A Fairytale Come to Life: LFHS Cinderella Production Set to Spark Magic

By Cara Goldstone

From storybooks read aloud to classic Hollywood productions, there are countless ways to tell a fairytale—but perhaps the most potent of all is the magic of the stage. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1957 musical Cinderella is this year’s pick for the Lake Forest High School spring musical, with three performances slated along with a special meet-and-greet with the cast.

“Cinderella has something for everyone,” said Kallista Schneiderman, LFHS senior and the wicked stepmother Madame in the show. “It’s an age-old tale that most people grew up with, but it’s so much more than that. Cinderella is an inspiration— that nothing is impossible.”

Declan Boyle and Nora Sharman will star in Lake Forest High School's Cinderella.

Schneiderman, like many of her peers in the musical, is a longtime actor. She began her theater career at just 2 years old; now, with her final high school show approaching, she’s still in love with the craft.

“The process of the musical is certainly intense, but so rewarding,” Schneiderman explained. “The initial audition jumps right into long, daily rehearsals, including vocal, acting, and dance rehearsals. As the show gets closer, we incorporate the pit band and tech crew, as well as props and costumes, until the show day finally arrives.”

Fiona Inkmann, LFHS senior playing the fox and the footman in Cinderella, agreed. “You have to be able to put in the work and know your stuff but not forget to have fun on and off stage. If the cast isn’t working together, the audience will be able to tell, and if they are, the audience can also tell and see how much fun and work we’ve put into the show.”

Cinderella is a challenging musical to put on; with fantastical effects like the speaking animal characters and the transformation of Cinderella’s carriage and dress, the cast and crew have to think outside the box to pull it off. For this reason, Inkmann is especially enthused about her portrayal of the fox character: “My first puppet role!”

Ultimately, the students agree that the fruits of their labor—a successful musical—are worth the effort. Sarah Noble, who plays the fairy godmother Marie in LFHS’s Cinderella, is excited to see the musical come to life in front of a full audience.

“It's different every show, and you never know what the audience is going to react to,” Noble said, “so there's this excitement and some nerves that happen for each performance, and that makes it really special for me.”

Siobhan Boyle, the not-so-wicked stepsister Gabrielle in the musical, concurred. “Hearing people laugh or gasp at something I do on stage makes me so happy to know that they are loving the show as much as I do,” she said. An actress since age 5, her enthusiasm for the art of stagecraft has only grown with time.

“No matter how many shows I’m in, I will never not be impressed with how fast everything seems to come together with how hard everyone works,” said Boyle.

But no one knows better the labor of love that a successful musical entails than longtime LFHS theater director Kelly MacBlane. Her firsthand witness to the students’ efforts, from the first auditions to the culmination of the musical on show day, never gets old.

“Even though I've been doing this for 20 years, every year on Opening Night (when I get to sit back and just watch), I marvel at how my students have been able to go from nothing in February to memorizing lines, songs, dances, building sets, learning orchestration, and running all of the tech to put together a wonderful production,” MacBlane said.

“[The most rewarding part is] having students be involved in the productions for four years and getting the opportunity to really get to know them, something that is not always the same as a classroom teacher where I only know them one year, as well as to watch them grow into amazing young adults,” she added. “And to know that I had a small part in helping send them on their path!”

Therein lies the true magic of theatrical storytelling: its impact on everyone involved. For students like Schneiderman, Inkmann, Noble, and Boyle, this impact can be life-changing.

“LFHS Theater has helped me find my love for the art form,” said Noble, “and I will be majoring in Musical Theatre when I go to college in the fall.”

LFHS’s production of Cinderella will take place in the Raymond Moore Auditorium and will run from April 24 to April 26, including two 7 p.m. shows on April 24 and April 25 and a matinee at 3 p.m. on April 26. The matinee performance will be followed by a meet-and-greet, where little princes and princesses can take pictures with the characters from the show. Tickets can be purchased online at https://cur8.com/projects/39960.