The following history is adapted from the introduction to my book, Cinderella Tales From Around the World. While there are several tale types that are considered part of the Cinderella Cycle, the most popular is ATU 510A Cinderella, the tale type discussed in this section. For a more extensive discussion of Cinderella history and the Cinderella Cycle, as well as hundreds of Cinderella tales and summaries, my book is highly recommended.
Arden, Katherine. The Bear and the Nightingale. New York: Del Rey, 2017.
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Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.
Then Vasya’s widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya’s stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village.
But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
Author, Author. Disenchanted: The Trials of Cinderella. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2016.
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Ella Coach has one wish: revolution. Her mother died working in a sweatshop, and Ella wants every laborer in the Blue Kingdom to receive fairer treatment. But to make that happen, she'll need some high-level support...
Prince Dash Charming has one wish: evolution. The Charming Curse forced generations of Charming men to lie, cheat, and break hearts -- but with the witch Envearia's death, the curse has ended. Now Dash wants to be a better person, but he doesn't know where to start...
Serge can grant any wish -- and has: As an executive fairy godfather, he's catered to the wildest whims of spoiled teenagers from the richest, most entitled families in Blue. But now a new name has come up on his list, someone nobody's ever heard of... Ella Coach.
This is a story about three people who want something better and who together find the faith to change their worlds. It's "Cinderella," brilliantly reimagined, and a delightful expansion of the wonderful world of Tyme.
Buck, Alicia. Out of the Ashes. New York: Sweetwater Books, 2015.
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When Ashelandra's father dies, she ends up a servant in her own house, instead of the Baroness she was supposed to become. But Ash's secret sorcery could be the key to winning back her home and following her heart to a future she never imagined. This fantasy-infused Cinderella story puts a magical twist on a classic tale. Riveting and original, it's a spellbinding read.
Cassidy, Kay. The Cinderella Society. New York: EgmontUSA, 2010.
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NOVEL: "Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker survives by staying invisible. After nine schools in ten years, she's come to terms with life as a perpetual new girl, neither popular nor outcast. At Mt. Sterling High, Jess gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret club of the most popular girls in school, where makeovers are the first order of official business. But there's more to being a Cindy than just reinventing yourself from the outside, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look. With a date with her popular crush and a chance to finally fit in, Jess's life seems to be a perfect fairy tale. That is until the Wickeds--led by Jess's archenemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers her new sisterhood is about much more than who rules Mt. Sterling High School. It's a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys need Jess on special assignment. But when the mission threatens to destroy her new dream life, Jess is forced to choose between this dream realized and honoring the Sisterhood. What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?"
Chance, Maia. Cinderella Six Feet Under. New York: Berkley, 2015.
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Description:
Variety hall actress Ophelia Flax’s plan to reunite her friend Prue with her estranged—and allegedly wealthy—mother, Henrietta, is met with a grim surprise. Not only is the marquise’s Paris mansion a mouse-infested ruin, but Henrietta has inexplicably vanished, leaving behind an evasive husband, two sinister stepsisters, and a bullet-riddled corpse in the pumpkin patch decked out in a ball gown and one glass slipper—a corpse that also happens to be a dead ringer for Prue.
Strangely, no one at 15 rue Garenne seems concerned about who plugged this luckless Cinderella or why, so the investigation is left to Ophelia and Prue. It takes them through the labyrinthine maze of the Paris Opera, down the trail of a legendary fairy tale relic, into the confidence of a wily prince charmless, and makes them vulnerable to the secrets of a mysterious couturière with designs of her own on Prue’s ever-twisting family history.
Charles, Veronika Martenova. It's Not about the Pumpkin! New York: Tundra Books, 2010.
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NOVEL: Here are five first books for fledgling readers that offer the enjoyment of a good story along with the thrill of accomplishment that comes from independent reading. Written in short, easy phrases with carefully selected vocabulary and plentiful illustrations, each book helps youngsters achieve success as they have fun. The series follows three friends who love to share stories. In each book, one is reminded of a well-known story: Little Red Riding Hood in It's Not About the Hunter!, Beauty and the Beast in It's Not About the Rose!, Snow White in It's Not About the Apple!, Cinderella in It's Not About the Pumpkin!, and Hansel and Gretel in It's Not About the Crumbs! As one friend starts, the others are reminded of versions they know so each volume has three stories within one framework. The stories come from around the world, and Veronika Martenova Charles provides a note at the end of each book to describe the origins.
Cornwell, Betsy. Mechanica. New York: Clarion, 2015.
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Description:
Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have pushed her into a life of dreary servitude. When she discovers a secret workshop in the cellar on her sixteenth birthday—and befriends Jules, a tiny magical metal horse—Nicolette starts to imagine a new life for herself. And the timing may be perfect: There’s a technological exposition and a royal ball on the horizon. Determined to invent her own happily-ever-after, Mechanica seeks to wow the prince and eager entrepreneurs alike.
Cross, Sarah. Kill Me Softly. New York: EgmontUSA, 2012.
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NOVEL: Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.
In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.
But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.
NOVEL: Happily Ever After ...Or Happily Nevermore? Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela learns the duke's son, Valten---the boy she has daydreamed about for years---is throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, even if it's only for a taste of a life she'll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.
NOVEL: From publisher: "Etienne de Brabant is brokenhearted. His wife has died in childbirth, leaving him alone with an infant daughter he cannot bear to name. But before he abandons her for king and court, he brings a second child to be raised alongside her, a boy whose identity he does not reveal. The girl, La Cendrillon, and the boy, Raoul, pass sixteen years in the servants' care until one day a very fine lady arrives with her two daughters. The lady has married La Cendrillon's father, and her arrival changes their lives. When an invitation to a great ball reaches the family, La Cendrillon's new stepmother will make a decision with far-reaching effects. Her choice will lead La Cendrillon and Raoul toward their destiny -- a choice that will challenge their understanding of family, test their loyalty and courage, and, ultimately, teach them who they are."
Donnelly, Jennifer. Stepsister. New York: Scholastic Press, 2019.
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Description:
Don't just fracture the fairy tale. Shatter it.
Isabelle should be blissfully happy - she's about to win the handsome prince. Except Isabelle isn't the beautiful girl who lost the glass slipper and captured the prince's heart. She's the ugly stepsister who's cut off her toes to fit into Cinderella's shoe . . . which is now filling with her blood.
When the prince discovers Isabelle's deception, she's turned away in shame. It's no more than she deserves: she's a plain girl in a world that values beauty; a bold girl in a world that wants her to be pliant.
Isabelle has tried to fit in. She cut away pieces of herself in order to become pretty. Sweet. More like Cinderella. But that only made her mean, jealous, and hollow. Now she has a chance to alter her destiny and prove what ugly stepsisters have always known: it takes more than heartache to break a girl.
Evoking the original version of the Cinderella story, bestselling author Jennifer Donnelly uses her trademark wit and wisdom to send an overlooked character on a journey toward empowerment, redemption . . . and a new definition of beauty.
NOVEL: From the publisher: "I know, I know. You’ve heard the story a million times before. Mean stepmother. Lots of sweeping. Fancy ball. You remember. Or do you? Did you remember that Cinderella was such a nice girl—so smart and funny? You probably would’ve liked her. Did you know that “Cinderella” was just a nickname? And that her handsome prince loved Jell-o and was a wonderful dancer? Readers will delight in following Cinderella through all the usual happenings, presented in a most unusual way. And they’ll finally see what becomes of her after she marries the prince. So maybe you should hear the story one last time. Because it’s actually way different than you might have thought. . . ."
NOVEL: A retelling of the classic tale of Cinderella brings to vivid life the trials and tribulations of young Ella, mistreated by her nasty stepmother and unattractive stepsisters, who dreams of going to the Prince's ball.
NOVEL: "Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other's countries in the name of better political alliances?and potential marriages. It's got the makings of a fairy tale?until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince. Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way."
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Just Ella. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999.
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NOVEL: From book cover: It's a familiar story: In spite of the obstacles put in her way by her wicked stepmother, Ella goes to the ball, sweeps Prince Charming off his feet, and is chosen to be his bride. Now she's comfortably ensconced in the palace, awaiting marriage to the man of her dreams. It's happily ever after time, right? Wrong! Life for Ella has become an endless round of lessons and restrictions; even worse, Prince Charming turns out to be more like Prince Boring. Why can't she talk with him the way she can with Jed, her earnest young tutor? Slowly, Ella comes to realize she doesn't want the life she fought so hard to win. But breaking her engagement proves more difficult -- and dangerous -- than escaping her stepmother's tyranny.
Hines, Jim C. The Stepsister Scheme. New York: DAW, 2009.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "What would happen if an author went back to the darker themes of the original fairy tales for his plots, and then crossed the Disney princesses with Charlie’s Angels? What’s delivered is The Stepsister Scheme—a whole new take on what happened to Cinderella and her prince after the wedding. And with Jim C. Hines penning the tale readers can bet it won't be 'and they lived happily ever after.'"
Kanou, Ayumi. Dictatorial Grimoire: Cinderella (Volume 1).New York: Seven Seas, 2013.
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NOVEL: Dictatorial Grimoire is an all new three-volume manga series that reimagines characters straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Dictatorial Grimoire puts an edgy spin on beloved classic characters, with a focus on Cinderella, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood. Each book in the trilogy is presented in an oversized edition that features impressive shoujo-styled artwork and color inserts.
Grimm Otogi, a farflung descendant of the renowned Grimm Brothers, has always regarded the fairy tales his ancestors concocted as pure fiction. Unfortunately for the introverted half-Japanese teen, he is about to discover that the Grimm legacy is anything but pure...
Upon receiving a posthumous letter from the dead father he never knew, Otogi transfers to a new school and moves into an abandoned mansion as part of his inheritance. There, he finds a manuscript that reveals the truth about his ancestors: the Brothers Grimm made a deal with mystical beings known as the Märchen Demons, who now have a claim on Otogi’s life. With a dashing male Cinderella as his guide, can Otogi Grimm unlock the power of the manuscript and stop the fairy tale demons before they destroy him first?
