Well, not exactly! Poor Cinderella; she’s got 2 of the worst stepsisters in the history of fairytales. Of the thousands of variants from around the world on the story of a heroine who goes from terrible circumstances to exceedingly good fortune, the one that is named for the girl in rags and covered with ashes is the best known in this country. State Street Ballet Artistic Director Rodney Gustafson chose to add some slapstick comedy to this tale, and it centers on the stepsisters, who are hilariously played by male dancers in hideous drag. All Cinderella ballets feature a dancing lesson to prepare the sisters for the impending royal ball, but I doubt any has been funnier than State Street Ballet’s version. The 1200 school children treated to a performance of excerpts from the first act at the sumptuous Granada Theatre were thrilled and thoroughly entertained, which is quite an achievement for a ballet!
