Dec. 12-14, 18-21 at 7:30 p.m.  and Dec. 15 at 2:30 p.m.

By Reid Leonard, PPT Resident Director

On Thursday, Dec. 12, Piedmont Players Theater unwraps its holiday gift to the community — Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. This family friendly, large musical in the Meroney Theater will have performances through Saturday, Dec. 21.

This musical production of Cinderella — with music by Richard Rodgers and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II — was written for a television production in 1957.

Julie Andrews played Cinderella, and at the time the show was the most viewed production in the history of television — 107,000 million people.

It was remade in 1965 and broadcast for many seasons with Leslie Ann Warren as Cinderella and Stuart Damon as Prince Charming.

In 1997, Cinderella was broadcast again, this time with Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother.

In 2013, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella opened on Broadway and was nominated for nine Tony Awards. It played more than 700 performances and has toured throughout the United States.

The Piedmont Players production features Anna Green, a Catawba College student and resident of Lincolnton, as Cinderella and William McGinnis of Mooresville as the Prince.

Wendy Wendt of Salisbury is the Fairy Godmother. Lauren Wilson of Charlotte is Madame, the wicked Stepmother, with Allie Harden of Kannapolis and Madisyn Rey of Salisbury as the Stepsisters. Marc Anderson of Salisbury is the evil Sebastian.

The production is sponsored by Salcoa Contracting.

Meroney Theatre, 213 S Main St. Tickets at 704-633-5471 or PiedmontPlayers.com