Surrey staging Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Cinderella' with 30-person ensemble
This isn't the Disney version—Ella attends two balls in this Broadway adaptation opening Friday, June 26, at Surrey Arts Centre.
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Fraser Valley Musical Theatre is staging Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella this week at Surrey Arts Centre, presenting a Broadway adaptation that diverges significantly from the familiar Disney telling.
"It's not the traditional Cinderella that people are used to—not the Disney version," notes Samantha Robbins, the Langley-based director. "It has evolved from the old-school Cinderella that was on TV in 1957 with Julie Andrews, and since then it's been on Broadway and has developed ever since. For instance, in this one she doesn't attend one ball, she attends two. It's quite a big undertaking with a lot of songs. There's something in it for everybody."
Tori Kazemir stars as Ella. The production opens Friday, June 26, at Surrey Arts Centre's Main Stage and runs through July 5 with eight show times across two weeks.
Close to 30 cast members, plus crew and volunteers, have brought the show to life. Remarkably, nearly a third of the cast are school teachers—either retired or still working. "We've learned that teaching skills like communication, creativity, leadership, storytelling and collaboration seem to translate naturally to theatre," said Tamara Jaune, co-choreographer.
The production is staged in memory of music director John Arsenault. "It was John's hope to bring this beautiful show to life with us in Spring 2026, and our creative team is honoured to fulfill that vision in his memory," the theatre company said. Ashley Trimble, who has performed in Arsenault's pit orchestras, conducts this production. "There have been many tears as we go through different stages of the show because we know just how much John would have loved and appreciated how the show was coming together," Robbins said.
Tickets and show times are available at fvmt.org, the Surrey Arts Centre box office (purchase.surrey.ca), or 604-501-5580. Select performances feature special guest performers: Ella from Fairest Skye (June 27 and July 5 afternoons) and close-up magic with Chris from Geo Magic (June 26, July 2, 3, 4 evenings and July 5 afternoon).