![]() If anything, he has aged the way one imagines the down-to-earth, lovesick prince of a quirky kingdom might: with style and grace, never losing his boyish charm, casually pulling off an ascot. To his credit, Montalban, in 2022, still has the crush-worthy twinkle in his eye from ‘97. To Houston’s stern, “WHY are you down there?!” from the archival footage, Brandy, in 2022, lovingly replies, “Cause I can’t sing as high as you, girl!”īriefly shifting focus to our beloved Prince Christopher, the reunion makes time for everyone in the cast to gush about Paolo Montalban. If the 2022 reunion special did anything, it was to confirm to fans that our favorite part is also Brandy’s. Every time I meet a fellow fan, we inevitably discuss said four-minute clip of the stars practicing ‘Impossible’ at the piano and recording it side by side in the booth. It was in the studio.” At some point a VHS/DVD release included behind the scenes footage of Brandy and Whitney Houston talking about each other and the movie, featuring, now iconic footage of the two in the recording studio. Missing: Whitney Houston (Fairy God Mother and Executive Produce), Natalie Desselle Reid (Minerva).įor longtime fans of the 1997 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Brandy and Whitney’s Version), the August 23rd reunion special began with a high: Brandy, in a sharp orange suit, reminisces that her “favorite moment was never in the movie. Additional interviews with: Billy Porter, Jade Jones, and Todrick Hall. ![]() ![]() Production team: Robert Iscove (Director), Debra Martin Chase (Executive Producer, Whitney Houston’s producing partner), Paul Bogaev (Music Supervisor and Conductor), Valorie Massalas (Casting Director), Ellen Mirojnick (Costume Designer). Although that was not the case last night, the program achieved the goal of anything presented by today’s “The Wonderful World of Disney”: It satisfied its fans with a dose of rose-colored-nostalgia-fueled broadcast television magic.Īll living members of the main cast sat for interviews.Ĭast members: Brandy (Cinderella), Paolo Montalban (Prince Chris), Jason Alexander (Lionel), Whoopi Goldberg (Queen Constantina), Victor Garber (King Maximillian), Bernadette Peters (Stepmother), and Veanne Cox (Calliope). At the very least I expected the program, billed as a reunion, to involve two or more cast members connecting (even via Zoom) and collectively reminiscing on the project, what it meant to them then, and what it means to them now. progress update on the long-awaited cast album, how cast members dealt with internal/external criticism at the time, or a comparison between 1997 color-blind casting versus 2020 Bridgerton casting). However, the tight forty-five did not allow for the kind of insight super fans, such as myself, might have appreciated (i.e. ![]() Still, I appreciated structuring the majority of the special around the movie’s chronological musical numbers-introducing notes about casting, costuming, and production unique to each song-as it lent some order to what could have been a jumble of talking heads. In forty-five minutes, they reintroduced the musical, hit the high points (and high notes), and got out. The program was designed to make the argument: Disney has long believed anyone can be a princess. Based on my lifetime of fangirl research, there was no “never before seen” footage however, I will never turn down the opportunity for primary insight into the creation of, in the words of Pajiba TV editor Kaleena Rivera, “the only Cinderella that matters.” ABC aired the hour-long program on August 23 at 8:00 ET, celebrating the movie’s 25th Anniversary, followed by the first showing of Rodger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella since it was last broadcasted in 1999 (23 years ago).Īlthough marketing for the special teased never before seen footage of Whitney Houston and implied a physical reunion of sorts, the program instead featured interviews with the cast and a few celebrity fans. Did I have chills from the moment it started and tear up listening to Brandy talk about Paolo Montalban? Without a doubt. Was there much new information in this week’s Cinderella: The Reunion (A Special Edition 20/20)? No.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |