almost) ends in a marriage proposal. 

"Share the riches equally...Heal the kingdom for you and me," the Prince sings, once Cindy and her Occupier pals help him see the light.

There's more about the show HERE, along with links to where it's playing and how to get tickets. The official website is HERE (and follow the links for more).