Kantor, Melissa. If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?. New York: Hyperion, 2005.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Mrs. McBloom, clean up your room!"For nearly fifty years, that's been the refrain of janitors, principals, and students who enter the chaos of Room Five. Now the beloved Mrs. McBloom-who has taught nearly everyone in the town of Up Yonder, even Principal Pumpernickel-is about to retire. Finally, she must clean up her classroom.But where to begin? Years of science experiments have left all kinds of critters hoppin' and cluckin' and flyin' around. Giant sunflowers droop over desks; vines with fat green beans climb the walls; and a full-grown apple tree grows smack-dab in the middle of the floor. There are more books stacked in Room Five than in the Up Yonder Library. And who knows what else lurks in the piles of papers or the lost-and-found box?"
Lackey, Mercedes. The Fairy Godmother. New York: Luna, 2004.
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NOVEL: Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella -- until an accident of fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! Determined not to remain with her stepfamily, Elena set out to get a new job -- and ended up becoming the Fairy Godmother for the land. But "Breaking with Tradition" was no easy matter. True, she didn't have to sleep in the chimney, but she had to deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who kept trying to rise above their place in the tale. In fact, one of them was so ornery that Elena could do nothing but change him into a donkey. Still, her practical nature couldn't let him roam the country, so she brought the donkey -- er, the prince! -- home to her cottage to teach him some lessons. All the while keeping in mind that breaking with tradition can land everyone into a kettle of fish -- sometimes literally!
Lackey, Mercedes. Phoenix and Ashes. New York: DAW, 2004.
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NOVEL: Phoenix and Ashes is Lackey's fourth book in her Elemental Masters series (including The Fire Rose, Gates of Sleep, and Serpent's Shadow). This novel is a retelling of the Cinderella story, set around Stratford, England 1918ish.
Levine, Gail Carson. Cinderellis and the Glass Hill. New York: Harpercollins, 2000.
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NOVEL: In this unusual spin on an old favorite, Cinderlla is a boy! He's Cinderellis, and he has two unfriendly brothers and no fairy godmother to help him out. Luckily, he does have magical powders, and he intends to use them to win the hand of his Princess Charming-- that is, Marigold. The only problem is-- Marigold thinks Cinderellis is a monster!
Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted. New York: Harpercollins, 1997.
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NOVEL: A light comedy which explains why Ella is forced into strange behaviors. She does her best to rise above the curse of complete obedience she labors beneath and ultimately wins her prince's heart with her courage, not her beauty. This book is being adapted into a feature film starring Anne Hathaway to be released in 2004.
Lo, Malinda. Ash. New York: Little, Brown Young Readers, 2009.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.
The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love."
Maguire, Gregory. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. 1999.
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NOVEL: From book cover: We all have heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes.But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty . . . and what curses accompanied Cinderella's exquisite looks? Set against the rich backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister.
McBain, Ed. Cinderella. New York: Henry Holt, 1986.
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NOVEL: Mystery: Part of McBain's Matthew Hope series.
Marriott, Zoe. Shadows on the Moon. New York: Candlewick, 2012.
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NOVEL: A powerful tale of magic, love, and revenge set in fairy-tale Japan. Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume is able to re-create herself in any form — a fabulous gift for a girl desperate to escape her past. But who is she really? Is she a girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother’s new husband, Lord Terayama? Or a lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama’s kitchens? Or is she Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands? Whatever her true identity, Suzume is destined to use her skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge plot to destroy Terayama. And nothing will stop her, not even the one true aspect of her life- her love for a fellow shadow-weaver.
Meyer, Marissa. Cinder. New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2012.
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NOVEL: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
Mizuno, Junko. Cinderalla. Viz Communications, 2002.
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GRAPHIC NOVEL: From book cover: This is the classic fairy tale turned on its head. In Cinderalla, Dad and the stepsisters are zombies, the family runs a yakitori restaurant, and the prince is so sick he’s on a permanent IV support system. Junko Mizuno’s work possesses a postfeminist consciousness, and the book’s psychedelic tone is enhanced by the artist’s playful, “grotesque-cute” color illustrations.
Mlynowski, Sarah. Whatever After #2: If the Shoe Fits. New York: Scholastic Press, 2013.
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NOVEL: This second book in Sarah Mlynowski's charming new series puts a fresh spin on the Cinderella story! Once upon a time my brother and I found a magic mirror. Tonight the mirror swept us into Cinderella's fairy tale. Now, we are NOT messing this story up. No way. Cinderella is going to marry her prince just like she's supposed to. Uh-oh. Cinderella broke her foot and there's massive swelling. The glass slipper won't fit, the prince won't know she's the one for him, and they won't live happily ever after. And it's all our fault! To save the day we'll need to: 1. Learn how to use a dustpan 2. Stay out of jail 3. Find Cinderella a job 4. And make sure true love finds its way. We just have to get it all done before the clock strikes twelve and the chance for a happy ending is gone . . . forever!
Napoli, Donna Jo. Bound. New York: Atheneum, 2004.
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NOVEL: A novel set in China and based on Cinderella.
From the publisher: Young Xing Xing is bound. Bound to her father's second wife and daughter after Xing Xing's father has passed away. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where the life of a woman is valued less than that of livestock. Bound to be alone and unmarried, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Dubbed "Lazy One" by her stepmother, Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful but compulsory tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content, for now, to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, to tend to the mysterious but beautiful carp in her garden, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society.
But all of this is about to change as the time for the village's annual festival draws near, and Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future.
Palmer, Robin. Cindy Ella. New York: Puffin, 2008.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Prom fever has infected LA—especially Cindy’s two annoying stepsisters, and her overly Botoxed stepmother. Cindy seems to be the only one immune to it all. But her anti-prom letter in the school newspaper does more to turn Cindy into Queen of the Freaks than close the gap between the popular kids and the rest of the students. Everyone thinks she’s committed social suicide, except for her two best friends, the yoga goddess India and John Hughes–worshipping Malcolm, and shockingly, the most popular senior at Castle Heights High and Cindy’s crush, Adam Silver. Suddenly Cindy starts to think that maybe her social life could have a happily ever after. But there’s still the rest of the school to deal with. With a little bit of help from an unexpected source and a fabulous pair of heels, Cindy realizes that she still has a chance at a happily ever after."
Parkinson, Siobhan. Sisters...No Way!. O'Brien Press, 1996.
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NOVEL: From book cover: "Cindy, a savvy yet cynical teenager, still traumatized by her mother's recent death, is appalled when her father falls in love with one of her teachers, a woman with two teenage daughters of her own. She cannot imagine a worse fate than having her teacher as her stepmother, and as for the two prissy girls, she is never going to call them sisters . . . no way! But if Cindy dislikes her prospective sisters, Ashling and Orla think she is an absolute horror-spoiled, arrogant, and atrociously rude to them and their mother when they visit her house. Will the girls ever get along and learn to be a family? Featuring the girls' stories in two unique, back-to-back diaries, one for Cindy and the other for Ashling and Orla, readers can choose which story to begin with and will enjoy the varying viewpoints recording the same events."
Pinborough, Sarah. Charm. New York: Titan Books, 2015.
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Description:
The classic Cinderella story is given a sexy contemporary makeover in this wicked fairy tale featuring all the heroes and villains that we know and love: the handsome prince, the fairy godmother, the wretched sisters, and the beautiful girl.
Porter, Sarah. Vassa in the Night. New York: Tor Teen, 2016.
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Description:
When Vassa’s stepsister sends her out to buy lightbulbs in the middle of the night, she knows it could easily become a suicide mission. Babs Yagg, the owner of the local convenience store, has a policy of beheading shoplifters―and sometimes innocent shoppers as well.
But Vassa has a bit of luck hidden in her pocket, a gift from her dead mother. Erg is a tough-talking wooden doll with sticky fingers, a bottomless stomach, and ferocious cunning. With Erg’s help, Vassa just might be able to break the witch’s curse and free her Brooklyn neighborhood. But Babs won’t be playing fair….
Prineas, Sarah. Ash & Bramble. New York: HarperTeen, 2015.
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Description:
The tale of Cinderella has been retold countless times. But what you know is not the true story.
Sarah Prineas’s bold fairy-tale retelling is a dark and captivating world where swords are more fitting than slippers, young shoemakers are just as striking as princes, and a heroine is more than ready to rescue herself before the clock strikes midnight.
Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother’s fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker.
Pin isn’t free for long before she’s captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her—a fairy-tale story, complete with a charming prince—instead of finding her own happily ever after.
As Pin tries to fight her arranged path, she finds that a sword is a much better fit for her than a glass slipper, and that the boy who she escaped with is still searching for her, and won’t stop until he rescues her—if Pin doesn’t rescue herself first.
Pullman, Philip. I Was a Rat!. New York: Knopf, 2000.
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NOVEL: From book cover: “I Was a Rat!” So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it’s true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of “Rodent Delusion”? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That’s what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it may take a royal intervention—and a bit of magic—to convince the rest of the world. Set against the backdrop of a Royal Wedding—and a playful parody of the press, I Was a Rat! is a magical weaving of humor, fairy tale, and adventure.
Rallison, Janette. My Fair Godmother. New York: Walker Books, 2009.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy."
Redwine, C. J. The Blood Spell. New York: Balzer & Bray, 2019.
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Description:
Blue de la Cour has her life planned: hide the magic in her blood and continue trying to turn metal into gold so she can help her city’s homeless. But when her father is murdered and a cruel but powerful woman claims custody of Blue and her property, one wrong move could expose her—and doom her once and for all. The only one who can help? The boy she’s loathed since childhood: Prince Kellan.
Kellan Renard, crown prince of Balavata, is walking a thin line between political success and devastating violence. Newly returned from boarding school, he must find a bride among the kingdom’s head families and announce his betrothal—but escalating violence among the families makes the search nearly impossible. He’s surprised to discover that the one person who makes him feel like he can breathe is Blue, the girl who once ruined all his best adventures.
When mysterious forces lead to disappearances throughout Balavata, Blue and Kellan must work together to find the truth. What they discover will lead them to the darkest reaches of the kingdom, and to the most painful moments of their pasts.
When romance is forbidden and evil is rising, can Blue save those she loves, even if it costs her everything?
Skidmore, Lauren. What Is Hidden. New York: Sweetwater Books, 2014.
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Description:
In a land of masquerades and mystery, Evie is a mask maker in Venesia, where masks represent rank and identity. When a cryptic bandit strips away Evie's mask and destroys her home, she goes into hiding at the palace to find both a new identity and revenge. Fantasy lovers will be caught up by the mystique, romance, and magic of What Is Hidden.
Slayton, Shonna. Cinderella's Dress: A 1940s Fairy Tale. New York: Amaretto Press, 2018.
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Description:
On the home front in 1944, Kate wants to do her part for the war effort.
