HASTINGS – Black Dirt Theater opens its summer musical Cinderella at Hastings Middle School with performances on July 26, 27, and 31 and Aug. 1-3.
When watching the play however, viewers, especially those most familiar with the Grimm’s Fairy Tale or the Disney versions might be in for a surprise. There are several arrangements of the classic story of the young woman losing her glass slipper. The arrangement presented by Black Dirt is what is known as the Broadway edition, an updated version of that classic fairy tale.
The Broadway edition of Cinderella, also known as the 2013 “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” updates the story adding several new songs and characters as well as a new villain. The updated story brings the time-honored tale up to modern storytelling sensibilities, especially as it relates to characterization, character arcs, and character agency.
Cinderella, in particular “is a much stronger character in this one,” said Musical Director Ryan McCoy, continuing, “It’s a more fleshed out show.”
Director Stacy Mittag, a new addition to Black Dirt, is making her directorial debut with Black Dirt after years working with school productions.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with. It really has been a dream come true,” said Mittag in a statement for the play.
Auditions for the summer musical began in June giving the production company roughly seven weeks to put together the show including 60 cast, 11 production cast, and a pit orchestra of 18.
On Saturday, July 20, the cast put on their preview show at the Pavilion stage during Rivertown Days, showcasing parts of songs and even choreography between the two leads: Eva Opseth playing Ella and Zach Opseth playing Topher. The pair are in fact married in real life.
McCoy, the president of the Black Dirt Theater Board, has been with the theater since nearly the beginning with his first show being The Sound of Music back in 2012, the second production from Black Dirt altogether. Much has changed since that show, with the newest hurdle being the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“Like many production companies coming out of Covid […] we are just trying to figure out this new world,” said McCoy.
McCoy’s goal is to put together a full season for next year.
A boon in the post-Covid era has been Black Dirt’s improv group. The group has had the problem of “having too much,” said McCoy. Too many people are eager to try their hand at improv, forcing the group to turn some away.
Tickets are available online for Cinderella at http://www.blackdirttheater.com/