Review: Cinderella

Review: Cinderella  | Miners Alley Performing Arts Center | Golden, CO | Curtain Up! | Eric Fitzgerald

Spoiler alert: the slipper fits. Come on, folks—it’s Cinderella, and we all know exactly where this story is headed. What’s refreshing here is the creative way playwright/director Kate Poling has fashioned a contemporary through‑line for this Miners Alley Theatre for Young Audiences (MATYA) iteration, giving the familiar tale a light modern shimmer without losing its classic shape. Currently running weekends at Miners Alley Performing Arts Center through June 13, her adaptation nods to tradition while speaking directly to today’s young audiences, folding in just enough wit and present‑day sensibility to make the old story feel newly alive.

Cinderella (Mikki Murray) spends her days elbow‑deep in carburetors and customer complaints, running the auto repair shop owned by her domineering stepmother, Rodmilla (Maggie Tisdale), while her stepsisters—Fenora (Gisselle Gonzalez) and Minerva (Sophia Badia)—float through a life of leisure and strategic husband‑hunting. Into this lopsided world strolls handsome Austin (Sam Evins), an unexpectedly ideal husband material who also happens to be purchasing the diner next door, setting off a chain of encounters that hint that Cinderella might be destined for something more than grease stains and thankless labor.

Austin, it turns out, is also in desperate need of a chef for his soon‑to‑open diner, so he launches a town‑wide contest to find “the best pancakes in the world,” a premise that fuels plenty of comic sparring between Cinderella (who prefers to be called Ella) and the rest of her dysfunctional household. Rodmilla doubles down as perhaps the most unapologetically wicked stepmother in any Cinderella retelling, while Minerva—whiny, self‑indulgent, and clinging to the delusion that Austin is her perfect future husband—turns every moment into a melodramatic plea for attention. Only Fenora breaks from the family’s vanity parade, befriending Ella and showing a genuine curiosity about the auto shop. And when Ella’s Fairy Godmother (Sophia Badia) drops in with just the right touch of magic, she makes it possible for Ella to attend the pancake‑making competition that will change everything.

Back row, L to R: Sam Evins, Maggie Tisdale, Front row, L to R: Mikki Murray, Gisselle Gonzalez, Sophia Badia | Photo credit: Jenna Moll Reyes

Mikki Murray makes a thoroughly appealing Cinderella—grounded, quick‑witted, and never so sugary that she dissolves under pressure. She stands her ground with Rodmilla, played with deliciously sharp, cold‑steel authority by Maggie Tisdale, whose every entrance tightens the room a notch. A real standout, though, is Sophia Badia, doubling as both Minerva and the Fairy Godmother. As Minerva, she tears into the role with gleeful, over‑the‑top petulance, turning the stepsister’s selfishness into a comic force of nature; as the Fairy Godmother, she becomes a buoyant, sparkling counterbalance to Ella, a presence that lifts the show when she appears.

Fenora, played with an easy, unaffected charm by Gisselle Gonzalez, becomes the production’s quiet surprise—an ally to Ella and the only member of the household with a hint of practical curiosity, especially when she sneaks over to the auto shop. Sam Evins brings a relaxed, good‑natured presence to Austin, an undeniably appealing burst of masculine energy dropped into an otherwise estrogen‑driven storyline, making him both believably earnest and just oblivious enough to fuel the show’s comic misunderstandings.

L to R: Mikki Murray as Cinderella and Sophia Badia as Fairy Godmother | Photo credit: Jenna Moll Reyes

Kate Poling deserves special credit for the ingenious way she’s adapted the existing adult production of Pump Boys and Dinettes’ setting into a fully realized world for Cinderella. Rather than fighting the space, she embraces it—the garage bays, the diner frontage, the built‑in grit and charm—and the result fits this retelling like a custom‑cut glove, grounding the story in a setting that feels both playful and unexpectedly believable. Poling’s direction is crisp and confident, guiding the cast through quick shifts in tone and location without ever losing clarity. She shapes the action with a sure hand, letting the comedy breathe, the relationships land, and the magic slip in at just the right moments.

The set, designed by Tina Anderson and shared with the adult production of Pump Boys and Dinettes, proves remarkably adaptable, giving this Cinderella a sturdy, lived‑in environment that enhances the show’s playful realism. Crystal McKenzie provides a smart, character‑forward costume design that helps define the world without ever overwhelming it, while Xander Claypool’s lighting adds clarity and warmth to the story’s shifting moods. John Hauser’s sound design supports the action cleanly, keeping dialogue and musical moments in crisp balance. And Sammie Piel’s props work brings thoughtful detail to the production, adding just the right touches to make the garage, the diner, and the competition scenes feel fully inhabited.

One of the defining joys of any MATYA production—and Cinderella embraces this wholeheartedly—is the way it invites young audience members to step directly into the story. Several times throughout the performance, the children are welcomed onstage to become automobiles, sputtering cars with brake issues, and even a full car wash, transforming the theatre into a playground of imagination and shared delight. This interactive spirit has become a hallmark of MATYA’s work, a signature element that not only delights families but also propels the company’s mission forward, nurturing a sense of belonging and theatrical possibility for its youngest viewers.

Kate Poling once again proves herself a deft storyteller, shaping both the script and direction with a sure hand that keeps the production buoyant, cohesive, and irresistibly engaging. She’s matched by a cast that feels ideally assembled for this playful retelling, each performer contributing to a whole that’s lively, polished, and full of heart. Cinderella is yet another reminder of what MATYA does best—crafting theatre that delights young audiences while respecting their intelligence—and this charming production continues its run through June 14 at Miners Alley Performing Arts Center in Golden.

For information and tickets: https://minersalley.com/shows/cinderella/