She'd prefer filling in for the window dressers at the New York department store where she works, but her mother insists on sending her to audition for roles she never gets.
When relatives arrive from war-torn Poland with a mysterious steamer trunk and an even more mysterious story, her life is about to get complicated.
Kate's aunt, who is suffering from dementia, tries to convince Kate she is next in line to be the keeper of the wardrobe for Cinderella's family--the real Cinderella.
She'll have to prove that she's worthy to continue the family line and keep Cinderella's dress safe from the people who want it most.
This might be the most important role Kate has ever auditioned for. But will she get to the truth before it's forgotten?
Slayton, Shonna. Cinderella's Legacy. New York: Amaretto Press, 2019.
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Description:
Before the fairy tale.
Before Cinderella met her prince.
Before she ever put her foot into that glass slipper...
There was Esmerelda.
A fairy godmother living an isolated life in the mountains until a baby is left on her doorstep and changes everything.
This prequel novel answers fan questions from the novels Cinderella's Dress and Cinderella's Shoes. Since the prequel is filled with spoilers, you may want to read the other two books first, and then come back to this one to read the backstory of how Cinderella's dress and shoes become a legacy.
Slayton, Shonna. Cinderella’s Shoes. New York: Entangled Teen, 2015.
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Description:
The war may be over, but Kate Allen's life is still in upheaval. Not only has she discovered that Cinderella was real, but now she's been made Keeper of the Wardrobe, her sole responsibility to protect Cinderella's mystical dresses from the greed of the evil stepsisters' modern descendants.
But Cinderella's dresses are just the beginning. It turns out that the priceless glass slippers might actually exist, too, and they could hold the power to reunite lost loved ones like her father-missing in action since World War II ended. As Kate and her boyfriend, Johnny, embark on an adventure from New York to Italy and Poland in search of the mysterious slippers, they will be tested in ways they never imagined.
Because when you harness Cinderella's magic, danger and evil are sure to follow...
St. Crow, Lili. Wayfarer: A Tale of Beauty and Madness. New York: Razorbill, 2014.
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NOVEL: The Charmer's Ball. Midnight. And one glass slipper...
Newly orphaned, increasingly isolated from her friends, and terrified of her violent stepmother, Ellen Sinder still believes she’ll be okay. She has a plan for surviving and getting through high school, which includes keeping her head down and saving any credits she can earn or steal. But when a train arrives from over the Waste beyond New Haven, carrying a golden boy and a new stepsister, all of Ellie’s plans begin to unravel, one by one.
Just when all hope is lost, Ellie meets an odd old woman with a warm hearth and a heavenly garden. Auntie’s kindness is intoxicating, and Ellie finally has a home again. Yet when the clock strikes twelve on the night of the annual Charmer’s Ball, Ellie realizes that no charm is strong enough to make her past disappear...
In a city where Twisted minotaurs and shifty fey live alongside diplomats and charmers, a teenage girl can disappear through the cracks into safety--or into something much more dangerous. So what happens when the only safety you can find wants to consume you as well?
Lili St. Crow is the author of the Strange Angels series for young adults and the Dante Valentine series, among others, for adults. She is also the author of Nameless, a companion book to Wayfarer. She lives in Vancouver, Washington with her family. Visit lilistcrow.com to find out more.
Stanley, Diane. Bella at Midnight. New York: HarperCollins, 2006.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.
NOVEL: From the publisher: "In the little village of Castle Down, in a kingdom plagued by war, lives a peasant girl called Bella. Blessed with a kind family and a loving friend, she manages to create her own small patch of sunlight in a dark and dangerous world. Bella is a blacksmith's daughter; her friend Julian is a prince -- yet neither seems to notice the great gulf that divides his world from hers. Suddenly Bella's world collapses. First Julian betrays her. Then it is revealed that she is not the peasant she believed herself to be: She is Isabel, the daughter of a knight who abandoned her in infancy. Now he wants her back, so Bella is torn from her beloved foster family and sent to live with her deranged father and his resentful new wife. Soon Bella is caught up in a terrible plot that will change her life -- and the kingdom -- forever. With the help of her godmother and three enchanted gifts, she sets out on a journey in disguise that will lead her to a destiny far greater than any she could have imagined."
Stephens, Sarah Hines and Jane Mason. Princess School: If the Shoe Fits. New York: Scholastic, 2004.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: With her feet bare (those glass slippers don't fit) and her second-hand gown splattered with mud (thanks, evil stepsisters), Ella's first day of Princess School is off to a lousy start. If she can only find her fairy godmother before the first class begins, Ella is sure she'll put things right. But her FG is off at a convention and Ella is on her own--she'll have to get through the first weeks of Princess School without any bibbity-bobbity-boo. Ella is terrified--until she meets silly Snow, spunky Rapunzel, and beautiful, sheltered Rose.
Turgeon, Carolyn. Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2009.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Lil is an old woman who spends her days shelving rare books in a tiny Manhattan bookstore and lonely nights at home in her apartment. But Lil has an intriguing secret. Tucked and bound behind her back are white feathery wings–the only key to who she once was: the fairy godmother responsible for getting Cinderella to the ball to unite with her Prince Charming.
"But on that fateful night, something went terribly and beautifully wrong. Lil allowed herself the unthinkable: to feel the emotions of human beings and fall in love with the prince herself, going to the ball in place of Cinderella in her exquisitely gorgeous human guise. For her unforgivable mistake, she was banished to live among humans, far from her fairy sisters and their magical underwater world. But then one day she meets Veronica–a young, fair-skinned, flame-haired East Village beauty with a love of all things vintage and a penchant for falling in love with the wrong men–and suddenly it becomes clear to Lil that she’s been given a chance at redemption. If she can find a soul mate for Veronica, she may right her wrong and return to the fairy world she so deeply longs for. . . ."
West, Hannah. Kingdom of Ash and Briars. New York: Holiday House, 2016.
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Description:
Bristal, a sixteen-year-old kitchen maid, finds herself in a gritty fairy tale gone wrong when she discovers she has elicromancer magic in her blood. Elicromancers are an ancient breed of immortal people, but only two remain in Nissera after a bloody civil war. Bristal joins their ranks without knowing that one of them has a dark secret . . .
Tamarice is plotting a quest to overthrow the realm's nobility and take charge herself. Together, Bristal and Brack must guard the three kingdoms of Nissera against Tamarice's black elicromancy. There are princesses to protect, royal alliances to forge, and fierce monsters to battle—all with the hope of preserving peace.
With clever homages to Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, Hannah West makes a fast-paced, exciting, and wholly original debut. The Nissera Chronicles continue with Fields of Fire, a short story set against the events of Kingdom of Ash and Briars, and Realm of Ruins, a gripping companion novel.
Wilson, David Henry. The Coachman Rat. Ashmadi, New York: Baen, 1990.
NOVEL: A dark fantastical version of Cinderella presented through the coachman's point of view.
Belford, Jacey. "Baron Boscov's Bastard." Twice Upon A Time. Denise Little, ed. New York: DAW Books, 1999.
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SHORT STORY
Block, Francesca Lia. "Glass." The Rose and the Beast. New York: Harper Collins, 2000.
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SHORT STORY
Brooke, William. "The Fitting of the Slipper." A Telling of the Tales. New York: Harper Collins, 1990.
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SHORT STORY
Carter, Angela. "Ashputtle." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 4 . Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1991.
SHORT STORY
Donoghue, Emma. "The Tale of the Shoe." Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins. New York: Harper Collins, 1997.
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SHORT STORY
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Ashputtel." Rumpelstiltskin and Other Grimm Tales. London: Faber and Faber, 1999.
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Amazon.co.uk: Buy the book in paperback.
Also available in:
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Ashputtel." Collected Grimm Tales.Dramatization by Tim Supple. London: Faber and Faber, 2003.
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Amazon.co.uk: Buy the book in paperback.
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Ashputtel." Grimm Tales. Dramatization by Tim Supple. London: Faber and Faber, 1996.
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Amazon.co.uk: Buy the book in paperback.
SHORT STORY
Fisher, David. "Kingdom v. Prince Charming." Legally Correct Fairy Tales. New York: Warner, 1996.
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SHORT STORY
Fowler, Karen Joy. "Recalling Cinderella." L. Ron Hubbard Presents The Best of Writers of the Future. Algis Budrys, editor. Los Angeles: Bridge, 2000.
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SHORT STORY
Fisher, David. "Kingdom v. Prince Charming." Legally Correct Fairy Tales. New York: Warner, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.
SHORT STORY
Fisher, David. "Kingdom v. Prince Charming." Legally Correct Fairy Tales. New York: Warner, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.
SHORT STORY
Fowler, Karen Joy. "Recalling Cinderella." L. Ron Hubbard Presents The Best of Writers of the Future. Algis Budrys, editor. Los Angeles: Bridge, 2000.
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SHORT STORY
Galloway, Priscilla. "The Prince."Truly Grim Tales. New York: Delacorte, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Garner, James Finn. "Cinderella." Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life and Times. New York: Hungry Minds Inc, 1994.
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SHORT STORY
Hardesty, Emma. "Rosie's Dance ." Black Heart, Ivory Bones.Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 2000.
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SHORT STORY
Harkrader, Lisa. "Rudy and the Prince." Newfangled Fairy Tales: Book #1. Bruce Lansky, ed. New York: Meadowbrook Press, 1997.
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SHORT STORY
Harlan, Annita. "Princess in Puce."The Armless Maiden.Terri Windling, ed. New York: Tor Books, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Hawes, Louise. "Ashes." Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
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SHORT STORY: "Ashes" is the prince's, not Cinderella's, view of "happily ever after."
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki. "Switched." Rotten Relations. Denise Little, editor. New York: DAW, 2004.
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SHORT STORY
Kushner, Ellen. "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep." The Armless Maiden. Terri Windling, ed. New York: Tor Books, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Lee, Tanith. "The Reason for Not Going to the Ball (A Letter to Cinderella from Her Stepmother)." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 10 . Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1997.
SHORT STORY
Lee, Tanith. "When the Clock Strikes." Red as Blood: Or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer. New York: DAW Books, 1983.
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SHORT STORY
Luzier, Pamela. "After the Ball." Rotten Relations. Denise Little, editor. New York: DAW, 2004.
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SHORT STORY
Maguire, Gregory. "Cinderelephant." Leaping Beauty: And Other Animal Fairy Tales. New York: HarperCollins, 2004.
