I remember watching a musical television adaptation of the classic fairy tale "Cinderella," when I was a young boy. Many of the details escape me, but I retained many songs through the decades. The songwriting duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had established themselves as Broadway composers, but they wrote this show specifically for television. Although the first showing starred Julie Andrews in the title role in 1957, I believe the version from my childhood premiered in 1963 and starred Lesley Ann Warren.

In 2008, Douglas Carter Beane rewrote the book, adding scenes and subplots and modifying some of the story. In this version, Prince Topher is an orphan manipulated by his advisor, Sebastian, who uses the throne's power to exploit the kingdom's poorest citizens. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella - a kindly orphan abused by her stepmother - attends a royal ball. Prince Topher falls in love with her beauty and kindness, but she runs away before her magic wears off at midnight. In Beane's version, only one of Cinderella's stepsisters is cruel, and one of Cinderella's closest friends is the radical Jean-Michel, who stands up to the oppressions of the palace.

Beane's version of the story runs through October 18 at The Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights, IL. Saturday afternoon's edition began with an adventure. Less than five minutes into the performance, the fire alarm sounded, forcing the entire theater to empty into the street for a half hour. When the show resumed, the magic began. The story was both familiar and new, with Beane's twist providing just enough deviation from the traditional fairy tale to surprise the audience. The music was wonderful, of course. Rogers and Hammerstein spent their career creating musical theater masterpieces, such as "South Pacific," "The King and I," and "The Sound of Music." Cinderella is not their masterpiece, but it is filled with memorable songs such as "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible/It's Possible," "Stepsister's Lament," and the lovely waltz "Ten Minutes Ago."

Molly Bremer's sweetness shone through as Cinderella and Rachel Caarreras stole each scene in which she appeared as the Fairy Godmother. The sets were simple but beautiful, shifting from the woods to the palace and then to Cinderella's home, with minor changes in props and lighting.

I enjoyed the music; I enjoyed the story - both traditional and updated; and I enjoyed the memories of my childhood that this production revived.