Anticipation Builds for 2012 Staging of Show Hope's CINDERELLA, ENCHANTED EDITION

Anticipation is building for Show Hope's third annual presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical  Cinderella,  Enchanted Edition, which takes to the Schermerhorn Symphony stage on Thursday, April 12, with Jessica Grove taking over the role of Cinderella previously played by Ally Mausey and Ryan Silverman as her Prince (the role played the first two years by Anthony Fedorov).

To commemorate the life of Maria Sue Chapman-and to help advance Show Hope's mission of caring for the most pressing needs of orphans around the-Studio Tenn's artistic director Matt Logan will direct the star-studded cast who will team up with the Nashville Symphony for this "one-night-only" concert performance.

Show Hope founders Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman dreamed for years about creating a major entertainment event for Nashville, wanting to be able to give back to the supporting community as well as to serve as a platform to celebrate and illuminate the mission of Show Hope and for the third year in a row, their dream will again become a reality.

"It will again offer colorful costumes, a flourish of makeup, a dash of dancing, and a good measure of magic," reads a press release for the event.

Show Hope's Spring Celebration of Cinderella again features Steven Curtis Chapman as executive producer and Logan as director.

The lead role of Cinderella and the Prince will be performed by Broadway stars Jessica Grove (Les Miserables, Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Ryan Silverman (Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story). Joining them on stage will be Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid, returning to the Schermerhorn stage as the Fairy Godmother, after appearing as The Queen in the production's first staging in 2010.

Grove was also seen on Broadway in A Little Night Music and Sunday in the Park with George, as well as in the national tours of The Boy Friend and Wizard of Oz. Her regional credits include She Loves Me, The Fantasticks, Titanic, Giant, Evita and Oklahoma! In June, she will star as Maria Rainer in Studio Tenn's production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music.

Silverman appeared in the Broadway productions of Wicked, Mamma Mia, Crybaby and Pirates of Penzance. His concert work includes appearances with the Cincinnati Pops, The New York Pops, The Philadelphia Orchestra and more. He is featured in the upcoming feature film Five Minarets In New York with Danny Glover. 

Country superstar Linda Davis will play the Queen and the role of the King will be reprised once again by Gary Morris ("Wind Beneath My Wings") who starred on Broadway as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. Studio Tenn's Jake Speck and Nan Gurley return for the third time in their unforgettable roles, Speck as the royal steward Lionel and Gurley as the Stepmother.

Melinda Doolittle, who became a household name on season six of American Idol, will play Stepsister Joy, and Bridget Berger, from Broadway's Jersey Boys, will play the role of Stepsister Grace.

Tickets are available for $109, $79 and $49. This will be a sellout show, but limited tickets are still available. To order, call (615) 687-6400. Find out more at www.showhope.org/cinderella. 

Jeffrey Ellis is a Nashville-based writer, editor and critic, who's been covering the performing arts in Tennessee for more than 25 years. He is the recipient of the Tennessee Theatre Association's Distinguished Service Award for his coverage of theatre in the Volunteer State and was the founding editor/publisher of Stages, the Tennessee Onstage Monthly. He is a past fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center and is the founder/executive producer of The First Night Honors, held during Labor Day Weekend, which honor oustanding theater artists in Tennessee in recognition of their lifetime achievements and includes The First Night Star Awards and the Most Promising Actors. Midwinter's First Night, held the first Sunday in January after New Year's Day, honors outstanding productions and performances throughout the state. Further, Ellis directed the Nashville premiere of La Cage Aux Folles, The Last Night of Ballyhoo and An American Daughter, as well as award-winning productions of Damn Yankees, Company, Gypsy and The Rocky Horror Show, with Ellis honored by The Tennessean as best director of a musical for both Company and Rocky Horror.

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