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SHORT STORY
Mayer, Gloria Gilbert and Thomas Mayer. "Cinderella." Goldilocks on Management: 27 Revisionist Fairy Tales for Serious Managers. New York: American Management Association, 1999.
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SHORT STORY
Oertel, Liya Lev. "The Fairy Godfather." Newfangled Fairy Tales: Book #2. Bruce Lansky, ed. New York: Meadowbrook Press, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
Palwick, Susan. "Ever After." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 1. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988.
SHORT STORY
Peterson, Audrey. "Anniversary Ball." Once Upon A Crime. Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg, eds. New York: Berkeley Prime Crime, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
Roberts, Gillian. "After Happily Ever." Once Upon A Crime. Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg, eds. New York: Berkeley Prime Crime, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
Rusch, Kristine Kathryn. "Love and Justice." Once Upon A Crime. Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg, eds. New York: Berkeley Prime Crime, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
Schlachter, Rita. "The Gold Ring." Newfangled Fairy Tales: Book #2. Bruce Lansky, ed. New York: Meadowbrook Press, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
Sinor, Susan P. & Bradley H. "Serpent's Tooth." Rotten Relations. Denise Little, editor. New York: DAW, 2004.
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SHORT STORY
Smith, Mary Carter. "Cindy Ellie." Best-Loved Stories Told at the National Storytelling Festival. Jonesborough, TN: National Storytelling Press, 1991.
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SHORT STORY: Set in inner-city Baltimore.
Snyder, Midori. "Tattercoats." Black Thorn, White Rose.Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
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SHORT STORY: Tattercoats is part of the Cinderella and Dearskin tales.
Straub, Peter. "Ashputtle." Black Thorn, White Rose. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Walker, Barbara. "Cinder-Helle." Feminist Fairy Tales. San Francisco: Harper, 1996.
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SHORT STORY
Yolen, Jane. "Cinder Elephant." A Wolf at the Door. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
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SHORT STORY
Ahmed-ud-din, Feroz. "Cinderella." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Alvarez, Julia. "Against Cinderella." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 172.
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Barresi, Dorothy. "Cinderella and Lazarus, Part II." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 212.
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Broumas, Olga. "Cinderella." Beginning with O. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1977.
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Also available in:
Broumas, Olga. "Cinderella." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 155.
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Bull, Emma. "The Stepsister's Story." The Armless Maiden.Terri Windling, ed. New York: Tor Books, 1995.
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Also available in:
Bull, Emma. "The Stepsister's Story." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 160.
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Carryl, Guy Wetmore. "How Fair Cinderella Disposed of Her Shoe." Grimm Tales Made Gay. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1902.
Read the poem on this site at How Fair Cinderella Disposed of Her Shoe.
Crooker, Barbara. "Masquerade." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 116.
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Dahl, Roald. "Cinderella." Revolting Rhymes. New York: Puffin Books, 1982.
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Dame, Enid. "Cinderella." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 149.
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Duhamel, Denise. "The Ugly Stepsister." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 189.
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Edson, Russell. "Cinderella's Life at the Castle." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 117.
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Farjeon, Eleanor. "Coach." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Fisher, Aileen. "Cinderella Grass."Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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French, Mary Blake. "Ella Of The Cinders." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Gerstler, Amy. "Scorched Cinderella." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 194.
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Also available in: Gerstler, Amy. "Scorched Cinderella."Medicine. New York: Penguin, 2003. p. 17.
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Hadas, Pamela White. "Queen Charming Writes Again." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 223.
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Hambly, Barbara. "Achtung, My Princess, Goodnight." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 204.
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Hay, Sara Henderson. "Interview." Story Hour. Fayetteville, AS: University of Arkansas Press, 1998.
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Hazard, Caroline. "Cinderella." Narragansett Ballads with Songs and Lyrics. New York: Houghton Mifflin & Company, 1894.
Read the poem on this site at Cinderella.
Herd, Tracey. "After the Impossible Dream." New Women Poets. Carol Rumens, ed. Highgreen Tarset Northumberland: Bloodaxe Books, 1990.
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Holub, Miroslav. "Cinderella." Another Republic: 17 European and South American Writers. Charles Simic and Mark Strand, eds. New York: The Ecco Press, 1976.
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Hussey, Anne. "Cinderella Liberated."Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Jarrell, Randall. "Cinderella." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Also available in:
Jarrell, Randall. "Cinderella." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 210.
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This poem is available online through Plagiarist.com at Cinderella by Randall Jarrell.
Joseph, M. K. "Cinderella." New Zealand Love Poems. Lauris Edmond, ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.
Kemp, Jan. "Cinderella." An Anthology of Twentieth Century New Zealand Poetry. Vincent O'Sullivan, ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1970.
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Komunyakaa, Yusef. "Cinderella at Big Sur." Pleasure Dome: New and Collected Poems. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2001.
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Kushner, Ellen. "Sonata: For Two Friends in Different Times of the Same Trouble." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 4 . Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1991.
Lawson, Henry. "Cinderella." Collected Verse, Volume I. Colin Roderick, editor. Melbourne: Angus and Robertson, 1967.
Read the poem on this site at Cinderella.
Lindsay, Vachel. "Parvenu." Collected Poems of Vachel Lindsay. New York: Macmillan, 1925.
Read the poem on this site at Parvenu.
Lochhead, Liz. "Beauty & The." Dreaming Frankenstein and Collected Poems. London: Polygon Books, 1984.
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This poem originally appeared in:
Lochhead, Liz. The Grimm Sisters. London: Next Editions (In Association with Faber & Faber), 1981.
Lochhead, Liz. "The Grim Sisters." Dreaming Frankenstein and Collected Poems. London: Polygon Books, 1984.
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This poem originally appeared in:
Lochhead, Liz. The Grimm Sisters. London: Next Editions (In Association with Faber & Faber), 1981.
Mitchell, Roger. "Cinderella." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Mitchell, Stephen. "Cinderella." Parables and Portraits. New York: Harper Perennial, 1990.
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Pearson, Marlene Joyce. "Twenty Years After." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 213.
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Piatt, Sarah Morgan Bryan. "Questions of the Hour." A Woman's Poems. New York: James R. Osgood and Company, 1878.
Read the poem on this site at Questions of the Hour.
Pickard, Cynthia. "Cinderella." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Plath, Sylvia. "Cinderella."Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Reed, Tennessee. "Disney's Cinderella." From Totems to Hip-Hop. Ishmael Reed, editor. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2003.
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Reid, Dorothy E. "Coach Into Pumpkin."Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Roberts, Elizabeth Madox. "Cinderella's Song." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Sansom, Clive. "Fairy Godmother." Return to Magic. London: Leslie Frewin, 1969.
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Saunders, Ruby C. "Cinderella." Black Sister: Poetry by Black American Women, 1746–1980. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1981.
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Sexton, Anne. "Cinderella."Transformations. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1979.
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This poem is available online through Plagiarist.com at Cinderella by Anne Sexton.
Excerpt:
"Cinderella and the prince
lived, they say, happily ever after,
like two dolls in a museum case
never bothered by diapers or dust,
never arguing over the timing of an egg,
never telling the same story twice...."
Shore, Jane. "The Glass Slipper." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 113.
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Shuttle, Penelope. "Ashputtel." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 77.
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Silverstein, Shel. "In Search of Cinderella." A Light in the Attic. New York: HarperCollins, 1981.
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Strauss, Gwen. "Cinderella." Trail of Stones. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.
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Also available in:
Strauss, Gwen. "Cinderella." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 131.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
Van Duyn, Mona. "Cinderella's Story." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 42.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
Vande Velde, Vivian. "Evidence." Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Viorst, Judith. "...And Then the Prince Knelt Down and Tried to Put the Glass Slipper on Cinderella's Foot." If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries: Poems for Children and their Parents. New York: Atheneum, 1981.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Also available in:
Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England. Jack Zipes, ed. New York: Viking, 1973.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
Weaver, Edith. "Lost Cinderella."Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Weiner, Estha. "Transfiguration Begins at Home." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 250.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
Wendt, Ingrid. "Cinderella Dream at Ten." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 147.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
Whitman, Sarah Helen. "Cinderella." Poems by Sarah Helen Whitman. New York: Hougton, Osgood and Company, 1879.
Read the poem on this site at Cinderella.
Yolen, Jane. "Knives." Snow White, Blood Red. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Also see Cinderella on the Folklore and Fairy Tale Music page.
There are hundreds of music productions with Cinderella themes in them. I have listed most of the important and easily accessible ones. For a more complete list, consult Russell A. Peck's
Cinderella Bibliography: Musical Compositions and Dances
Cinderella Bibliography: Popular Music and Hard Rock
Cinderella Bibliography: Opera and Musical Comedy
Cinderella Bibliography: Ballet
Massenet, Jules. Cendrillon. 1896.
OPERA: Jules Massenet (1842-1912). The French libretto of this opera is available on the web at: http://www.karadar.com/Librettos/massenet_cendrillon.html
Prokofiev, Sergei. Cinderella.
BALLET: Although I have seen the ballet of Cinderella performed twice, the music still surprises me every time I hear it in performance. I have provided links to some of the more popular recordings of the work below. I do not presume to endorse a particular recording since I am not a music scholar.
Rossini, Giacchino Antonio. La Cenerentola. 1817.
OPERA: Italian Rossini (1792-1868) composed this extremely modified version of Cinderella as an opera. Rossini is also famous for The Barber of Seville and William Tell.
Stephen Sondheim. Into The Woods.
In 1986, Into the Woods hit Broadway and enjoyed great success. The musical incorporates many fairy tale characters and plots including Sleeping Beauty. I have included the Broadway and London casts' recordings below. An excellent site about this musical is at Into the Woods.
Title: Into the Woods--Original Cast Recording
Performers: Bernadette Peters, Robert Westenberg, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Tom Aldredge.
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
Download the CD.
Title: Into the Woods--London Cast Recording
Performers: Imelda Staunton, Julia McKenzie, Nicolas Parsons, Jacqueline Dankworth, Clive Carter.
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
Song Title: Hey Cinderella
Artist: Suzy Bogguss
Genre: Country
Label: Capitol
Original Release Date: 1993 on Something Up My Sleeve
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
Download the song or the CD.
Song Title: Cinderella
Artist: The Push Stars
Genre: Rock
Label: Capitol
Original Release Date: 1999 on After the Party
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
Download the song or the CD.
