Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Cinderella premiered in May, 1994 and the Company has toured the production to California, Arizona, and Edmonton and Calgary, Canada. It was last performed in Seattle in 2002 at the Mercer Arts Arena.

PNB Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer Kent Stowell began work on Cinderella in 1992.

At the time, PNB’s production was the first Cinderella to be created in the United States in 15 years.

The production has over 120 roles.

Sixty-two children from Pacific Northwest Ballet School perform in 32 roles that include bugs, pumpkins, sprites and memory boys and girls. Twelve of the children performing in the show are DanceChance students.
DanceChance is PNB School’s innovative outreach program that enables talented, Seattle-area elementary students to study at the School on full scholarship.

The enormous white and gold carriage that delivers Cinderella to the ball was a six-month project for two scenic carpenters. The 23-foot carriage was constructed by hand in the PNB scenic shop.

The clock that is suspended above the stage actually works and strikes midnight during the ball. It is run by remote control and operated by a stagehand with the help of a video transmission from a camera above the clock.

Over 120 costumes and 30 custom wigs are worn in Cinderella. A mile of tulle was used in constructing the costumes for the production.

The trim on Cinderella’s ball gown took over 100 hours to create and sew.

The score for PNB’s Cinderella includes seven different musical pieces by composer Sergei Prokofiev.

The design team of Tony Straiges (sets) and Martin Pakledinaz (costumes) created a lavish 18th century French setting for PNB’s Cinderella. They are each Tony Award-winners for their work on Broadway (Striages: Sunday in the Park with George; Pakledinaz: Kiss Me, Kate & Thoroughly Modern Millie).

Pacific Northwest Ballet presents Cinderella
February 4-13, 2011
At Marion Oliver McCaw Hall


Featured photo: PNB dancers Seth Orza and Maria Chapman in Kent Stowell’s Cinderella, photo © Angela Sterling.