No, this is not the beloved Disney schmaltz we all grew up with, not in style or substance. This is Cinderella through the looking glass, to mix children's classics metaphors. It's Cinderella as panto, a storytelling style that mixes Commedia dell'Arte with a bit of British vaudeville — a raucous theatrical goulash that features song, dance, buffoonery, slapstick and, yikes, audience participation. And, yes, the Theater in the Open production of "Cinderella: A Pretty Princess Panto," which runs through June 27 at Maudslay State Park, is packed with silly and timely modern references, everything from BP's horror show in the Gulf to Beyonce. Whoever she is. It also has some very significant, imaginative and, well, zany departures from the usual thing. Like ...? Okay, since you asked, here are the Top Five:
1. The Wicked Stepmother (Wicky for short) is not mean at all and is played by a man.
2. Cinderella has to find the lost prince, instead of the other way around.
3. Cinderella and the Prince are very concerned about global warming and work together to fight it.
4. The villains are taken from other stories, Malificent from "Sleeping Beauty," Ursula from "The Little Mermaid," and Cruella DeVille from "101 Dalmatians."
5. The cast includes a giraffe who is always showing up at the strangest times and could, quite possibly, save the day.
JUST THE FACTS, MAN: "Cinderella: A Pretty Princess Panto" runs Saturday and Sunday through June 27 at Maudslay State Park. Follow the flags from the main parking lot. Allow 10 minutes to reach the site. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and students and free for kids age 3 or younger. The June 5 show is free for all. For directions, click here. For more information, call 978-465-2572 or log onto http://theaterintheopen.org
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