MacGregor, Helen, and Stephen Chadwick. Roald Dahl's Cinderella. Vladimir Tarnopolski, composer. New York: A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 2008.
Amazon.com: Buy the complete performance pack.
MUSICAL: Based on the "Revolting Rhyme" by Roald Dahl.
There are hundreds of films with Cinderella themes in them. The earliest dates back to 1898. I have not listed all of them here, but have limited the list to many of the best known or important ones. I recommend visiting Internet Movie Database to learn more about Cinderella films.
Also, Russell A. Peck has a lengthy list of Cinderella films at Cinderella Bibliography: Movies and TV.
Cinderella (1898). George Albert Smith, director. UK. Also known as Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother.
George Albert Smith was one of the earliest pioneers of film, often compared with Georges Méliès. He, too, found inspiration in the Cinderella story and brought it to early film.
Cendrillon (1899). Georges Méliès, director. France. Also known as Cinderella.
Georges Méliès was one of the earliest pioneers of film. He found inspiration in the Cinderella story and brought it to early film. "Melies was also the first to use techniques such as the fade-in, the fade-out, and the dissolve to create the first real narrative films"(IMDB.com). Méliès would later film another version of Cinderella, Cendrillon ou La pantoufle mystérieuse in 1912.
Cinderella (1914). James Kirkwood, director.
Cast:
Mary Pickford .... Cinderella
Owen Moore .... Prince Charming
Isabel Vernon .... Stepmother
Georgia Wilson .... Stepsister
Lucille Carney .... Stepsister
Mary Pickford stars in this early silent film version of the tale.
Aschenputtel (1922). Lotte Reiniger, director. Germany. Also known as Cinderella.
SILHOUETTE ANIMATION SHORT: Reiniger produced another short of Cinderella in 1961 in the UK. Lotte Reiniger is historically important as an early animator, specializing in shadow puppet animation, also known as silhouette animation. She was arguably the best talent in this particular craft. She started in silent films while living in Germany and continued producing shorts for over 40 years, primarily in the UK. For more information, read this article by William Moritz published by Animation World Magazine:
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html
Poor Cinderella (1934). Dave Fleischer, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS.
ANIMATED SHORT: A Betty Boop interpretation of Cinderella. The only Betty Boop cartoon ever filmed in color.
First Love (1939). Henry Koster, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS.
Cast:
Deanna Durbin .... Connie Harding
Robert Stack .... Ted Drake
Eugene Pallette .... James F. Clinton
Helen Parrish .... Barbara Clinton
"In this reworking of Cinderella, orphaned Connie Harding is sent to live with her rich aunt and uncle after graduating from boarding school. She's hardly received with open arms, especially by her snobby cousin Barbara. When the entire family is invited to a major social ball, Barbara sees to it that Connie is forced to stay home. With the aid of her uncle, who acts as her fairy godfather, Connie makes it to the ball and meets her Prince Charming in Ted Drake, her cousin's boyfriend" (IMDB.com).
La Cenerentola (1948). Fernando Cerchio, director. Italy. Also known as Cinderella.
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS.
Cast:
Gino Del Signore .... Don Ramiro, Prince of Salerno
Afro Poli .... Dandini, the Prince's valet
Enrico Formichi .... Alidoro, Magician, Philosopher and Court Counselor
Vito De Taranto .... Don Magnifico, Baron of Montefiascone, stepfather of Cenerentola
Lori Landi .... Cenerentola
"When Alidoro, the Magician, discovers (through his 'hidden secrets' book) the location of the destined bride of the Prince, Don Ramiro, he sends this information in a message to the palace by carrier pigeon - with a recommendation that the Prince change places with his valet, Dandini. Following this advice, the Prince meets Cenerentola - and there is an instant attraction between them. Later, Alidoro magically creates beautiful clothes and jewels for Cenerentola, and takes her to the Prince's palace. Dandini (still pretending to be the prince) becomes enamored of her, but Cenerentola rejects his advances, saying that she loves his 'valet'. Overhearing this, the delighted Ramiro asks her to marry him, but Cenerentola says that he must first seek her out, and gives him a bracelet - telling him to look for the companion bracelet on her right arm. The Prince and Dandini resume their true identities, and the Prince sets out on his quest - little realising that Alidoro is, once again, 'pulling the strings'." (IMDB.com)
Cinderella (1950). Wilfred Jackson, director. Walt Disney Productions.
Amazon.com: Buy the movie on DVD or VHS.
Disney's adaptation of the beloved fairy tale became a classic in its own right, thanks to some memorable tunes (including "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," and the title song) and some endearingly cute comic relief. We all know the story--the wicked stepmother and stepsisters simply won't have it, this uppity Cinderella thinking she's going to a ball designed to find the handsome prince an appropriate sweetheart, but perseverance, animal buddies, and a well-timed entrance by a fairy godmother make sure things turn out all right. There are a few striking sequences of pure animation--for example, Cinderella is reflected in bubbles drifting through the air--and the design is rich and evocative throughout. It's a simple story padded here agreeably with comic business, particularly Cinderella's rodent pals (dressed up conspicuously like the dwarf sidekicks of another famous Disney heroine) and their misadventures with a wretched cat named Lucifer.
Aschenputtel (1955). Fritz Genschow, director. West Germany. Also known as Cinderella.
Cast:
Änne Bruck .... Stepmother
Fritz Genschow .... Father
Rüdiger Lichti .... Prince
Rita-Maria Nowotny .... Cinderella
Renée Stobrawa .... Fairy Godmother
MUSICAL
The Glass Slipper (1955). Charles Walters, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Cast:
Leslie Caron .... Ella
Michael Wilding .... Prince Charles
Another musical version of the story starring Leslie Caron. Caron, best known for her dancing, gives an agreeable performance of Cinderella in this version of the tale. Not a favorite when it has so much competition, but it isn't the worst version of the tale to be put on film either.
"In a small pleasant European village, there is one unhappy person: Ella. She is despised by everyone, and mistreated by her step-mother and step-sisters. Out feeling miserable one day, Ella meets a handsome young man, who falls for her. He is really Prince Charles, the son of the Duke, but he tells her he is the son of the cook, and invites her to a great ball at the Duke's castle. A strange woman who lives in the mountains by herself befriends Ella, and dresses her up so she can attend the ball. She goes, and is a great success, but must run out at midnight. In her haste, she drops a single glass slipper. The Prince uses the slipper to find her" (IMDB.com).
Cinderella (1957). Ralph Nelson, director.
Cast:
Julie Andrews .... Cinderella
Howard Lindsay .... King
Dorothy Stickney .... The Queen
Ilka Chase .... The Stepmother
A made-for-TV musical version of the story with the music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. This first version in 1957 stars Julie Andrews. The second version stars Lesley Ann Warren. A later version made in 1997 stars Brandy and Whitney Houston.
Fractured Fairy Tales: Cinderella (1959-60) (TV). In Rocky and Bullwinkle. Jay Ward Productions.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
ANIMATED SHORT: The Fractured Fairy Tales segment became a popular part of the first season of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (known under various names through the years) that premiered in the fall of 1959. They have remained in syndication ever since. Cinderella originally aired in Episode 15 of Season 1.
Cinderfella (1960). Frank Tashlin, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS.
Cast:
Jerry Lewis .... Cinderfella
Ed Wynn .... Fairy Godfather
Judith Anderson .... Wicked Stepmother
A farcical version of the tale starring Jerry Lewis as an innocous but lovable buffoon guided by his fairy godfather. Silly and typical Lewis, but it still fits this category!
Cinderella (1963). Lotte Reiniger, director. UK.
SILHOUETTE ANIMATION SHORT: Not to be confused with Reiniger's earlier production of Aschenputtel in 1919. This production was an Interlude for Theatrical Performance. Lotte Reiniger is historically important as an early animator, specializing in shadow puppet animation, also known as silhouette animation. She was arguably the best talent in this particular craft. She started in silent films while living in Germany and continued producing shorts for over 40 years, primarily in the UK. For more information, read this article by William Moritz published by Animation World Magazine:
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html
Cinderella (1964). Charles S. Dubin, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Cast:
Lesley Ann Warren .... Cinderella
Stuart Damon .... Prince
Ginger Rogers .... Queen
Walter Pidgeon .... King
Celeste Holm .... Fairy Godmother
Jo Van Fleet .... Stepmother
A made-for-TV musical version of the story with the music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The first version in 1957 stars Julie Andrews. This second version stars Lesley Ann Warren. A later version made in 1997 stars Brandy and Whitney Houston.
Hey Cinderella (1969). Jim Henson, director.
Cinderella gets an early Muppet interpretation.
Three Nuts for Cinderella (Tri Orisky Pro Popelku) (1973). Vaclav Vorlicek, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
Frequently requested on SurLaLune: A cult classic from Czechoslovakia.
You may read more about the movie at this fansite: http://www.threenutsforcinderella.de/ or a mirror site http://www.dreihaselnuessefueraschenbroedel.de/
htmls_e/hallo.html
Once Upon a Time (1976). Rolf Kauka, director. Italy / West Germany.
A blend of Diamonds and Toads and Cinderella, this is a little known film that is a cult hit and classic to many, finally released to DVD in 2006.
The Slipper and the Rose (1976). Bryan Forbes, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Cast:
Richard Chamberlain .... Prince Edward
Gemma Craven .... Cinderella
Annette Crosbie .... Fairy Godmother
Edith Evans .... Dowager Queen
Christopher Gable .... John
Michael Hordern .... King
Margaret Lockwood .... Stepmother
Gemma Craven has the title role, but Richard Chamberlain (The Thorn Birds) as the prince is better known to most audiences. This British musical started out on the stage and then moved to screen. Just remember that it is a musical and Chamberlain will sing quite early in the movie, so don't be surprised.
"In the tiny kingdom of Euphrania, the King and his court are most anxious to get Prince Edward wed. But Edward wants to marry for love. Meanwhile, young Cinderella finds life drastically altered with her father's death as she's forced to be a servant in her own house. But a cheery fairy godmother helps her with her impossible tasks, and even gets her to take an evening out at the King's bride-finding ball. But when the magic wears off, and the prince with shoe-in-hand searches for Cinderella and finds her, what is going to happen to Euphrania without the needed marriage alliance to prevent war?" (IMDB.com)
Cindy (TV) (1978). William A. Graham, director.
