Cinderella Playbill

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella had its original showing on television in 1957, but its Broadway premiere was in 2013. Based on the fairy tale of Cinderella, specifically drawing from the French folk tale version, the musical follows a young girl with a cruel stepfamily who has a magical night with a fairy godmother that allows her to fall in love with a prince, revealing some of the reality and injustices of his kingdom. It eventually finished its Broadway run in 2015 after 770 performances, though the musical still has regular appearances internationally. The show gained popularity for its costume design, winning the 2014 Tony Award for Best Costume Design for a Musical along with its score.

This Broadway playbill from The Broadway Theatre in Manhattan features a glass slipper whose heel is shaped by the form of Cinderella herself, her ballgown forming the slight curve of the sole. There is an interesting play with this design that combines the identity of Cinderella with that of her glass slippers, that of the magic which made a different version of her. This dynamic draws on the questions of identity and appearance that Cinderella grapples with throughout the musical. With the classic, yellow blocking displaying the Playbill type, the bottom three quarters show the shoe, silhouette, and scripted title below with a black and white format.