Where to stream Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) Is it online on Netflix, HBO, Amazon or Disney+? Originally presented on television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was twice remade for television, first in 1965 for Lesley Ann Warren and again in 1997, featuring Brandy and Whitney Houston. [49] The actor concluded "There's no reason why this can't be the norm. Based on the French fairy tale by Charles Perrault, the film is the second remake and third version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, which originally aired on television in 1957. [16] Houston remained silent for most of the reading, barely engaging with the participants until the end of the table read when she finally declared her approval of the script and eventually sent the actors flowers to apologize for her tardiness. An anonymous editor added: "The 1997 version is the first multi-racial cast performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, and Brandy became the first African-American to play Cinderella. [104] Harlene Ellin of the Chicago Tribune wrote that, despite its aesthetics and color-blind casting, the film "lacks the requisite charm and spark", concluding that the production "doesn't capture the heart" despite its beauty. … You're signed out. [16] Although they were originally concerned that the organization would dismiss the idea of a multi-cultural cast, they were surprised when the company did not protest whatsoever. ", "TV Weekend; The Glass Slipper Fits With a 90's Conscience", "11 Cinderella Movie Adaptations, Ranked", "It's Beauty and the Beast : A multiracial 'Cinderella' and a bloody-bad 'House of Frankenstein' kick off sweeps", "Bernadette Peters will star in a new production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, Cinderella, to be aired on ABC-TV Nov. 2", "Why Brandy's Cinderella Is Actually the Best Cinderella (Yes, Including the Original)", "Cinderella Screening: A Star Sapphire Evening", "Brandy & Whitney Houston's 'Cinderella' Is Airing In Honor Of Its 20th Anniversary & You Won't Want To Miss It", "Adding More To Cinderella's Score? [15][39] Describing the film as "Short, sweet and blindingly brightly colored", TV Guide film critic Maitland McDonagh wrote that Cinderella is "overall ... a pleasant introduction to a classic musical, tweaked to catch the attention of contemporary youngsters. [19][31] Montan, who oversees most of the music for Disney's animated films, had been interested in crossing over into live-action for several years and identified Cinderella as one of the first opportunities in which he was allowed to do so. #Cinderella1997. '", citing its diverse cast, combating of sexist stereotypes often depicted in other Disney films, and empowering themes that encourage children to make their own dreams come true as opposed to simply "keep on believing" among "three important reasons the 1997 version has maintained relevance today. I absolutely love Halle and I love Chloe. [42][46] The filmmakers agreed that Alexander deserved his own musical number due to his experience as a musical theatre performer, and decided to combine the Steward's "Your Majesties" with the Town Crier's "The Prince is Giving a Ball" from the original musical into an elaborate song-and-dance sequence. "[141], 1997 television film directed by Robert Iscove. [49] Most of the film's cast – Brandy, Houston, Cox, Garber, Desselle and Montalban – was present; Goldberg and Alexander were unable to attend. [30][31], Brandy likened being hand-selected for Cinderella by a performer she idolizes to a real-life fairy tale,[32] accepting the role because she already had successful singing and acting careers, in addition to relating to the main character in several ways. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) imdb. Genre : Family Fantasy Musical. [86] According to Ashley Lee of the Los Angeles Times, Cinderella was the most profitable television film of its time. [37] Meron maintains that these adjustments helped the composition resemble a "Rodgers and Hammerstein song that sounds like a new Whitney Houston record". No longer impossible: “ Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella ” starring Brandy Norwood will finally be available on Disney+ beginning Feb. 12. [47], Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is considered to be a "groundbreaking" film due to its diverse cast, particularly casting a black actress as Cinderella. [113][114] Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was nominated for three NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special,[115] while both Brandy and Goldberg were nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series. "[16], Robert Iscove was enlisted as the film's director,[12] with Chris Montan and Mike Moder producing alongside Zadan and Meron. Music by Richard Rodgers. [17] The musicians were not interested in completely modernizing the material in the vein of the musical The Wiz (1974), opting to simply "freshen" its orchestration by incorporating contemporary rhythms, keyboards and instruments, similar to the way in which the studio approaches animated musicals. [47] In order to give Cinderella's ballgown a "magical look", Mirojnick combined blue and white detailing into the dress, in addition to incorporating a peplum, a design element that had not been used in previous versions of the gown. The 1997 reimagining of the beloved fairytale touts a loaded cast with Whoopi Goldberg, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters and the late Whitney Houston as Fairy Godmother. [140] The following year, when Brandy was asked if she had any advice for Bailey, she said, "I think she needs to understand that she has everything that it takes to do everything that she's meant to do. [20] Houston described her character as "sassy, honest and very direct ... all the things that you'd like a godmother to be. [72] One of ABC's promotional advertisements for Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella featured a black-and-white scene from the original 1957 broadcast in which Andrews sings "In My Own Little Corner", which transitions into Brandy singing her more contemporary rendition of the same song, its "funkier orchestration" sounding particularly noticeable opposite Andrews' original. "[67] Crediting the film with establishing both Brandy and Houston as "icons", the writer concluded that Cinderella teaches "about the limitless nature of storytelling. The Prince returns to the palace, where he is apprehended by his valet Lionel for once again visiting the kingdom disguised as a commoner, and learns that his parents, Queen Constantina and King Maximillian, plan to host a ball in order to find her son a suitable bride, an idea he strongly protests because he would rather marry for love. [78] The broadcast attracted a particularly high number of younger audience members, including children, teenagers and young adults, in turn making Cinderella the television season's most popular family show. [67] Mandy Len Catron, author of How to Fall in Love with Anyone: A Memoir in Essays, believes that the film remains "The only truly diverse version of the fairy tale" as of 2017. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella has been a title many have been begging to be added to the Disney+ streaming platform. [96] Applauding the film for providing minorities with "the chance to see themselves depicted as royalty for perhaps the first time", Bryant identified Brandy as a princess for black girls to "fawn" over, which Disney would not revisit until The Princess and the Frog (2009). [37] Meanwhile, the villagers' costumes range in style from "nineteenth-century peasant chic to '40s-esque brocade gowns with exploding collars, bustles, and ruffles. [9], In his book The Cambridge Companion to the Musical, author Nicholas Everett identified Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella among important television musicals that "renewed interest in the genre" during the 1990s,[54] with Playbill recognizing it as "the resurgence of televised movie musicals". It's Possible! It was the first time the Cinderalla’s story had been adapted to accommodate one. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella is regarded by contemporary critics as a groundbreaking film due to the unprecedented diversity of its cast and Brandy's role. [21] Although the stage musical Annie had already been adapted as a film in 1982, the film was considered to be a critical and commercial failure. While the 1997 remake was a state-of-the-art production with arguably better singers, it had none of the magic of this 1965 made-for-TV version.