Cast:
Charlayne Woodard .... Cindy
Cleavant Derricks .... Michael Simpson
Mae Mercer .... Sara Hayes, stepmother
Clifton Davis .... Captain Joe Prince
"This version of the Cinderella tale with an all-black cast has Cinderella, who wants to marry a dashing army officer, finding out out that her father, who she thought had an important job at a big hotel, is actually the men's room attendant. Her wicked stepmother finds out, too, and complications ensue" (IMDB.com).
The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin (1981). Janet Perlman, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS.
ANIMATED SHORT: Nominated for an Academy Award. "Cinderella has to stay home while her evil stepsisters go to the ball. You know the rest except everyone here is a penguin (even the mice that become the "horses") and the lost slipper is more like a swimming flipper" (IMDB.com).
Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: Cinderella (1985) (TV).
Amazon.com: Buy the series on DVD.
Cast:
Eve Arden ... Stepmother
Jennifer Beals ... Cinderella
Matthew Broderick ... Prince Henry
Jean Stapleton ... Fairy Godmother
This television series originally aired on Showtime for six seasons and a total of 27 episodes. To see a full episode list, go to Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre.
Ashpet: An American Cinderella (1990). Tom Davenport, director. Davenport Films Production.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Davenport Films, an independent film company, has a wonderful short film based on Cinderella, titled Ashpet. This is the same film company that produced Willa: An American Snow White which has appeared on PBS. Please follow these links or click on a photo still to visit their website and learn more about this film. These movies are some of the best renditions of folklore on film.
You can also preview this film on YouTube at From the Brothers Grimm: Ashpet.
If the Shoe Fits (TV) (1990). Tom Clegg, director. Also known as: Stroke of Midnight.
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS.
Cast:
Rob Lowe .... Francesco Salvitore
Jennifer Grey .... Kelly Carter/Prudence
"A modern Cinderella in Paris: While the plain Kelly Carter jobs as a gadrobiere for the famous fashion designer Francesco, she dreams of designing shoes for him. However she can't win his attention... until she meets a good fairy on the street, who enchants a pair of Kelly's shoes, so that she turns into supermodel Prudence whenever she wears them. She attends one of Francesco's balls and immediately wins his heart. Now, how can she make him love her real self?" (IMDB.com).
Into the Woods (1991) (TV). James Lapine, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Cast:
Bernadette Peters .... The Witch
Chip Zien .... Baker
Joanna Gleason .... Baker's wife
Tom Aldredge .... Narrator/Mysterious Man
Robert Westenberg .... Wolf/Cinderella's Prince
Kim Crosby .... Cinderella
Danielle Ferland .... Little Red Riding Hood
Ben Wright .... Jack
Barbara Bryne .... Jack's mother
Merle Louise .... Grandmother/Cinderella's Mother/Giant
Chuck Wagner .... Rapunzel's Prince
Pamela Winslow .... Rapunzel
FILM OF ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST PRODUCTION: A baker and his wife journey into the woods in search of a cow, a red cape, a pair of golden slippers and some magic beans to lift a curse that has kept them childless. Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason and the rest of the original Broadway cast weave their magic spell over you in Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece, directed by James Lapine, a seamless fusion of fairy tale characters and what happens after "happily ever after." With oft-recorded songs such as "Children Will Listen," "No One is Alone," and "Into the Woods" is a music lover's delight from start to finish--and will forever cement Stephen Sondheim's unparalleled position as the giant of the American musical theater.
Cinderella (1997)
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Cast:
Whitney Houston .... Fairy Godmother
Bernadette Peters .... Cinderella's Stepmother
Jason Alexander .... Lionel
Whoopi Goldberg .... Queen Constantina
Paolo Montalban .... The Prince
Brandy Norwood .... Cinderella
This is the "remade for television" in the 1990s version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical staring Brandy and Whitney Houston. The cast is strong and multicultural, but there isn't much new to see in the tale itself. The first version in 1957 stars Julie Andrews. This second version stars Lesley Ann Warren. This later version made in 1997 stars Brandy and Whitney Houston.
Ever After (1998). Andy Tennant, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Cast:
Drew Barrymore .... Danielle De Barbarac
Anjelica Huston .... Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent
Dougray Scott .... Prince Henry
Patrick Godfrey .... Leonardo da Vinci
Drew Barrymore is the spunky Cinderella in this movie version of the tale. The movie is fun. I appreciated the screenplay's hints at why Cinderella's stepmother (Angelica Huston) is so hateful to her. This version is definitely one of my favorite screen versions.
"With the sudden death of her loving father, Danielle is made a servant by her new stepmother. She also has two new stepsisters, one quite kind but the other one really horrid. Still, Danielle grows up to be a happy and strong-willed young lady, and one day her path crosses that of handsome Prince Henry, who has troubles of his own at home. Luckily the nice Leonardo da Vinci is on hand to help all round." (IMDB.com).
Stories From My Childhood: Cinderella (1999). Also known as: Mikhail Baryshnikov's Stories From My Childhood.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
ANIMATED SHORT from PBS TV SERIES: Cinderella features the voices of Robert Loggia and Sarah Jessica Parker.
The PBS series, Stories From My Childhood, features animated shorts from Russia's Soyuzmultfilm Studios, one of the most celebrated animation factories of the 20th century. Mikhail Baryshnikov was co-executive producer of the new English versions, featuring well-known actors' voices. This TV series and the subsequent DVDs collect several of Soyuzmultfilm's most dazzling adaptations of European folklore. These versions are often more accurate than the American film versions of the same tales. Most of the films were originally produced in the 1950s and '60s.
The Adventures of Cinderella's Daughter (2000). Scott Zakarin, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Cast:
Stan Lee .... The Priest
Joe Lando .... King Gregory
Liz Lavoie .... Queen Cinderella
Laurie Shiers Plaksin .... Cindy
Matthew Wagner .... Gavin
Jim Wise .... Fred the Fairy Godbrother
Queen Cinderella is blissfully married to the King (Joe Lando) and is mom of the coolest Royal family in all the land. Her daughter Cindy (Laurie Plaksin) is a teenage Princess who wishes more than anything to be just an ordinary teenage girl. She has a crush on Gavin, a dashing young commoner at her Medieval High School, a suitor her father would surely not approve. Cindy's wish is answered when she meets her very own Fairy Godbrother, Fred (Jim Wise). Fred uses his undeveloped magical powers to help Cindy try out for the cheerleading squad, turn Gavin's rival for Cindy's affection into an ape and even take Cindy on a magical journey back in time to attend the wedding of Cinderella to the Prince-a wedding that might have been foiled by the Wedding Warlock (Roger Rose) if not for Cinderella's Fairy Godmother.
The 10th Kingdom (2000) (TV). David Carson and Herbert Wise, directors.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Cast:
Kimberly Williams .... Virginia Lewis
Scott Cohen .... Wolf
John Larroquette .... Antony 'Tony' Lewis
Dianne Wiest .... The Evil Queen/Christine Lewis
Camryn Manheim .... Snow White
Ann-Margret .... Queen Cinderella
This epic 10-hour miniseries was a ratings bust on television Kimberly Williams is Virginia, a waitress who still lives with her janitor father (John Larroquette) and yearns for something exciting to happen to her. Her wish comes true when she and her father are transported from New York City into the nine kingdoms populated by characters from fairy tales of yore. They team up with a dog who's really a prince--Wendell, grandson of Snow White--changed into canine form by the evil Queen (Dianne Wiest), who plots to usurp Wendell's throne. Father, daughter, and his royal dogness are relentlessly pursued through the nine kingdoms by the Troll King (Ed O'Neill) and his three bumbling and horrible children, and the conflicted Wolf (Scott Cohen), who is allied with the Queen but tames his inner beast and falls in love with Virginia. The 10th Kingdom is a special effects extravaganza. There is indeed, as one character marvels, magic to behold here. But despite the Hallmark brand name and the presence of a grown-up Snow White (Camryn Manheim) and Cinderella (Ann-Margret), bewitched animals, magic mirrors, and trolls, this is not kid's stuff. It can get scary, surprisingly violent, and quite intense; you know, just like real fairy tales.
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (TV) (2002). Gavin Millar, director.
Cast:
Stockard Channing .... Margarethe Fisher Van Den Meer
Azura Skye .... Iris Fisher
Trudie Styler .... Fortune Teller
Emma Poole .... Ruth Fisher
Jenna Harrison .... Clara Van Den Meer
Jonathan Pryce .... Master Schoonmacker
A made-for-TV movie featured on ABC. The movie is an adaptation of Gregory Maguire's book of the same name. This movie has not been released to DVD at this time.
DysEnchanted (2003). Terri Miller, director.
Cast:
Laura Kightlinger .... Cinderella
Sarah Wynter .... Sleeping Beauty
Alexis Bledel .... Goldilocks
Jaime Bergman .... Alice
K.D. Aubert .... Little Red Riding Hood
Shiva Rose McDermott .... Snow White
Amy Pietz .... Clara
Jill Small .... Dorothy
James Belushi .... Doctor (The Shrink)
SHORT FILM: "Storybook characters Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Goldilocks, Alice, Dorothy, and Red Riding Hood are in group therapy dishing and dealing with what comes after "happily ever after." When Clara, a New Jersey divorcee, joins the group, she finds out that while life is no fairy tale, it doesn't mean her dysenchantment has to be terminal." (IMDB.com)
Ella Enchanted (2004). Tommy O'Haver, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
Cast:
Anne Hathaway .... Ella
Hugh Dancy .... Prince Charmont
Cary Elwes .... Prince Regent Edgar
Minnie Driver .... Mandy
Vivica A. Fox .... Fairy Lucinda
Anne Hathaway stars as Ella in the movie adaptation of Gail Carson Levine's popular book. The movie is slated for an April 2004 release date in the U.S. (IMDB.com)
A Cinderella Story (2004). Mark Rosman, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
Cast:
Hilary Duff .... Sam Montgomery
Chad Michael Murray .... Austin Anderson
Brenda Song .... Kelly Anderson
Brad Bufanda .... David
Dan Byrd .... Carter Farrell
"Routinely exploited by her wicked stepmother, the downtrodden Sam Martin is excited about the prospect of meeting her Internet beau at the school's Halloween dance" (IMDB.com).
