![]() ![]() The pairing of Norwood, a relative newcomer to the movie musical, with Montalban, a more experienced hand, points to another lesson to be learned from "Cinderella": More productions should take chances on fresh faces instead of signing the same handful of Hollywood names - James Corden, Meryl Streep and Anna Kendrick, for example - to yet another lead role. ![]() Just as "Carmen Jones" and "The Wiz" did with the opera "Carmen" and the movie "The Wizard of Oz," respectively, "Cinderella" takes a well-known (and usually white) story and puts actors of color at the forefront, something only a few studio-released movie musicals - such as 2004's "Bride and Prejudice," 2014's "Annie" and, arguably, 2019's "Cats" - have attempted since.īrandy Norwood became Disney's first Black princess in "Cinderella." (Disney+) In fact, the creatives behind Hollywood's current movie-musical boom could learn a thing or two from its clever spin on a classic text.īrandy Norwood stars in the multicultural fairy tale in a first for the centuries-old plot, with previous live-action treatments led by Mary Pickford in 1914, Julie Andrews in 1957 and Lesley Ann Warren in 1965. More than two decades later, as the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical makes its streaming debut Friday on Disney+, it's clear that "Cinderella" - which attracted an estimated 60 million viewers in its initial airing, sold 1 million home entertainment units in its first week and was named the most profitable TV movie of its time - was both for its moment and for the ages. "To put it bluntly, the girl can't act." Variety described Whitney Houston's Fairy Godmother as "a frightening caricature, one certain to send the kids scurrying into Mom’s lap." And the New York Times called it "a cobbled-together 'Cinderella' for the moment, not the ages." "Cinderella's glass slippers are far too big for Brandy to fill," wrote the Chicago Tribune. Just before "Cinderella" premiered in 1997, major outlets published their critics' disenchanted reviews. Chris Montan served as a producer, while Robyn Crawford was an associate producer.Brandy Norwood, left, and Whitney Houston are part of why "Cinderella" (1997) has withstood the test of time. Houston, Debra Martin Chase, Craig Zadan, and Neil Meron were executive producers. Rob Marshall, who later directed “Chicago,” “Into the Woods” and “Mary Poppins Returns,” served as choreographer. Robert Iscove directed the film from a script by Robert I. It earned seven Emmy nominations in 1998, winning for art direction for a variety or music program. ![]() In addition to becoming an fan favorite, the musical movie was also a critical success. At the time of the film’s release, Houston was a five-time Grammy winner and the bankable star of “The Bodyguard,” Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife,” while Brandy was beginning her run on the groundbreaking series “Moesha.” The film was hailed as an instant classic, both for celebrating diversity and representation through its A-list cast (including Whoopi Goldberg, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Paolo Montalban, Jason Alexander, Veanne Cox, and the late Natalie Desselle Reid), and for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s pitch-perfect original songs, “Impossible,” “In My Own Little Corner,” “Ten Minutes Ago,” “A Lovely Night” and “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?”Īnd it certainly didn’t hurt that two of the most popular music artists of the decade were singing the tunes. ![]() More than 60 million viewers tuned into the televised broadcast of the live-action fairy tale adaptation, which featured Brandy as Cinderella and Houston as her fairy godmother. “Cinderella” originally premiered during ABC’s “The Wonderful World of Disney” on Nov. “We can celebrate and share and inspire a whole new generation to see this wonderful piece,” she tells us. “I’m so excited that Cinderella has a home now at Disney plus and we can celebrate, and share, and inspire a whole new generation.”ĮXCLUSIVE: announces on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s #Cinderella will premiere on February 12! I mean, what do you think, is it possible?” Goldberg teased. “It’s pretty remarkable that people have been begging for ‘Cinderella’ to be re-released for almost 24 years. ![]()
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