Classic comes to life in Andalusia ballet performance

It is a European folk tale, a classic Disney movie, and a ballet. “There’s a Cinderella story in most any culture,” said Meryane Martin Murphy, founder and artistic director of the Andalusia Ballet.

And because most everyone knows the story a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed, the ballet is one to which even small children can relate.

“But there’s a lot of adult humor in here, too,” Mrs. Murphy said.

Enter Roger Powell, Lee Cagle and Fran Davidson, who are reprising their roles as the stepmother and stepsisters in the Andalusia Ballet’s production of Cinderalla, set for next weekend at the Dixon Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of LBW Community College.

“It’s been 10 years since we’ve done Cinderella,” Mrs. Murphy said, “and it was 10 years before that. We didn’t say ‘We’ll do this every 10 years,’ it just happened that way.”

And Powell, Cagle and Davidson say this their last go.

Mrs. Murphy said when she first cast them two decades ago, she knew she wanted men in the roles, “because it’d be funnier,” she said.

And that’s the thing about this production. While there is beautiful ballet, there also is lots of drama.

“It’s really, really so much fun,” she said.

In this year’s performance, Emily Kelley and Natilee Matthews share the role of Cinderella.

“The last time we did this, they were tiny little fairies,” Mrs. Murphy said. “It has been fun to look at the video and see how they’ve changed, and how they still have similar characteristics.”

Guest dancer Joel Proudy is dancing the role of Prince Charming, and guest dancers from Pensacola will be in the ballroom scene.

Cinderella also is getting a brand new pumpkin carriage –currently under construction by Mark Murphy – for the ball.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m., Fri. and Sat., April 4 and 5, and 2:30 p.m. on Sun., April 6. Tickets, which are $15, are available at http://andalusiaballet.com/events/cinderella/, at the ballet and at the door.

Cast List

Cinderella: Emily Kelley, Natilee Matthews

Stepsisters: Lee Cagle, Roger Powell

Stepmother: Fran Davidson

Dancing master: Will Jones

Messenger: Kole Varner

Fairy Godmother: Kelsey Nix

Spring Fairy: Sydney O’Brien, Halle Burkhardt

Summer Fairy: Savannah Claire Morgan, Hannah McCalman

Autumn Fairy: Sneha Bang, Olivia Jones

Winter Fairy: Erica Bernstein, Elizabeth McCalman

Stars: Burkhardt, H. McCalman, Jones, E. McCalman, Meagan Langley, Gabby Godwin, Mary Morgan Pierce, Olivia Amerson, Julia Smith, Catherine Weed, Lindsey Stephens, Sydney Ward, O’Brien, Morgan, Bang, Berstein

Dragonflies: Hannah Sellers, Emily Ward, Michaelyn Russell, Audrey Danford, Kassidy Mears, Ella Kate Nichols, Lucy Dantz, Mary Taylor Seymore

Horses: Mears, Nichols, Dantz, Seymore, Sellers, E. Ward, Russell, Danford

Pages: Sellers, E. Ward, Varner

Jester: Jonathan Weed

Dresser: Sydney Brunson

Beggar Woman: Tori Mack

Ball Guests: Brunson, Katie Frasher, Ansley Hall, Sadie Brown, Elizabeth Cravey, Anabell Bryant, Rexanne Butler, Merrill Ann Culverhouse, Emmy Ellyn Rabren, Ella Kate Nichols

Clock Trolls: Rosemary Bass, Emma Henley, Kathleen O’Neal, Sarah Beth Wriston, Anna Duffy, Kate Day, Adeline Fischer, Abagail Lee, Laura Sylver, Emily Anne Morgan, Sellers, E. Ward

King: Rob Foreman

Queen: Kara Wilcox

Father: Parrish King

Prince: Joel Prouty