Happily N'ever After (2007). Paul J. Bolger & Yvette Kaplan , directors.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
Cast:
Sarah Michelle Gellar .... Ella
Patrick Warburton .... Prince Charming
Sigourney Weaver .... Stepmother, Frieda
Andy Dick .... Mambo
Wallace Shawn .... Munk
"Once upon a time will n'ever be the same again. Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Jack from the Beanstalk are all about to live happily ever after when the balance between good and evil gets thrown out of whack. It's up to Cinderella - aka Ella (Sarah Michelle Gellar) - to save the day by taking on her power-hungry stepmother, Frieda (Sigourney Weaver). But this time, Ella will have to do it without her Prince Charming (Patrick Warburton) as she joins forces with an unlikely army of dwarves, faries, and the Wizard's bumbling assistants, Mambo (Andy Dick) and Munk (Wallace Shawn). Your favorite fairy tales are turned upside down in this funny, fast-paced adventure that teaches the lesson that - no matter who you are - you have the power to affect how your story turns out!"
Cinderella (2007/8). Richard Pinto and Anil Gupta, writers. Hat Trick/BBC Northern Ireland Production for BBC One.
The second fairy tale in the BBC Fairy Tales anthology is Cinderella. Richard Pinto and Anil Gupta (Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No 42) have chosen to update Cinderella. The original is thought to date back to ninth century China in which Yei-Hsien is helped by a ten-foot long fish, who proves every bit as capable as a fairy godmother, furnishing her with a dress made of kingfisher feathers and tiny gold shoes.
Richard and Anil have set their version in the world of anthropology, at a bustling university and asks the question: Who is really responsible for the evolution of the human race, man or woman?
"The story of Cinderella, which has been around for at least 2,000 years, addresses all the big fairy tale issues: oppression, injustice, and empowerment, oh, and getting dressed up in a fabulous outfit, obviously!" says Richard Pinto.
"Many would argue that it's the most famous of all fairy tales, so it was a daunting task to take something so well known and tell it in a new way, but I hope we've stayed true to the original spirit of the story.
"There was always an element of 'men versus women' in the original story (who's in charge of this relationship, Cinderella or the Prince?), we're just a bit more up front about it in our version," says Richard.
The delightful rom-com features the devilishly charismatic Professor Prince (James Nesbitt), who believes that the 'male of the species' is the reason we are all here today and university cleaner Cindy (Maxine Peake) who, despite her lack of academic education, is determined to prove him wrong.
Anil continues: "In our version Cindy is a cleaner at a university. She is deeply fascinated by anthropology, but despite being very bright and having a broad knowledge (self-taught) of the subject, she doesn't have the qualifications to pursue her dream of becoming an academic.
"She's kept in her place by two research students, Phoebe and Fenola (the ugly sisters), and the Head of the Anthropology department, Professor Brooks (the wicked stepmother).
"It looks like she's destined for a life below stairs, until the arrival at the university of Professor H Prince, a very modern academic, media savvy and photogenic, who's desperate to show the world his phallus..."
In terms of how they began research on their fairy tale, Richard adds:
"To understand what's really going on in fairy tales, to get to the root of the primal urges they describe, you have to revisit them all, from Hansel and Gretel to Rumpelstiltskin and back again. We also looked at the archaeological and anthropological debate surrounding the Great Leap Forward, a contentious period in human evolution when our ancestors suddenly became the dominant species on earth.
"Basically we still don't know why humans 'made it' and Neanderthals didn't, but we think it's either down to the feminine skills of language and communication, or the masculine skills of speed and agility. Basically the answer to this question is the ultimate answer to the battle of the sexes, who's best, men or women? This provides the bone of contention (bad pun, I know) between our two protagonists."
There are hundreds of theatrical productions with Cinderella themes in them. I have listed most of the important and easily accessible ones. For a more complete list, consult Russell A. Peck's
Cinderella Bibliography: Pantomime, Burlesque and Children's Drama
Cinderella Bibliography: Opera and Musical Comedy
Cinderella Bibliography: Ballet
Barrie, J. M. A Kiss for Cinderella. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1920.
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PLAY: J. M. Barrie, famous for penning Peter Pan, wrote this Cinderella-themed play. This time Cinderella is Jane, a poor London domestic who cares for four tiny orphans during the dark days of WWI. The economic squalor and emotional deprivation of her existence is alleviated only by the richness of her imagination. Jane lives in her own fantasy world. She is really Cinderella, and she knows that someday her invitation to the Prince's ball will come. The play was made into a silent movie in 1925, directed by Herbert Brenon.
Coble, Eric. Cinderella Confidential. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 2002.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: The prince has the shoe. He's ready to wed. But who's the woman behind the foot? Two investigative reporters—Deb Jabber from Action News Day Now and Sonny Glamour from Glitter Kingdom Today—compete for the scoop of the century, interviewing everybody from a fairy godmother in desperate need of a day-planner to mice in the witness protection program. Look for cameos from Pinocchio, Jack and his cow and other celebrities in this no-holds-barred exposé of the timeless love story and what it means to find—and TELL—the truth.
Denys, Chris, and Chris Harris. Cinderella. London: Josef Weinberger.
PLAY: Pantomime.
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Ashputtel." Collected Grimm Tales.Dramatization by Tim Supple. London: Faber and Faber, 2003.
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Also available in:
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Ashputtel." Grimm Tales. Dramatization by Tim Supple. London: Faber and Faber, 1996.
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SHORT PLAY
Eiler, Jim. Cinderella. Music by Jim Eiler and Jeanne Bargy. Adaptation and lyrics by Jim Eiler from the fairy-tale by Charles Perrault. London: Josef Weinberger.
MUSICAL: Pantomime. A pantomime in the true English tradition for all seasons of the year. The glass slipper, Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, Wicked Stepmother and the Ugly Sisters will recall fond childhood memories for adults and keep children spellbound with its ageless and charming story of the girl who finally becomes a Princess. Songs include "Hi Diddle Dee", "What's To Become Of Me?" and "Sneeze Polka".
Fonte, Henry and Victoria Holloway. Cinderella: The True Story. Book by Henry Fonte and Victoria Holloway. Music by Lee Ahlin. New York: Samuel French.
MUSICAL: Children's musical. This delightful retelling of the classic story set in New Orleans during the Civil War had adults and children laughing at the American Stage Children's Theatre. The Cinderella character, Anne Marie Luise deVille, helps win a battle for the Confederacy and then disappears. The governor announces a ball to celebrate the victory. The fairy godmother, a Jamaican woman, flies in and does a sprightly calypso number.
Fox, Phyllis Ward. Cinderella. Book by Phyllis Ward Fox. Music and lyrics by David Coleman. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1978.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
MUSICAL: As if Gladys, Cinderella's fairy godmother, doesn't have enough problems, what is she going to do with Alice's white rabbit, Harold (for that is the white rabbit's name). Having taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque, Harold falls in the wrong hole and lands right in Gladys' kingdom—just at the moment Cinderella's story begins. Harold wants to leave, but Gladys is a fast thinker and decides she could use his help to rescue Cinderella from her wicked stepmother.
Frakes, Jack. Final Dress Rehearsal. New York: Samuel French.
SHORT PLAY: Farce. An amateur theatrical group's final dress rehearsal of Cinderella is a disaster: Cinderella is late, the prompter wants to play all the parts, the sassy stage crew is noisy, the author feels her brainchild is being ruined and the director is distraught. The stepsisters miss cues, sound-effects are played at the wrong speed, the messenger crashes her bicycle and the fairy godmother can't find her wand. Final Dress Rehearsal is among the most popular plays for high school production according to the Interna- tional Thespian Society.
Frankonis, W. A.. A Tale of Cinderella. Book by W. A. Frankonis. Music by Will Severin and George David Weiss. Lyrics by George David Weiss. New York: Samuel French.
MUSICAL: Children's musical. A delightful new spin on the classic tale set in Venice, this musical has lots of Italian spice and fire. To find love and happiness, a self-reliant, strong and beautiful Cin- derella must overcome a powerful amuletto d'amore to free her father from her step- mother's mysterious spell. The Godmama wields a magic spoon and the prince's Godpapa employs his magic sword.
Gleason, William. Breaker Calling Cinderella. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1977.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: "Break one-niner for the Silver Princess...Come on back at me, Silver Princess." Who is the Silver Princess and why is she driving all the good buddies from Upshaw County crazy? Here's a chance for you to throw out your anchor, step down off your four-wheeler and do a good, old-fashioned CB love story. Sweet Rose Lee is living a life of pure misery. Nothing to do but wash and scrub and paint and feed the hogs. She is constantly tormented by her evil stepmother, Birdie Bonaventure, and her stepsisters, Biddie and Baby. Poor Rose Lee! Her only pleasure is her secret CB radio which was left to her by her dear old daddy. She may be Rose Lee at home but on the air she's the Silver Princess and she drives the boys wild.
Glennon, William. Cinderella. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Reviews across the country herald this new version—"only Peter Pan matches it for natural hilarity. The two are alike in understanding what children want a play to be: an extension of their own play with which they can fully identify... it has comedy, poignancy, charm and enchantment in just the right amounts."
Glowacki, Janusz. Cinders. Translated by Christina Paul. Music by Richard Peaslee. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: The New York Shakespeare Festival had quite a success with this penetrating allegory about a totalitarian police state by a Polish dissident playwright and novelist. In a reform school for girls, near Warsaw. A documentary film director plans to do a film of their production of the classic ''Cinderella''. The authorities of the school welcome his arrival, as they believe his film will show the world how enlightened the state can be in its institumail tions of social welfare. The director plans to create a documentary whose theme is how innocent children are rescued from the web of society. When the girl playing Cinderella refuses to participate in this phony charade. both the director and the school authorities collaborate in her punishment.
Gray, Nicholas Stuart. The Other Cinderella: A Three Act Play For Children. London: Oxford University Press, 1958. [Currently available from New York: Samuel French, 1977 and London: Josef Weinberger.]
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: A refreshingly alternative version of the classic tale - Cinderella may be pretty, but she is incredibly precocious and bad tempered, and her step-sisters are neither ugly or cruel but loving and gentle. With the intervention of the meddlesome Demon, the Fairy sets out to put things right and return the story of Cinderella back to its original form, with disastrous and hilarious results.
Hammerstein II, Oscar. Cinderella. Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. London: Josef Weinberger.
MUSICAL: Originally presented as a television extravaganza, this famous fairy tale has been re-fashioned and set to music by two great masters of the musical. The characters are given greater depth plus a more human quality, and it is only through Cinderella's innocent faith in a miracle that allows her wish to go to the ball to come true. Musical highlights include "In My Own Little Corner," "A Lovely Night," "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" and "Impossible."
