REGIONAL—When director Crystal Poppler chose Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” for this year’s school production, she was coming full circle.
“‘Cinderella’ was the first show that I ever did with my daughter, who is a senior this year,” said Poppler, in her first year directing at the school. “She was in second grade.”
That daughter, Alison Poppler, now stars as Ella in what will be her final high school production before graduation.
“It’s the last show we get to do together,” Crystal Poppler said.
The production features 17 students in the cast and five on stage crew, representing grades six through 12. Performances are scheduled for Nov. 14-15 at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium, with $5 tickets available at the door.
The classic musical tells the story of Ella, a kind-hearted young woman mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters. With help from her Fairy Godmother, Ella is magically transformed to attend the Prince’s ball, where she must flee before midnight when the magic ends. The Prince searches the kingdom to find the mysterious girl who fits the lost glass slipper, ultimately discovering that true love and goodness triumph over cruelty.
Poppler said audiences can expect impressive technical elements alongside strong performances.
“We’re going to make some theater magic happen on this stage,” she said. “There’s going to be some transformations that happen right before the audience’s eyes, some costume changes.”
The director praised her student performers and crew members for their dedication.
“I’ve got 17 students in the cast and five students on our stage crew, and they have been working incredibly hard,” Poppler said. “This has been a feat, and they have made some real magic happen. They’re the true magic.”
The cast includes a mix of theatrical veterans and newcomers. Alison Poppler leads the production in the title role, having performed in theater productions for years.
Among the three seniors in the cast, Summit Smith is making his stage debut as Jean-Michel. “This is his first show ever,” Poppler said, “and it’s so exciting to have him come out.”
Madeline Dumesnil takes on the role of Marie. “Madeline is our foreign exchange student from France,” Poppler said, “so this is a fun experience to have her with us as well.”
Other principal roles include Natalie Johnson as the Prince, Manoline Dumesnil as Madame, Sailor Marzella as Gabrielle, and Moxie Lindsay as Charlotte.
The ensemble features students filling multiple roles, including knights, townspeople, ball guests, and various other characters that populate the fairy tale kingdom.
Poppler said that she wanted to choose something meaningful for her first year directing at the school.
“I wanted to choose something that really had some special meaning for us and also, in a shortened timeline, something that I knew really well,” she said. “So, this show has a lot of sentiment for me and for her.”