Changing into ‘Cinderella’

Young Chang

Cinderella’s fairy-godmother transforms more than just cinder girls to

glamdom and pumpkins into horses this year.

At the Trilogy Playhouse in Costa Mesa, James Mulligan has changed

from last month’s insane Dr. Frankenstein -- for the Halloween show

“Frankenstein” -- into Prince Charming.

Jenny Stumpf, who played a 1930s village girl mourning the death of

her brother in “Frankenstein,” has become Cinderella.

Both will lead the playhouse in a musical production of Richard

Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” through Dec. 16

“It’s very sweet and heartfelt,” said Mulligan, a tenor. “The music

itself has a very fairy tale quality about it. You don’t have shows that

are written like that now.”

The story sticks to the original tale -- a girl tyrannized by her step

mom and two stepsisters meets the prince of her dreams and lives happily

ever after (through the help of a fairy godmother, of course.)

But Eileen Conan, who plays the godmother, has put a slight twist on

the role.

“I decided to have the fairy godmother kind of be not too sure of

herself as far as her ability to make dreams come true,” the Irvine

resident said. “She kinda doubts herself, but she doesn’t show it too

much.”

By the end of the show, Cinderella has helped her gain confidence.

“I just wanted to make her have more fun with it than someone who’s

[just] sweet,” Conan said.

Mulligan says Trilogy’s interpretation of the story is, as a whole,

more entertaining than the original version.

“The story’s a little more tongue-in-cheek, and the part that’s

written for the prince has got a lot of humor in it,” he said. “He’s a

young man whose heart is broken throughout the course of the show, but

it’s done in a light way so that the humor and charm that comes through

is evident.”

Comparing his princely role to last month’s performance as the harried

Dr. Frankenstein, Mulligan joked,

“I think the prince has got his wits about him a bit more.”

Jenny, 16, said she draws upon her own experiences to bring her

character to life. She remembers being invited to a Homecoming dance at

someone else’s school one recent year. She ended up getting sick and

couldn’t go. Jenny paralleled this experience with Cinderella being left

behind by her stepfamily on their way to the royal ball.

“That whole sitting there and wishing you could be there but you

can’t,” she said.

Cinderella’s optimism and naivete are refreshing to portray, she

added.

“It’s a lot of fun to live the whole fairy tale, even if it is for a

whole hour and a half,” Jenny said.

FYI

What: “Cinderella”

When: Through Dec. 16. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday,

5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Where: Trilogy Playhouse, 2930 Bristol St., Bldg. C-106, Costa Mesa

Cost: $17 or $15

Call: (714) 957-3347, Ext. 1.