Cinderella at the stroke of midnight

Unlike in the fairy tale, Cinderella didn’t run down the stairs at the stroke of midnight last Friday (Aug. 1) and lose her glass slipper along the way. Instead, she leaped out of her bulky gown, took off her crown and, yes, her glass slipper, and let her hair down during the cast party of Cinderella at Dencio’s restaurant in the CCP Complex where the musical had its premiere Tuesday night (July 29) and will run until Aug. 24 at the CCP Main Theater.

Out of the Cinderella persona, Lea Salonga is any typical theater actress who, after weeks and weeks of grueling, back-breaking and throat-punishing rahearsals, was eager to unwind and, that’s it, just be herself.

The whole cast was there, led by Cinderella director Bobby Garcia. Special guests were Lea’s husband, Robert Chien, and Lea’s mom Ligaya Salonga (who begged off from the pictorial).

It was strictly chika-chika night, with the cast having their pictures with one another “clicked” for posterity.

After its regular CCP run, Cinderella will go on a 30-week Asian tour covering Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea.

(Note: Tickets to Cinderella, priced at P7,000 and P500, are available at Ticketworld outlets, telephone 891-9999. The STAR is among the sponsors.)

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