The fairy tale romance of a humble peasant girl and the acclaimed prince charming steals the stage in Seton School’s rendition of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” Seton School in Manassas is made up of many remarkably talented actors and actresses. Bridget Mulhern, a wonderfully talented actress with a truly mesmerizing voice, is Cinderella. Alex Trujillo shares the spotlight as the sought after prince. He plays out his role perfectly, from the way he dreads giving the ball, to the way he falls head over heels in love with Cinderella.
The proudly obnoxious stepsisters, Sarah Wykowski and Kelly Craige, will keep you laughing in your seat with their hysterical and spontaneous comedy. Amanda Atkinson, the insensitive stepmother, acts her part flawlessly as she toys with the audience’s emotions, causing them to pity poor Cinderella. The queen, played by Mary Kate Vander Woude, is only doing what is best for her son by giving the ball, while her husband, played by Gabe Duda, thinks the ball is silly and his son should be able to find a wife his own way. Although the king and queen are deeply in love, their quirky differences make up another compelling aspect of Seton’s musical, “Cinderella.”
Lisa Bailey, the recipient of four WATCH awards (Washington Area Theater Community Honors), has taken on the challenge of coordinating a cast of 93 members for this production. Bailey is well qualified for this show considering she has directed two previous “Cinderella” musicals. Bailey remarks, “The spirit and energy that runs through the room at each rehearsal can change the course of my day, and always for the better! Most importantly I know that each and every one of us is having a wonderful time!” Bailey has been involved in community theatre for almost 30 years in the Northern Virginian area and in that time she has directed, produced, choreographed, designed sets, and appeared onstage on numerous occasions. Her theory is that everyone should have his/her own special moment during the show, and however impossible that may seem, at Seton that has become a reality. “I do this for the love of live theatre and I hope what I leave behind to the cast of ‘Cinderella’ is a bit of that same love or at least a respectful appreciation.”
“Cinderella” could not go on without the help of many other important individuals. Laura Myers and Rachel Wolf, former Seton students, are assisting Lisa Bailey in directing the play. Mike Bartnick is the producer, while Michael Morch leads the orchestra and Patrick Mulhern is the vocal specialist for the chorus and leads. Other parent and student teams are working on sets, costumes, hair and makeup, publicity and many other necessary components of the show.
Seton School is well known for its wonderful, family-oriented musical productions. This is a great compliment to Seton, especially since it only has roughly 350 students. “Cinderella” is the 15th musical Seton has produced. Seton School has been involved in Cappies for their last two productions, “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Annie, Get Your Gun.” Last spring they brought home three Cappies for Song, “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better;” Lead Actress in a Musical — Nicole Smith, and Costumes. Seton excitedly looks forward to producing “Cinderella” as their third Cappies show.