Hempel, Joanna. Cinderina and the Corridors of Power. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Enchanting in its wit, wisdom and absurdity, this fractured fairy tale turns convention on its head with a modern and morally redeeming twist. When a troubled Queen tastes Cinderina's apple cinnamon cake, she asks Cinderina to promise to make her another for her son's 21st birthday. The cake sets off an avalanche of events, upsetting the powers that be. You'll see your favorite characters—the ugly sisters and that devious duchess, conniving in the corridors with a wiley Lord Chancellor and a mad chef who insists on putting glue in all his dishes. To save the castle's tourist industry, the prince announces a cake competition, to be judged at his birthday ball! When Hans, the castle's garbage man, is suspected of pilfering from the chef's kitchen, Cinderina has to find ingredients for her special cake some other way, Gunter, a village boy, and his mother and sisters rally. It is not magic but a people's creative faith in themselves that wins in the end. From one of Australia's leading writers for young audiences, this charming play is an allegory with fun and romance for the young and deeper lessons for all of us about power, ambition, optimism, trendiness, and self-doubt.
Homer, Frances. Cinderella of Loreland. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1934, 1961.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: This is the Cinderella play in which the famous Ashes appears. He's the magic cat, as you'd expect. When Cinderella's left alone to do the work, Ashes helps her as easily as he'd catch a mouse. When the others go to the ball, he stays with Cinderella. He gives up his pumpkin for her coach and his nice fat mice to make the horses (though he hopes he'll be there when they turn into mice again!).
Hotchner, Steve and Kathy. Cinderella, Cinderella. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1977.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
SHORT PLAY: (Participation Play for Children) A drama critic summed up a key advantage to these participation plays saying, "Kids can't talk back to a television screen. In glorious contrast is [this] 'Cinderella' in which members of the audience help the show along!" As the action begins in this participation version of the old favorite, small groups of children come on to the stage to help Cinderella clean the stepmother's house before the terrible family returns. The children then help an absentminded Fairy Godmother get Cinderella dressed and ready for the ball; create the wild ride to the castle; and provide a distraught King Ferdinand and a sorrowful prince with a queen and ladies and gentlemen to dance with at the ball.
Kelly, Tim. Cinderella Meets the Wolfman!. Book by Tim Kelly. Music and Lyrics by Jack Sharkey. New York: Samuel French.
MUSICAL: Cinderella encounters a Prince who has inherited ''The Charming Curse'' and becomes a wolf every full moon. Igor, hired by King and Queen Charming to keep an eye on their son, a movie star who's come to attend the royal wedding (which will occur if Prince Charming can take a bride without devouring her), and a gypsy who can get a fortune for a genuine stuffed werewolf (she's got a silver bullet) add to the hilarity.
Kidd, Virginia. Happily Ever Once Upon. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Parody. After twenty years of marriage, Cinderella and Prince Charming have some problems: the Enchanted Kingdom teeters on the brink of bankruptcy. Cinderella's fairy godmother is blackmailing her, the Prince's adviser has one arm and one swan's wing and an unfortunate habit of breaking everything he encounters, and Red Riding Hood has set her cap for the Prince. Though hoping Rumplestilskin can spin gold from straw, the Prince fears he may have to make the Enchanted Kingdom a tourist attraction. Cinderella resolves their difficulties by confronting her godmother and opening the Kingdom to writers who promise them royalties from their stories.
Kuder, Edna. Cinderella. Book and Lyrics by Edna Kuder. Music by Peter Larson. New York: Samuel French.
MUSICAL: Children's musical. This enchanting version of the classic story is designed to teach children the joy of being on stage. It is perfect to be performed by and for elementary school children.
Lapine, James. Into the Woods. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine. London: Josef Weinberger.
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MUSICAL: A bewitching crew of classic characters romp through a "happily ever after" kingdom in this musical fairy-tale. Interweaving a hilarious mix of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, the Baker's Wife, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel in a multi-layered plot which ends happily in Act One, the musical then explores "happily ever after" in Act Two as previous actions come home to roost - with a vengeance!
MacCarthy. John Bernard. Who Will Kiss Cinderella?: A Romantic Comedy in Three Acts. London: George Roberts, 1929.
PLAY
MacGregor, Helen, and Stephen Chadwick. Roald Dahl's Cinderella. Vladimir Tarnopolski, composer. New York: A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 2008.
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MUSICAL: Based on the "Revolting Rhyme" by Roald Dahl.
Marvin, Blanche. Cinderella. In Plays for Children, Vol. II.New York: Samuel French.
SHORT PLAY: Cinderella rises from rags to riches in this comedy of manners a la Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. The ugly sisters are played by men and the Fairy Godmother is Britannia.
McLoughlin, Patrick. Cinderladdin. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Pantomime. Aladdin tells his mother he's met a beautiful girl, Cinderella, and also acquired an old lamp. She sends him out to get more laundry customers. Meanwhile, Cinderella is forced to prepare her cruel stepsisters for the Ball where the Prince will select a bride. The stepsisters leave and Aladdin happens by. Cinderella explains her plight. The lamp's Genie gets Cinderella to the Ball despite the wicked Uncle's plotting. She leaves at midnight minus the glass slipper. With the lamp's help she acquires the Prince of her choice—Aladdin.
Montley, Patricia. "Cinderella." Not So Grim Fairy Tales. New York: Samuel French.
SHORT PLAY: Satire. Five scenes present unusual variations on familiar tales. In "Little Red and the Big Bad She Wolf," Red is invited by Mae Wolf to quit Harvard Business School and get a start in the service-selling business—despite Granny's opposition (she is Mae's senior partner). In "Bumble Stiltskin and the Baby Business," Rumpel's put-upon wife implores the Queen to keep her royal baby and offers to set up a Day Care Center if she gets government support. Also included are "Snow White and the Anti-Freeze," "Jack and the Marijuana Stalk," and "Cinderella."
Newton, Ruth. Cinderella. New York: Samuel French.
SHORT PLAY: This version emphasizes audience participation. The Fairy Godmother needs help from the audience because she is out of practice and not at all certain her magic is going to work properly. Cinderella's slipper is tried on youngsters in the audience, who are con- sulted as to whether the wicked stepmother and stepsisters should be turned into happy people. Cinderella is a natural, joyous girl with a bubbling sense of humor and great honesty. Of course, she and the Prince live happily ever after.
Nigro, Don. Cinderella Waltz. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Comedy. Rosey Snow is trapped in a fairy tale world that is by turns funny and a little frightening, with her stepsisters Goneril and Regan, her demented stepmother, her lecherous father, a bewildered Prince, a fairy godmother who sings salty old sailor songs, a troll and a possibly homicidal village idiot. This play investigates the archetypal origins of the world's most popular fairy tale, contrasting the familiar and charming Perrault version with the darker, more ancient and disturbing tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. Grotesque farce and romantic fantasy blend in a fairy tale for adults.
Patterson, Stuart. Cinderella. London: Nick Hern, 2000.
Read more about the play on the Nick Hern Books website.
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PLAY: Pantomime. A classic fairy tale with a twist. The two ugly sisters and the vicious step mother get their come-uppance, but Cinders, in a thoroughly refreshing alternative, rejects the spoilt and arrogant Prince in favour of the genuine and reliable Buttons.
"In the fullness of time, I think Stuart Paterson's modern pantomimes may come to be seen as one of the outstanding legacies of Scottish theatre."--Guardian
Perry, Ruth. The Cinderella Complex. Dramatized by Ruth Perry. Based on the story by Sir Osbert Sitwell. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: This Cinderella is a compulsive martyr who'd love to have the whole world weep and say: "Poor Cinderella," as she spoils life for her family. Her stepmother buys her a Paris gown for the ball. Her stepsisters line her up an intriguing date. But Cinderella prefers to suffer.
Robbins, Norman. Cinderella. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Pantomime. Follows the famous story in a straightforward version: though the traditional pantomime additions are introduced, the narrative line remains the salient feature: the arrival of the stepmother and her two horrific daughters; Cinderella's maltreatment in the kitchen; the faithful Buttons; Cinderella's kindness to the old woman who turns out to be the fairy godmother; the handsome Prince and the Ball and all the rest of the famous story.
Rogers, June Walker. The Truth About Cinderella. Book by June Walker Rogers. Music by Charles Strouse. Lyrics by David Rogers. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
MUSICAL: Charles Strouse, the composer of Bye, Bye Birdie, has written another score to David Rogers' lilting, laughing lyrics. June Walker Rogers has provided a hilarious comedy-spoof book based on Sir Osbert Sitwell's Cinderella Complex. Poor Cinderella? Not this time! It's poor stepmother and sisters—sweetly, desperately trying to drag Cinderella away from her beloved brooms and brushes to the ball! Two godmothers—two! One tells Cinderella the truth that she must shape up and stop making herself and everyone else miserable. The other gives advice on how to make everyone even more miserable! One royal family—one! The king, determined to marry off his son; the queen, determined not to. The prince, a lyric tenor who says nothing. It's all upside down and all laughs. True to tradition, Cinderella wins her prince but there is an interesting switch.
St. John, Billy. Cindy Ella's Going To the Ball, Baby!. New York: Samuel French.
SHORT PLAY: Comedy. This hilarious takeoff on Cinderella is set in a contemporary high school at prom time. Cindy Ella's stepsisters, Prissy and Missy, are hoping that Joe Prince will dance with them, while her stepmother hopes to find husband number three among the teachers chaperoning. Big Mama arrives in a puff of smoke to make sure that Cindy gets to the prom and hooks up with dreamboat Joe Prince. But is he really her Prince Charming?
Tasca, Jules. "Fairy Tale Mail." Opened Mail. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1996.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
SHORT PLAY OR READER'S THEATRE: A menage of the "Hansel and Gretel," "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Cinderella" stories. Part of the full-length play titled Opened Mail.
Wakefield, Colin. Cinderella. Book by Colin Wakefield. Music and lyrics by Kate Edgar. London: Josef Weinberger.
PLAY: Pantomime. Probably the best-loved pantomime of them all, in a version complete with all the traditional trappings. All your favourite characters are here: Buttons, Cinders, the Baron, Prince Charming, Dandini and of course those awful, horrible ugly sisters. Combined with specially composed music, plenty of audience participation and not forgetting that crucial crystal slipper, you have the ideal pantomime for all the family.
Way, Charles. "Cinderella." The Classic Fairy Tales: Retold for the Stage. Theatre Communications Group, 2003.
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