Camila Cabello is the new Cinderella

Aside from an occasional showing online, like Rak of Aegis, which will be available on streaming on July 31 and Aug. 1, 7 and 8, musical theater in the Philippines these days is totally non-existent. There are still no announcements for possible openings now that the pandemic situation is improving. Still, it is heartening to find out that Broadway and the West End have already set dates for shows to open later this year.

Thank heaven for films. While not all of us will be fortunate enough to watch Hugh Jackman march to 76 Trombones in Meredith Wilson’s wonderful Music Man on Broadway in December or find out first hand if Andrew Lloyd Webber composed immortal music for his take on the much-loved fairy tale Cinderella, there are some musicals that we will be able to watch soon on TV or on our laptops.

Speaking of Cinderella, Camila Cabello, formerly of Fifth Harmony and the massive hitmaker for Havana, is the latest star to wear the glass slipper. We may not have heard anything from Cabello for quite a while. The last tune we got from her was Señorita, a duet with her steady boyfriend Canadian singer and songwriter Shawn Mendez. But it has now turned out that she had been busy with the Amazon production of Cinderella.

Cabello, of course, plays the title role in the star-studded and said to be queer version.  Queer in what way, I do not know but Pose sensation Billy Porter is the fairy godmother.  Wicked star Idina Menzel is the wicked stepmother, while talk show host and star of musicals James Corden is one of the mice who got turned into a Footman. The handsome Nicholas Galitzine is the prince, Pierce Brosnan is the king and Missy Elliot is featured as the Town Crier.

Cabello will be singing new originals so expect a soundtrack song launch soon. But this Cinderella is also a jukebox musical with tunes like Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyonce’s, Sweet Dreams (are Made of These) by the Eurythmics, Good Times by Chic and other hits. This one should be fun.

Watch out, too, for the Tony Award-winning film version of Dear Evan Hansen, the heartwarming tale of teens coping with social anxiety disorder, the effects of social media and suicide. This one has music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who also did La La Land and The Greatest Showman and they created truly beautiful songs, You Will be Found, Waving Through a Window, For Forever and others.

Oscar winner Julianne Moore plays mother to Ben Platt of the Pitch Perfect movies, who won a Tony for Best Actor when he originated the role of Evan Hansen on Broadway. I know, I know Platt was 10 years younger then, and he may not look like a high school kid anymore. But he had already won acclaim for his acting so Evan Hansen should be a clinch.

Then come December, there will be the live performance of Annie on television. The NBC Network has made these live musicals an annual tradition. It started with The Sound of Music with Carrie Underwood, which was followed by Peter Pan, The Wiz and Hairspray, all done live. Last year, there was the excellent production of Jesus Christ Superstar with John Legend, Sarah Bareilles and Alice Cooper.

This year, we are getting Annie with its inspiring theme and hopeful song Tomorrow.  The role of the orphan girl Annie has yet to be cast but Harry Connick Jr. is playing Daddy Warbucks. Do you think he will shave his head? While Taraji Henson will be the abusive Miss Hannigan.

Also coming soon is the Steven Spielberg-directed West Side Story; Tick Tick Boom, directed by Lin Manuel Miranda; and Respect, the Aretha Franklin biography with Jennifer Hudson in the title role.

It is safer watching shows at home but nothing beats the excitement of watching shows with a live audience. Hopefully, we can return to this soon.