The Adirondack Theatre Festival staged its final performance of “Cinderella Goes Disco” in Shepard Park Thursday afternoon delighting several dozen children with a modern twist on the classic fairy tale. The theatre group has been performing “Cinderella Goes Disco” this summer in Glens Falls City Park for its PB&J Café children’s theatre. The Caldwell-Lake George Library partnered with ATF to bring the show to Lake George.
As the story opens, Cinderella is tending to her household chores wishing she could attend the Big Dance at the palace. The Prince had just returned from college and was holding the dance in hopes of finding someone to marry. Cinderella’s fairy godmother, Persephone, appears and wants to help as a way of redeeming herself after accidentally turning a prince into a frog.
Cinderella is unsure she is good enough for the Big Dance. Also, she lacks a way to get there and doesn’t have a proper dress. Through the retelling of fairy tales in which girls become princesses, the fairy godmother gives Cinderella the confidence she needs. As for transportation and wardrobe, those only require imagination. A newly emboldened Cinderella attends the dance party, and children in the audience scrambled down the stone steps of the Shepard Park Amphitheatre to join in.
Cinderella must flee at midnight, but not before capturing the Prince’s heart. She plunks one of her glass slippers on a table before leaving. As in the traditional story, the Prince uses the slipper to find and identify his new love. Untraditionally, Cinderella doesn’t want to be a princess. She wants to travel, teach and give others the same confidence she has gained.
After the performance, the Caldwell-Lake George Library offered free books to children in the audience. The library offers workshops and programs for children and adults year-round and holds a monthly book sale.
The Adirondack Theatre Festival, now in its 27th season, also operates the Adirondack Film Festival. The 2021 Film Festival is scheduled for Oct. 14-17.
